The electromechanical properties of graphene/gelatin hydrogel composites were investigated under the effects of graphene surface area, electric field strength and temperature towards bio-actuator applications. The highest surface area of an embedded graphene (MG; grade M) in the gelatin hydrogel composites induced the highest dynamic modulus (G') under applied electric field. The 0.1 vol% graphene (MG)/gelatin hydrogel composite possessed the highest Delta G'/G'(o) value of 352% in comparison with other materials in previous studies. Even the lowest Delta G'/G'(o) values obtained from the fabricated graphene/hydrogel composites were still greater than other dielectric elastomer materials investigated. The storage moduli of the pure gelatin and graphene (MG)/gelatin hydrogel composites, between 30 degrees C and 90 degrees C, exhibited three distinct regimes. In the deflection experiment, the bending distance and the dielectrophoresis force were found to increase monotonically with applied electric field strength with a deflection toward the anode side, indicating the attractive force between the anode and the polarized carboxyl group as the gelatin structure possessed negative charges under applied electric field. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.