Mark Valley's Bio
[courtesy of
TCMDb]
Born: 1964-12-24
Birth place: Ogdensburg, New York
Profession: soldier, actor
A strapping, blond, blue-eyed actor who earned heartthrob status as the fourth
actor to play dashing but crafty Jack Devereaux on the NBC soap "Days of Our
Lives, Mark Valley would go on to make a primetime name for himself as dogged
lawyer Brad Chase on the quirky hit legal dramedy, "Boson Legal" (ABC, 2004- ).
 Like many an aspiring performer, Valley developed an interest in acting as a
high school student, but he put those ambitions on hold when was accepted at the
US Military Academy at West Point. After completing his degree in mathematics,
he was stationed in Germany for most of his five-year stretch in the Army,
although he did see action as part of the ground forces in Operation Desert
Storm. While in Berlin, Valley was spotted by an agent who convinced him to try
acting. Shortly thereafter, he was cast in his first screen roles, in the
thriller "The Innocent" (filmed in 1993; released in 1995), directed by John
Schlesinger, and in Wim Wenders' "Faraway, So Close" (1993).
 Having signed with the agent, Valley began to land small roles in German TV
productions while he trained at the Etage School of Arts in Berlin. By 1991,
with some stage experience on his resume, he moved back to the USA and settled
in NYC where he supported himself with work in commercials. He also landed his
first daytime TV role as a priest on NBC's "Another World" and then segued to
primetime in the syndicated 1994 TV- movie "Vanishing Son IV". Although he was
the fourth actor to portray Jack Devereaux on "Days of Our Lives" and had the
unenviable task of replacing a popular actor, Valley was able to make the
character his own and win over the skeptical fans, many of whom were
disappointed when he left the show after his three-year contract ended.
 Valley was not idle, though, so his admirers were able to see him in a small
role as a resident in the HBO original "Breast Men" and as Robert Kennedy in the
TNT miniseries "George Wallace" (both 1997). On the big screen, the actor
appeared as the leader of an FBI tactical squad in "The Siege" (1998), was seen
briefly as Rupert Everett's doctor lover in "The Next Best Thing" (2000,
directed by Schlesinger) and had the title role of a gunfighter in the Western
"Jericho" (2001). Valley also made guest appearances on several TV series, most
notably in the 2000-01 recurring roles of Marin Hinkle's hunky love interest on
ABC's "Once and Again" and as Maura Tierney's loutish ex-husband in NBC's "ER",
before landing his first regular primetime gig.
 In fall 2001, he was cast as Robert Greeley, the arrogant scion of a wealthy,
newspaper-owning family with more than its share of skeletons in the closet, in
the well-reviewed but short-lived Fox primetime serial "Pasadena" (2001). Valley
also received strong critical praise for his turn as the lead in his next
series, the UPN comedic crime actioner "Keen Eddie" (2003-2004), in which he
played tough, sharp-tongued, non-nonsense New York Detective Eddie Arlette who finds himself
assigned to a police unit in London; despite a loyal cult following, the show
lasted a single season but was popular enough to merit a DVD release.
The four geniuses responsible for "Keen Eddie" - writer Joel Wyman,
director Simon West, executive producer Warren Littlefield and Paramount Network
Television and Mark - attempted to resurrect the fun in the dramedy "Harry Green
and Eugene" in 2004. Mark was Harry, an L.A. private investigator whose life
is complicated when his inept brother Eugene (Jason Segal) comes to town, but the pilot wasn't
picked up.
 Trading the rough-edged characters he previously specialized in to play the more
refined, morally centered attorney Brad Chase, Valley joined the cast of David
E. Kelley's wonky lawyer drama "Boston Legal" to provide a rival and
counterpoint to James Spader's morally slippery Alan Shore.
J.J. Abrams cast Mark as John Scott in the Fox drama "Fringe", a run that
culminated in the final episodes of season one. Joel Wyman, who
worked with Mark on "Keen Eddie", also produced some episodes of "Fringe".
Mark finally revisits his lightening-in-a-bottle goodness of "Keen Eddie" when
he reunites with Simon West and Fox for "Human Target". West exec produced "Keen Eddie"
and "Harry Green and Eugene" and is on board for "Target" to attempted
to resurrect the trifecta with "Human Target". It
might morph into the third times the charm territory.
Mark married Australian actress Anna Torv December 2008 and seperated in early
2010. They were castmates in
"Fringe".
      
Milestones
Raised in upstate New York; began acting in high school but stopped when
accepted at West Point
After graduating from West Point, was stationed at various army posts in
Kentucky, Virginia and Berlin, Germany; eventually achieved rank of lieutenant
1990: Participated in Operation Desert Storm in Saudi Arabia
Returned to Berlin; was spotted by an agent who helped him land acting roles
while still serving in the US Army
After discharge, worked on stage and in TV in Germany
1993: Cast in first feature film, a small role in "The Innocent", directed by
John Schlesinger; released theatrically in USA in 1995
1993: Appeared in Wim Wenders' "Faraway, So Close"
1993: Moved to NYC to pursue acting career
1993: First American TV role playing a priest on the NBC daytime serial "Another
World"
1994: Acted in the syndicated TV-movie "Vanishing Son IV"
1994 - 1997: Played the charming and cunning journalist Jack Devereaux on the
NBC daytime drama "Days of Our Lives"
1997: Portrayed Robert F. Kennedy in the TNT biopic "George Wallace"
1998: Cast as an FBI technician in "The Siege"
2000: Appeared briefly as the cardiologist boyfriend of Rupert Everett's
character in "The Next Best Thing"
2000: Had recurring role on "ER" (NBC) as the former husband of Maura Tierney's
Abby Lockhart and on "Once and Again" (ABC) as a suitor to Marin Hinkle's Judy
Brooks
2001: Played a spoiled rich guy on the highly acclaimed but short-lived Fox
series "Pasadena"
2001: Penned the one-man show, "Walls, Wars and Whiskey" about his experiences
in the military
2003: Played Detective Eddie Arlette on the short-lived FOX comedy "Keen Eddie"
2004 - 2007: Cast in David E. Kelley's Practice spin-off "Boston Legal" (ABC)
as attorney Brad Chase
2007: Guest starred in "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" ["Paternity"]
and cast in J.J. Abrams' series "Fringe"
2008: Appeared as John Scott in season one of "Fringe".
2009: Cast as lead in "Human Target" for Fox. Married Anna Torv, his costar in "Fringe".
2010: "Human Target" premieres. Separates from wife Anna Torv.
Education
Etage School of the Arts, Berlin, Germany; studied with Dr. Rainer Beck
United States Military Academy, West Point, New York
HB Studio, New York, New York
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