Mark Holden (actor)

This article is about the actor. For persons with the same name, see Mark Holden.

Mark Holden
Born	Mark Adrian Cortis (1962-09-21) 21 September 1962 Plymouth, England
Nationality	British-Nigerian-Canadian
Occupation(s)	Actor, voice actor, producer
Years active	1991–present
Spouse	Patsy McKay ​ ​ (m. 2008)​
Children	4

Mark Adrian Holden-Aikhomu (né Cortis; 21 September 1962) is a British-born Canadian actor of Nigerian descent, who works in film, television, theatre and voice. He has worked extensively throughout Canada, UK, Europe and South Africa. He is best known for playing CIA handler John Lynn in the Fox Networks Group television series Deep State and playing James Morse on stage in the original London cast of Pretty Woman: The Musical at the Savoy Theatre in the West End. Most recently his voice can be heard playing Doctor Paradox in the 2020 video game Cyberpunk 2077, developed by CD Projekt, and playing Nikolas in another eagerly awaited video game Dying Light 2: Stay Human developed by Techland.

Early life

Holden was born in Plymouth, Devon, England on 21 September 1962, son of the late Admiral Augustus Akhabue Aikhomu, former Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from 1986 to 1993 and the late Shirley Anne Holden (née. Cortis). He attended Burrington Secondary Modern School in Manadon from 1974 to 1979. His mother planted the acting bug, by frequently taking him to live theatre performances and movies at the local cinemas. At approximately 10 or 11 years of age, he began to tread the boards at a local amateur theatre company. He also started competing in sprint events and the high jump at the City of Plymouth Athletics Club.

Career

In his late 20s, he began his acting career, and was cast as Villac Umu in 1992 in The Royal Hunt of the Sun by the late Robin Phillips, Director General at the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He was cast in a further six productions over the next three years at the Citadel Theatre, La Bête, Wait Until Dark, Oliver!, Macbeth, Caesar and Cleopatra and The Cherry Orchard.

His film credits include World War Z, Bang Bang You're Dead, The Infiltrator, Stalled and Final Destination. He played William Rios in the 2013 biographical drama-thriller film Captain Phillips, starring Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi and Catherine Keener.

His television credits include Riviera, Stargate SG-1, 24: Live Another Day, Doctors, The X-Files, Casualty, Andromeda, Millennium and MythQuest.

From 2018 to 2019, he played the role of CIA handler John Lynn in the Fox Networks Group television drama series Deep State.

In 2014, Holden wrote and produced his own international award-winning short film, called The Double Deal, in which he also starred as the lead character, Matthew Calder, alongside Captain Phillips castmates Vincenzo Nicoli and David Webber. It can be viewed on YouTube.

Prior to Holden becoming an actor, he was a police officer in two different countries. He served in the Metropolitan Police Service, London, United Kingdom from 1981 to 1987, and the Edmonton Police Service, Alberta, Canada from 1987 to 1996. Whilst Holden served as a police officer he was also an international bobsledder in two man and four man bob, and competed on the Great Britain Bobsleigh Team (1985-1987) on the World Cup Circuit, European Bobsleigh Championships 1986 in Igls, Innsbruck, Austria and achieved 16th place in GB3 in the 1986 World Bobsleigh Championships FIBT World Championships 1986 in Koenigsee, West Germany in the two man bob as the brakeman behind driver Peter Brugnani. Holden also competed on the Canadian Bobsleigh Team (1990-1991 season) on the World Cup Circuit.

Holden continued policing whilst he gained experience taking acting classes, and performing in productions and eventually gaining his Canadian Equity card at the Citadel Theatre, Edmonton, before moving to the West Coast of Canada to work in the film and television industry in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Personal life

Holden emigrated to Canada in 1987, where he has two daughters from a previous marriage, and five grandchildren. In 2003 he returned back to the United Kingdom to further his acting career. After meeting Patsy McKay in 2005, he decided to stay in the London. They were married 3 years later and have twin boys.

In 2004, Holden climbed Mount Kilimanjaro for the charity Voluntary Services Overseas. He made it to Gilman's Point for sunrise, and succeeded in reaching the summit Uhuru Peak at mid morning, after leaving Kibo Huts Camp Site around midnight.

In 2009, Holden hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu with his wife Patsy for the charity World Vision. One of the highlights is waiting in the early morning at the Sun Gate for the mist to clear across the valley to reveal the ancient ruins of the city of Machu Picchu.

Filmography

Film (selected)

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1997	Misbegotten	Captain
2000	Epicenter	Grant
2000	Final Destination	Co-Pilot
2001	Mindstorm	Agent Mark Taft
2002	Bang Bang You're Dead	Officer Willow
2002	The Stickup	Roy Freeman
2006	The Road to Guantanamo	Kandahar Interrogator No. 2
2009	Knife Edge	Alfred
2013	Stalled	Jeff From I.T.
2013	Captain Phillips	William Rios
2013	World War Z	UN Delegate
2014	The Double Deal	Matthew Calder	Short film writer/producer
2016	The Infiltrator	Eric Wellman
2017	The Prince Story: Icon, Genius...Slave	John Lewis Nelson	Docudrama
2018	Mars 1001	Commander Robert McGee	Planetarium Full Dome Feature
2020	Satori [Awakening]	Warren Rogers	Short film
2021	Override	Mitchell	a.k.a. R.I.A.
2024	Damaged	Captain Ford

Television (selected)

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1996	Gone in a Heartbeat	Officer Kline	TV movie
1997	All The Winters That Have Been	Deputy Marshall
	Millennium	Agent Clark	Episode: "The Thin White Line"
	The X-Files	Agent Eugene Chandler	Episode: "Unrequited"
	Medusa's Child	Bill Andrews	TV movie
1998	Millennium	Amadou	Episode: "Owls"
1999	Cold Squad	Ted Millman	Episode: "The Kowalchuck Boy"
	Aftershock: Earthquake in New York	Firefighter Outside Station	Episodes: "Part 1" and "Part 2"
	Stargate SG-1	Korra	Episode: "Deadman Switch"
2000	The Inspectors 2: A Shred of Evidence	Hunter	TV movie
2001	Love and Treason	Major Harkey
	Andromeda	Brother Thaddeus Blake	Episode: "The Devil Take the Hindmost"
	MythQuest	Kabaila	Episode: "The Blessing"
2002	Dead in a Heartbeat	Vice Principal	TV movie
	Killer Bees	Fire Chief
2005	Doctors	Mr Julian Carter	3 episodes
2007	Casualty	Mr. Paolo Santoni	Episode: "The Personal Touch"
	Hustle	Bouncer	Episode: "A Designers Paradise"
2014	50 Ways to Kill Your Lover	Dr. Chase	Episode: "Heavy Metal"
	24: Live Another Day	CIA Security Guard	Episode: "11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m."
2018	No Easy Days	Evan Clark	6 episodes
	Riviera	Martin Sinclair	Season 2
2018–2019	Deep State	John Lynn (CIA handler)	Seasons 1 & 2
2020	The Show Must Go Online	Aaron/Mark Antony	Episodes: "Titus Andronicus" & "Antony & Cleopatra"
2021	A Discovery of Witches	Wilf	Season 2
2022	His Dark Materials	Customs Officer Alexander	Season 3

Theatre (selected)

Selected Mark Holden Theater Performances

Year	Title	Role	Venue	Notes
1992	Titus Andronicus	Aaron, a Moor	Onion Theatre Company, Edmonton AB Canada	Director: Michael Clarke
1992	The Royal Hunt of the Sun	Villac Umu	Citadel Theatre Edmonton, AB Canada	Director: Robin Phillips
1993	La Bête	Servant	Citadel Theatre, Edmonton AB Canada	Director: Robin Phillips
1993	Wait Until Dark	1st Policeman	Citadel Theatre, Edmonton AB Canada	Director: Stephen Heatley
1993	Macbeth	Seyton	Citadel Theatre, Edmonton AB Canada	Director: Robin Phillips
1994	Caesar and Cleopatra	First Porter	Citadel Theatre, Edmonton AB Canada	Director: Robin Phillips
1996	The Merchant of Venice	Prince of Morocco	Bard on the Beach, Vancouver, BC Canada	Director: Douglas Campbell
1996	Much Ado About Nothing	Conrad	Bard on the Beach, Vancouver, BC Canada	Director: Christopher Gaze
1997	Othello	Othello	Way Off Broadway Theatre Company, Edmonton, AB Canada	Michael Wener
2004	Fame	My Myers	UK National Tour	Adam Spiegel Productions
2006	The Jungle Book	Baloo	UK National Tour	The Birmingham Stage Company
2009	The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe	Aslan	Palace Theatre, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex UK	Bruce James Productions
2016	The Bodyguard	Bill Devaney	Dominion Theatre, West End, London UK	West End revival/David Ian & Michael Harrison Entertainment
2021–2023	Pretty Woman: The Musical	James Morse	Piccadilly Theatre & Savoy Theatre, West End, London UK	Original West End cast/Ambassador Theatre Group

Video games (selected)

Year	Title	Role	Developer
2007	Crysis	US Soldier	Crytek
2010	So Blonde: Back to the Island	Guama	Wizarbox
2013	Killzone: Mercenary	ISA Assault Captain	Guerrilla Games
2016	Homefront: The Revolution	Sidney Cook & James Johnson	Dambuster Studios
	Battlefield 1	US Soldier	EA DICE
	Galaxy on Fire: Manticore	Kyrrk Tast	Fishlabs
2017	Ghost Recon: Wildlands	Boyer 'Boston' Reed	Ubisoft
2020	Cyberpunk 2077	Doctor Paradox / Various	CD Projekt
2022	Dying Light 2: Stay Human	Nikolas	Techland

Awards and nominations

Year	Participation	Film Festival	Category	Nominee	Result
2014	Writer/Producer	International Film Festival of Spirituality, Religion and Visionary	Award of Excellence	The Double Deal	Won
2015		I Filmmaker International Film Festival	Special Mention		Won
		San Diego Black Film Festival	Best Short Film		Won
2016		Canada International Film Festival	Award of Excellence		Won
	Producer	San Diego Black Film Festival	Best Short Film	Phalure Inc.	Nominated
		San Francisco Black Film Festival	Best Short	Huey & Louis	Nominated

External links

• Mark Holden at IMDb

• Mark Holden