Nelson Heino Leis is a film, television and stage actor born in Kemptville, Ontario, Canada, a small farming town outside of Ottawa. He is of Estonian, French, Spanish and Italian heritage. His family moved to Brownsville, Texas for a brief time before settling in Vancouver, British Columbia. After becoming involved in high school and community theatre productions, Nelson attended The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City.After Leis returned to Vancouver he spent a year as part of an interactive, education based touring production aimed at high school kids. It's focus was creating awareness around sexual exploitation and human trafficking of youth. Nelson helped to develop this program, which continues to run in British Columbia schools 20 years later.He co-created the web series The Jim (2010) which won outstanding comedic series at the 2011 L.A. Web Fest.Nelson's film work includes Kyra Sedgwick's Story of a Girl opposite Kevin Bacon, Kayaking for Beginners, Evangeline, and Genesis Code.Television credits include Hell on Wheels, When Calls The Heart, Rogue, Arrow, and True Justice.Leis has performed on stage in Lobby Hero, The Toyer, Closer, Lone Star, Take Me Out, The Big Funk, Soldier's Heart and Almost, Maine.Nelson is a founding member of ARTery Collective, a theatre company in Vancouver, BC.