Mark Schneider

Born in Jersey City and raised in New York, Mark first hit the stage as a youngster in Midsummer Night's Dream, and rewarded with his first laugh, the die was cast. Graduating college from SUNY Stony Brook, with a year studying at the University of Manchester in England, Mark hoisted a backpack and traveled throughout Europe and the Mid East, and by his own admission, learned more about humanity and himself in a single year, than his four years at University. He worked a gig as an undercover detective in NYC to make enough money to move to Los Angeles, and a few months later earned his SAG card playing a junkyard night watchman in the very last episode of the TV series, The F.B.I., his scene with Efrem Zimbalist Jr. Ironically, Mark would again work not only with Mr. Zimbalist in the recurring role of Wade in Babylon 5, but with his daughter, Stephanie Zimbalist, in Remington Steele.Mark began a long term study period with famed acting coach, Jeff Corey, cleaning out the studio and bathroom to pay for his tuition. His diligence soon paid off when Aaron Spelling spotted him in a C&R Clothiers commercial, and cast him in popular TV shows of the time, like Cannon, Dallas, Dynasty, and Knots Landing. Guest roles in other studio's TV productions soon followed, like Knight Rider, Hunter, L.A. Law, Matlock and the recurring roles of Detective Marlowe in Matt Houston, Sammy in Paper Dolls, and Wade in Babylon 5. Soaps also came calling with Mark offered the extended roles Paul in Santa Barbara and Maurice Marchand in Days of Our Lives. Mark says he especially enjoyed the soap opera environment because it most mirrored that of doing live theatre. Daily rehearsals with actors who became 'family', relying on one another right through the shoot for the day - exhilarating!Mark did his share of major network pilots, performing in lead roles in Goldie and the Bears, Murphy's Law, and The Nightingales, but none went to series. He later worked in the role of William Whitmore in MTV's first stab at a soap-format series, Spyder Games, and landed the lead role of Michael Vincent in the 80-episode arc series, Forever.Mark was initiated into the world of feature films starring in low budget productions, playing the lead of Scott, a novice drag car racer in Burnout, and Clint Morgan in Supervan, driving the legendary George Barris created, solar powered custom van. Bigger budget films followed, in Ivan Reitman's Ghostbusters II, Blake Edward's Son of the Pink Panther, playing the kidnapping villain, Arnon, and the role of Cooper, the reporter, alongside John Houston in his last film appearance, in A Minor Miracle.From the stage of Second City, to action, comedy and horror films, to dramatic television roles and soaps, Mark has endeared fans with his versatility and range. Through ongoing characters like the role of the under-handed Wade in the science fiction saga Babylon Five, to the raging homicidal maniac Paul, in Santa Barbara, to the loving but dogged husband and dad, Michael Vincent in the series, Forever, Mark relishes the challenge to stir a character to life; and if the stars are aligned, they just might reflect a bit of ourselves as we travel on our own journeys. Mark readily admits that his greatest reward in performance is to share that ride with laughter, through tears, with joy. Show less «