Mark Strange

Mark Strange
Mark Strange
Born	Mark Strange October 8, 1973 (1973-10-08) (age 38) Leyland, Lancashire, U.K.
Occupation	Actor, Producer
Years active	2002– present
Website
http://www.markstrange.com/

Mark William Strange (born October 8, 1973) is an English actor, film producer and martial arts action performer. Strange has worked on a number of feature films including The Medallion and The Twins Effect along with Jackie Chan and Batman Begins to name but a few. He has also produced and co-produced feature films, including Displaced, Underground, and Bodyguard: A New Beginning released in the US by Lionsgate.^[1]

Martial arts career

Mark Strange's career in martial arts began in his first decade of life and he has over 24 years experience. He trained in kung fu, learning a variety of styles and kung fu systems. His study took him to China, where he trained with the kung fu masters at the Shaolin Temple, Foshan, and Hong Kong. In the UK, he trained for many years with Master Derek Frearson. As an all-round martial artist, Mark's talent was quickly recognized.

He gained tournament success in a range of disciplines in his prime. He represented Britain in the 2002 Chin Woo Championships in China; Euro-British Full Contact Champion in 1999; and the MAI National Chinese Forms Champion in 1992. He was, at the time, the youngest person in the UK to run his own full-time martial arts , in the Lancashire town of Leyland. The facility provided martial arts and fitness instruction, and provided a service for over 12 years before finally closing when Mark decided to focus on his career in film.

Film career

Mark Strange began focusing on acting and action performance in the late 1990s, drawing upon his martial arts skills and memorable style. He appeared in a string of TV and film projects, gaining valuable experience in studio sets, live shows, as well as low and big-budget productions. One of his earliest roles was in the cult spoof paranormal comedy series, Roddy Smythe Investigates,^[2] playing Geoff the Soundman, alongside actor and comedian, Peter Slater, and actress Kiki Kendrick. Mark has worked in Hong Kong on two feature films - The Medallion and The Twins Effect - alongside Jackie Chan and Donnie Yen.^[3] He has also worked on Batman Begins.

Mark's debut as a lead actor, film producer, and action performer, arrived with the feature film Displaced.^[4] The film, considered to be an ambitious project, gained worldwide distribution.

British independent film Underground,^[5] produced by Intense Productions, provided Mark with his second starring role. The film achieved an honorable mention award for Stunts at the Accolade Film Festival in California.^[6] Co-starring is Joey Ansah (The Bourne Ultimatum) and Danny John-Jules (Red Dwarf, Blade II). Mark Strange, apart from playing the `Homeless Fighter', also worked on the stunts and fights with Dave Forman (Batman Begins, The Last Samurai). The film is currently on general DVD release (2009).^[7]

Mark played a supporting role in Bodyguard: A New Beginning,^[8] an acclaimed action drama.^[9] Shot on location in Hong Kong and the UK, Mark worked alongside Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (Memoirs of a Geisha, The Last Emperor, Mortal Kombat), and Richard Ng (Winners and Sinners, My Lucky Stars). A UK/Hong Kong Co-Production, the film gained a worldwide release in 2009, including a release by Lionsgate in the US.^[10]

Filmography

Year	Film	Role	Notes
2002	Roddy Smythe Investigates	Soundman Geoff
2003	The Medallion	Henchman	as Michael Strange
	The Twins Effect	Vampire Smashing
2005	Fist of Justice	Fox
	Batman Begins	League of Shadows Warrior	uncredited
2006	Displaced	Stel/Radius
2007	12 (Twelve)	Mark, The Homeless
2008	Bodyguard: A New Beginning	Assassin Brother Alex
2011	Best Laid Plans	Vinny

Producer

• Bodyguard: A New Beginning (2008)
• 12 (Twelve) (2007)
• Displaced (2006)

Action Choreographer

• The Thompsons (2011)
• World of the Dead: The Zombie Diaries (2011)
• Bodyguard: A New Beginning (2008)
• 12 (Twelve) (2007)
• Displaced (2006)

References

1. ^ Us Release of Bodyguard: A New Beginning : News : IMDB September 8, 2009
2. ^ Roddy Smythe Investigates at the Internet Movie Database
3. ^ Mark makes movies with the stars : News : BBC Lancashire April 15, 2004
4. ^ Film star in cash plea : News : Guardian September 1, 2004
5. ^ Underground at the Internet Movie Database
6. ^ 2009 Award Of Merit : Award : accoladecompetition.org October 27, 2007
7. ^ Underground Cast List : Cast : Radius Pictures
8. ^ Bodyguard: A New Beginning at the Internet Movie Database
9. ^ Bodyguard: A New Beginning wins the Audience Choice Award at the Yellow Fever Independent Film Festival : IMDB September 2, 2009
10. ^ US Release of Bodyguard: A New Beginning : News : Daily Radar September 8, 2009

External links

• Mark Strange at the Internet Movie Database
• Mark Strange at Yahoo! Movies
• Mark Strange Official Website
• Interview At FarEastFilms.com
• Interview with Mark Strange
• Mark Strange Training Advice

Persondata
Name	Strange, Mark
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	October 8, 1973
Place of birth	Leyland, Lancashire, U.K.
Date of death
Place of death