With his slightly rugged and rough-cut, urban look, actor Steve Zissis fit the bill for lead and supporting roles in grassroots indie productions. Zissis studied at such institutes as The Actor's Center, the Chekhov Studio, and the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, and then began to amass a series of roles in cutting-edge low-budget films including Tale of a Phoenix, Climbing Out, The Intervention, Ping Pong La-Lou, and Baghead.