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Mark Holden (actor)

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Mark Holden
Born
Mark Adrian Cortis

(1962-09-21) 21 September 1962 (age 62)
Plymouth, England
NationalityBritish-Nigerian-Canadian
Occupation(s)Actor, voice actor, producer
Years active1991–present
Spouse
Patsy McKay
(m. 2008)
Children4

Mark Adrian Holden-Aikhomu (né Cortis; 21 September 1962) is a British-born Canadian actor of Nigerian descent, who works in film, television, theatre and voice. He has worked extensively throughout Canada, UK, Europe and South Africa.[1][2] He is best known for playing CIA handler John Lynn in the Fox Networks Group television series Deep State[3] and playing James Morse on stage in the original London cast of Pretty Woman: The Musical at the Savoy Theatre in the West End. Most recently his voice can be heard playing Doctor Paradox in the 2020 video game Cyberpunk 2077, developed by CD Projekt,[4] and playing Nikolas in another eagerly awaited video game Dying Light 2: Stay Human developed by Techland.

Early life

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Holden was born in Plymouth, Devon, England on 21 September 1962, son of the late Admiral Augustus Akhabue Aikhomu, former Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from 1986 to 1993 and the late Shirley Anne Holden (née. Cortis). He attended Burrington Secondary Modern School in Manadon from 1974 to 1979. His mother planted the acting bug, by frequently taking him to live theatre performances and movies at the local cinemas. At approximately 10 or 11 years of age, he began to tread the boards at a local amateur theatre company. He also started competing in sprint events and the high jump at the City of Plymouth Athletics Club.

Career

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In his late 20s, he began his acting career, and was cast as Villac Umu in 1992 in The Royal Hunt of the Sun by the late Robin Phillips, Director General at the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He was cast in a further six productions over the next three years at the Citadel Theatre, La Bête, Wait Until Dark, Oliver!, Macbeth, Caesar and Cleopatra and The Cherry Orchard.

His film credits include World War Z, Bang Bang You're Dead, The Infiltrator, Stalled[5] and Final Destination. He played William Rios in the 2013 biographical drama-thriller film Captain Phillips, starring Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi and Catherine Keener.[citation needed]

His television credits include Riviera, Stargate SG-1, 24: Live Another Day, Doctors, The X-Files, Casualty, Andromeda, Millennium and MythQuest.

From 2018 to 2019, he played the role of CIA handler John Lynn in the Fox Networks Group television drama series Deep State.

In 2014, Holden wrote and produced his own international award-winning short film, called The Double Deal, in which he also starred as the lead character, Matthew Calder, alongside Captain Phillips castmates Vincenzo Nicoli and David Webber. It can be viewed on YouTube.[6]

Prior to Holden becoming an actor, he was a police officer in two different countries. He served in the Metropolitan Police Service, London, United Kingdom from 1981 to 1987, and the Edmonton Police Service, Alberta, Canada from 1987 to 1996. Whilst Holden served as a police officer he was also an international bobsledder in two man and four man bob, and competed on the Great Britain Bobsleigh Team (1985-1987) on the World Cup Circuit, European Bobsleigh Championships 1986 in Igls, Innsbruck, Austria and achieved 16th place in GB3 in the 1986 World Bobsleigh Championships FIBT World Championships 1986 in Koenigsee, West Germany in the two man bob as the brakeman behind driver Peter Brugnani. Holden also competed on the Canadian Bobsleigh Team (1990-1991 season) on the World Cup Circuit.[citation needed]

Holden continued policing whilst he gained experience taking acting classes, and performing in productions and eventually gaining his Canadian Equity card at the Citadel Theatre, Edmonton, before moving to the West Coast of Canada to work in the film and television industry in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Personal life

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Holden emigrated to Canada in 1987, where he has two daughters from a previous marriage, and five grandchildren. In 2003 he returned back to the United Kingdom to further his acting career. After meeting Patsy McKay in 2005, he decided to stay in the London. They were married 3 years later and have twin boys.

In 2004, Holden climbed Mount Kilimanjaro for the charity Voluntary Services Overseas. He made it to Gilman's Point for sunrise, and succeeded in reaching the summit Uhuru Peak at mid morning, after leaving Kibo Huts Camp Site around midnight.

In 2009, Holden hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu with his wife Patsy for the charity World Vision. One of the highlights is waiting in the early morning at the Sun Gate for the mist to clear across the valley to reveal the ancient ruins of the city of Machu Picchu.[citation needed]

Filmography

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Film (selected)

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Year Title Role Notes
1997 Misbegotten Captain
2000 Epicenter Grant
2000 Final Destination Co-Pilot
2001 Mindstorm Agent Mark Taft
2002 Bang Bang You're Dead Officer Willow
2002 The Stickup Roy Freeman
2006 The Road to Guantanamo Kandahar Interrogator No. 2
2009 Knife Edge Alfred
2013 Stalled Jeff From I.T.
2013 Captain Phillips William Rios
2013 World War Z UN Delegate
2014 The Double Deal Matthew Calder Short film writer/producer
2016 The Infiltrator Eric Wellman
2017 The Prince Story: Icon, Genius...Slave John Lewis Nelson Docudrama
2018 Mars 1001 Commander Robert McGee Planetarium Full Dome
Feature
2020 Satori [Awakening] Warren Rogers Short film
2021 Override Mitchell a.k.a. R.I.A.
2024 Damaged Captain Ford

Television (selected)

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Year Title Role Notes
1996 Gone in a Heartbeat Officer Kline TV movie
1997 All The Winters That Have Been Deputy Marshall
Millennium Agent Clark Episode: "The Thin White Line"
The X-Files Agent Eugene Chandler Episode: "Unrequited"
Medusa's Child Bill Andrews TV movie
1998 Millennium Amadou Episode: "Owls"
1999 Cold Squad Ted Millman Episode: "The Kowalchuck Boy"
Aftershock: Earthquake in New York Firefighter Outside Station Episodes: "Part 1" and "Part 2"
Stargate SG-1 Korra Episode: "Deadman Switch"
2000 The Inspectors 2: A Shred of Evidence Hunter TV movie
2001 Love and Treason Major Harkey
Andromeda Brother Thaddeus Blake Episode: "The Devil Take the Hindmost"
MythQuest Kabaila Episode: "The Blessing"
2002 Dead in a Heartbeat Vice Principal TV movie
Killer Bees Fire Chief
2005 Doctors Mr Julian Carter 3 episodes
2007 Casualty Mr. Paolo Santoni Episode: "The Personal Touch"
Hustle Bouncer Episode: "A Designers Paradise"
2014 50 Ways to Kill Your Lover Dr. Chase Episode: "Heavy Metal"
24: Live Another Day CIA Security Guard Episode: "11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m."
2018 No Easy Days Evan Clark 6 episodes
Riviera Martin Sinclair Season 2
2018–2019 Deep State John Lynn (CIA handler) Seasons 1 & 2
2020 The Show Must Go Online[7] Aaron/Mark Antony Episodes: "Titus Andronicus" & "Antony & Cleopatra"
2021 A Discovery of Witches Wilf Season 2
2022 His Dark Materials Customs Officer Alexander Season 3

Theatre (selected)

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Selected Mark Holden Theater Performances
Year Title Role Venue Notes
1992 Titus Andronicus Aaron, a Moor Onion Theatre Company, Edmonton AB Canada Director: Michael Clarke
1992 The Royal Hunt of the Sun Villac Umu Citadel Theatre Edmonton, AB Canada Director: Robin Phillips
1993 La Bête Servant Citadel Theatre, Edmonton AB Canada Director: Robin Phillips
1993 Wait Until Dark 1st Policeman Citadel Theatre, Edmonton AB Canada Director: Stephen Heatley
1993 Macbeth Seyton Citadel Theatre, Edmonton AB Canada Director: Robin Phillips
1994 Caesar and Cleopatra First Porter Citadel Theatre, Edmonton AB Canada Director: Robin Phillips
1996 The Merchant of Venice Prince of Morocco Bard on the Beach, Vancouver, BC Canada Director: Douglas Campbell
1996 Much Ado About Nothing Conrad Bard on the Beach, Vancouver, BC Canada Director: Christopher Gaze
1997 Othello Othello Way Off Broadway Theatre Company, Edmonton, AB Canada Michael Wener
2004 Fame My Myers UK National Tour Adam Spiegel Productions
2006 The Jungle Book Baloo UK National Tour The Birmingham Stage Company
2009 The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Aslan Palace Theatre, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex UK Bruce James Productions
2016 The Bodyguard Bill Devaney Dominion Theatre, West End, London UK West End revival/David Ian & Michael Harrison Entertainment
2021–2023 Pretty Woman: The Musical James Morse Piccadilly Theatre & Savoy Theatre, West End, London UK Original West End cast/Ambassador Theatre Group

Video games (selected)

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Year Title Role Developer
2007 Crysis US Soldier Crytek
2010 So Blonde: Back to the Island Guama Wizarbox
2013 Killzone: Mercenary ISA Assault Captain Guerrilla Games
2016 Homefront: The Revolution Sidney Cook & James Johnson Dambuster Studios
Battlefield 1 US Soldier EA DICE
Galaxy on Fire: Manticore Kyrrk Tast Fishlabs
2017 Ghost Recon: Wildlands Boyer 'Boston' Reed Ubisoft
2020 Cyberpunk 2077[8] Doctor Paradox[9] / Various CD Projekt
2022 Dying Light 2: Stay Human Nikolas Techland

Awards and nominations

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Year Participation Film Festival Category Nominee Result
2014 Writer/Producer International Film Festival of Spirituality, Religion and Visionary Award of Excellence The Double Deal Won
2015 I Filmmaker International Film Festival Special Mention Won
San Diego Black Film Festival Best Short Film Won
2016 Canada International Film Festival Award of Excellence Won
Producer San Diego Black Film Festival Best Short Film Phalure Inc. Nominated
San Francisco Black Film Festival Best Short Huey & Louis Nominated

References

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  1. ^ "Hollywood actor Mark Holden speaks about his career". uk.blastingnews.com. 6 September 2018. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  2. ^ "Former Policeman and Athlete Mark Holden is Now a Rising Star in Hollywood". www.essex-tv.co.uk. EssexTV. 18 September 2018. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  3. ^ "'Deep State' has it all, says actor Mark Holden, who plays a CIA handler in Fox show". meaww.com. 30 January 2020. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  4. ^ Holden, Mark (10 December 2020). "It was a blast being involved with the video game Cyberpunk 2077 as Doctor Paradox & a few other characters. Directed by the fabulous Justin Villiers". www.twitter.com. Twitter. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  5. ^ https://www.film-news.co.uk/review/UK/896/Read/ "Mark Holden Interview" 24 February 2014. Retrieved 22 October 2020
  6. ^ Holden, Mark (18 November 2021). "THE DOUBLE DEAL - short film on gambling addiction (16 mins)". www.youtube.com. YouTube. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  7. ^ "Lockdown reviews: The Shows Must Go Online – Titus Andronicus" LouReviews Retrieved 23 September 2020
  8. ^ Garrett, Eric (17 May 2020). "Cyberpunk 2077 Voice Actors We Know So Far". www.dontfeedthegamers.com. DFTG. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  9. ^ Holden, Mark (11 December 2020). "Well here he is... Doctor Paradox, the wonderfully crazy mad character that I portray in Cyberpunk 2077". www.twitter.com. Twitter. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
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