Mark Blum

Mark Blum was born on May 14, 1950, in Newark, New Jersey. He grew up in Maplewood, New Jersey, and evinced an early interest in theatre. He pursued his education at the University of Pennsylvania, graduating with a degree in theatre, and later earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Minnesota, which included training at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. His career began in theatre during the 1970s, with various stage performances including The Cherry Orchard in 1976 and The Merchant in 1977.

Blum transitioned to film roles in the 1980s, gaining recognition for his work in notable productions. His performance in “Desperately Seeking Susan” (1985) as Gary Glass brought him significant attention, followed by his role as Richard Mason in “Crocodile Dundee” (1986). On television, he appeared in “Sweet Surrender” (1987) and later in series such as “Capital News” (1990), “Frasier” (1997), and “NYPD Blue” (1999). He was a member of the faculty at HB Studio in New York City.

Throughout his career, Blum maintained an active presence on both Broadway and off-Broadway stages. He received an Obie Award in 1989 for his role in “Gus and Al.” His Broadway credits included Neil Simon’s “Lost in Yonkers,” Gore Vidal’s “The Best Man” (appearing twice), and Richard Greenberg’s “The Assembled Parties.” In the later stages of his career, he had a recurring role as Union Bob in the Amazon Prime series “Mozart in the Jungle” from 2014 to 2018 and portrayed Ivan Mooney in the series “You” (2018). He was also involved with the Screen Actors Guild, serving on both the New York and national boards. Mark Blum passed away on March 26, 2020, in Manhattan, New York, due to complications from COVID-19.