About Mark D. Friedman
I have spent the better part of my life pursuing acting and would like to share with you some of the highlights of how I got started. It all began in a small 500-watt radio station in... no, just kidding. It did start with my family singing around the piano after dinner in a small town in Connecticut. My mother wrote shows for the town and put me in them starting at 5 years old.
I went on to a great summer program at Yale University taught by graduate professors. Earl Gister was the dean. It was a very exciting time. After Yale, I attended Cushing Academy where I developed my love for Shakespeare. Jack Cruse was my Drama teacher and was an inspiration.
With the help of Morris and Phoebe Carnovsky... (Group Theater) the next stop was Ithaca College, 2 monologues and a song got me into the Theater Department, where I met my new mentor, Richard Clark. It was his first year picking a freshman class so we were both new. Wow! Best 4 years ever!
When I graduated, Richard recommended that I pursue voiceovers in NYC. We had done radio in college, and he was confident I could have a career in radio given the quality of my voice and my ability to manipulate it. I have been doing VO's and Commercials ever since. This website highlights some spots that I have done over the years.
Resume
Television
Great Performances – PBS
L.A. Law – NBC
Law & Order – NBC
One Life to Live – ABC
Film
Little Odessa – Paramount
Wolf – Sony
Cop Give Waitress $2M Tip – Sony
Bright Lights, Big City – United Artists
Theater
I, Lombardi – Fighting Turk/Chorus – Metropolitan Opera House
You Can't Take It With You – Boris Kolenkhov – Mill Mountain Theatre
Ovid's Metamorphosis – Jove/Typhoeous – New Actors Workshop/Dir. Paul Sills
Friday Night Improv – Ensemble Player – New Actors Workshop/Dir. Paul Sills
Tales of Robin Hood – Little John/Friar Tuck – New York Renaissance Festival
A Candle in the Window – Craggs/Craggs – Third Step Theatre Co.
Babes in Toyland – Barnaby – Theatreworks USA
Man of La Mancha – Dr. Carasco – Mill Mountain Theater
Henry IV, Part 1 – Falstaff – New York Renaissance Festival
Tales of Robin Hood – Friar Tuck – New York Renaissance Festival
Richard II – Bagot – Riverside Shakespeare Co.
Comedy of Errors – Duke Solinus – Hoerner Theatre
Richard III – Richard Ratcliff – Hoerner Theatre
Training
New Actors Workshop – Mike Nichols, George Morrison & Paul Sills – Graduate
American Combat Training School – J. Allen Suddeth – Hand to Hand, Rapier/Dagger – Broadsword, Quaterstaff
Ithaca College – B.F.A. Theatre
Yale Drama School – Earl Gister – Summer Program
Other Instructors – Coaching: Morris Carnovsky – Voice: Neil Semer, Franco Iglessias (Baritone)
Budo Shin Kai – Boxing – Matthew Sykes/Trainer
