Mark Patton

Mark Patton (born September 22, 1958 in Riverside , Missouri ) is an American actor . He became known to the public as the first male Scream Queen through his starring role in Nightmare II .

Career

Patton grew up in Missouri and after graduating from high school (aged 18) moved to New York City to become an actor. Several years passed in which Patton is pierced with various odd jobs until he finally establish itself as a stage actor and in 1982 with a role in the Broadway -Stück Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean was able to land a first success. In the same year Patton repeated his role in a film adaptation of the play of the same name. Although his role (that of Joe ) was clearly portrayed as homosexual , Patton had been banned from doing an interview with The Advocate magazine , which first drew the actor's attention to the (apparently increased) homophobia in Hollywood at the time .

Also in 1982 Patton played a major role in the science fiction film Anna to the Infinite Power . 1983 Patton got a role in the television movie Kelsey's Son , in which Chuck Connors should play the lead role. However, this was never broadcast on television. In 1985, Patton was cast for the lead role of Jesse Walsh in the horror classic Nightmare II , which is probably his best-known portrayal to this day. Here, too, film critics noticed the increasing number of homosexual allusions that appeared in the film, which were originally attributed to the main actor Patton. However, in a 2010 documentary about the Nightmare series, screenwriter David Chaskin admitted that he actually intended to include these elements.

In 1986 Patton was cast by CBS for an episode of the television series CBS Schoolbreak Special , in which he again played a homosexual character. But when he was asked about his own sexuality in the course of this portrayal and he was formally urged to present himself to the outside world as heterosexual , he put his entire acting career on hold for the time being, as it was against the one that prevailed in Hollywood in the 1980s Had developed a strong aversion to homophobia. As a result, he completely reoriented himself professionally and worked as an interior decorator for the next 28 years .

From 2016 it became clear that Patton had become active again as an actor: In the year mentioned, he appeared in one of the leading roles in the horror film Family Possessions . 2017 followed a supporting role in Amityville: Evil Never Dies .

Personal life and health problems

Patton is openly gay. At the age of 40 he was diagnosed as HIV positive. In addition, Patton was diagnosed with mycosis and tuberculosis . When his health deteriorated, Patton moved to Mexico in 2004 , where he met his future husband, a Mexican.

Because of his own past and sexual orientation, Patton is an active supporter of the non-profit Trevor Project , which supports gay youth.

Filmography

• 1982: Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean
• 1982: Anna to the Infinite Power
• 1983: Kelsey's Son (TV movie)
• 1985: Nightmare II - The Revenge
• 1986: CBS Schoolbreak Special (TV series, 1 episode)
• 1986: Hotel (TV series, 1 episode)
• 2003: Freddy vs. Jason (archive footage only)
• 2010: Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy (Documentary)
• 2016: Family Possessions
• 2017: Amityville: Evil Never Dies

Web links

• Mark Patton in the Internet Movie Database (English)