Mark Damon

Mark Damon (born Alan Harris; April 22, 1933 – May 12, 2024) was an American film producer and actor. In 1960, he won the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year for his performance in Roger Corman's House of Usher, and later moved to Italy to work in Spaghetti Westerns. He was a member of the 1960s Dolce Vita set of actors and actresses in Rome. During the early 1970's he switched to producing films, founding the production companies Producers Sales Organization, Vision International, MDP Worldwide and Foresight Unlimited.

Early life Mark Damon, the son of a grocer, was born Alan Harris in Chicago. His family was Jewish and their surname was originally "Herscovitz". Damon moved to Los Angeles at a young age where he attended Fairfax High School.

As a senior in high school, Damon was scouted as an actor by comedian Groucho Marx, but chose to attend dental school at UCLA. He switched to the Anderson School of Management, eventually graduating with an MBA and a BA in English. Damon also began taking theater classes and decided to pursue a career in acting.

Career Actor In 1956, Damon started his career in Hollywood, signing a contract with 20th Century Fox. In 1960, Damon won a Golden Globe Award as a "Star of Tomorrow" for his performance in the film House of Usher. He would later relocate to Italy to work in Spaghetti Westerns.

Producer In the mid-1970s Damon left acting to become a film producer. He entered the world of independent sales and production while in Italy after meeting independent international distributors interested in popular American movies.

Upon returning to the U.S. in 1977, he founded Producers Sales Organization (PSO), which sold American pictures to international distributors, becoming the first such company to compete with the major studios. Damon's subsequent success with PSO led to his reputation as the inventor of the foreign sales business. Vision International formed a pact with Epic Productions, where they assumed international responsibilities for the studio.

In 1993, after a period of legal battling with Credit Lyonnais over the company's control of Epic, Damon started MDP Worldwide (aka Mark Damon Productions), which in 1998 was sold to Behaviour Communications, a Canadian company. In 2003, MDP Worldwide was renamed Media 8 Entertainment to expand their theatrical activity and their products. Damon resigned in 2004.

Damon's productions have grossed over $2 billion in theatrical box office worldwide and have garnered 10 Oscar nominations. He has been involved in the international licensing of over 300 feature length pictures, including Never Say Never Again starring Sean Connery, Prizzi's Honor with Jack Nicholson and Anjelica Huston, Once Upon A Time In America with Robert De Niro and James Woods, The Cotton Club with Richard Gere, and The Final Countdown starring Kirk Douglas.

In 2005, Damon founded the film production and sales company Foresight Unlimited. Foresight handled the international sales for the Rob Reiner comedy And So It Goes, served as executive producer of Universal Studios' 2 Guns starring Mark Wahlberg and Denzel Washington, and Universal's Lone Survivor, also starring Mark Wahlberg. In 2019, DCR Finance Group launched a $100 million film fund to produce their film organization, with Damon serving as managing partner.

Personal life and death Damon died of natural causes in Los Angeles in 2024, at the age of 91, with his wife, actress Margaret Markov, and two children by his side.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes 2024 Saint Clare Executive Producer Starring Bella Thorne 2023 Rumble Through the Dark Executive Producer Starring Aaron Eckhart and Bella Thorne 2023 Fast Charlie Executive Producer Starring Pierce Brosnan 2022 9 Bullets Executive Producer 2021 Best Sellers Executive Producer 2021 Willy's Wonderland Executive Producer Starring Nicolas Cage 2019 The Last Full Measure Producer 2018 The Hurricane Heist Producer 2017 Blind Executive Producer Starring Alec Baldwin 2014 And So It Goes Producer Starring Michael Douglas and Diane Keaton 2013 Lone Survivor Executive Producer Starring Mark Wahlberg 2013 2 Guns Executive Producer Starring Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg 2012 Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning Executive Producer Starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren 2011 Flypaper Producer Starring Patrick Dempsey and Ashley Judd 2011 The Ledge Producer Starring Charlie Hunnam, Liv Tyler, and Terrence Howard 2009 Universal Soldier: Regeneration Executive Producer Starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren 2009 It's Alive Executive Producer 2009 Beyond a Reasonable Doubt Producer Starring Michael Douglas 2007 Captivity Producer 2006 O Jerusalem Producer 2005 The Upside of Anger Executive Producer Starring Kevin Costner and Joan Allen 2004 Beyond The Sea Executive Producer Starring Kevin Spacey 2004 The I Inside Producer 2003 Monster Producer Starring Charlize TheronAcademy Award for Best ActressIndependent Spirit Award for Best First Feature 2003 11:14 Executive Producer 2003 The United States of Leland Executive Producer Starring Don Cheadle 2002 Extreme Ops Executive Producer 2002 FeardotCom Executive Producer 2001 The Musketeer Executive Producer 2001 The Body Executive Producer 2000 Love & Sex Executive Producer 1999 Eye of the Beholder Executive Producer Starring Ewan McGregor 1999 A Dog of Flanders Executive Producer 1997 Deceiver Wayland's FatherExecutive Producer 1997 The Blackout Executive Producer 1997 The Second Jungle Book: Mowgli & Baloo Executive Producer 1996 The Winner Executive Producer 1994 The Jungle Book Executive Producer 1993 Stalingrad Executive Producer 1991 Diary of a Hitman Executive Producer 1991 Inner Sanctum Executive Producer 1990 Vietnam, Texas Executive Producer 1990 Dark Angel Executive Producer 1989 Wild Orchid Producer Starring Mickey Rourke 1988 High Spirits Executive Producer 1988 Bat*21 Co-Producer 1988 Mac and Me Executive Producer 1987 The Lost Boys Executive Producer 1986 Flight of the Navigator Executive Producer 1986 Short Circuit Executive Producer 1986 8 Million Ways to Die Executive Producer Starring Jeff Bridges 1986 9½ Weeks Producer Starring Mickey Rourke and Kim BasingerDirected by Adrian Lyne 1986 The Clan of the Cave Bear Executive Producer 1984 Metropolis Sales Agent 1984 The NeverEnding Story Executive Producer Directed by Wolfgang Petersen 1981 Das Boot Executive Producer Directed by Wolfgang PetersenNominated for Six Academy Awards 1977 The Choirboys Executive Producer 1974 There Is No 13 George Thomas 1974 The Arena Producer Starred Damon's future wife Margaret Markov 1973 Crypt of the Living Dead Peter 1973 The Devil's Wedding Night Karl Schiller 1973 Little Mother Riano 1972 Byleth: The Demon of Incest Duke Lionello Shandwell 1972 Great Treasure Hunt Kansas Lee 1972 I leoni di Pietroburgo Eldar 1972 Confessioni segrete di un convento di clausura Domenico 1972 They Call Him Veritas Veritas 1971 Long Live Robin Hood Allen 1971 Ivanhoe, the Norman Swordsman Ivanhoe 1971 Pistol Packin' Preacher Slim 1968 Dead Men Don't Count Johnny Dalton 1968 Anzio Wally Richardson Directed by Edward Dmytryk 1968 All Out Johnny 1968 The Young, the Evil and the Savage Richard Barrett 1968 Train for Durango Brown 1967 Golden Chameleon Vittorio 1967 No Killing Without Dollars Laurence 1967 Requiescant George Ferguson Also starring Pier Paolo Pasolini 1966 Johnny Yuma Johnny Yuma 1966 Ringo and His Golden Pistol Johnny Oro/Ringo aka Johnny Oro, directed by Sergio Corbucci 1966 Dio, Come Ti Amo! Luis Also starring Gigliola Cinquetti, 2 times the Festival of San Remo winner. 1965 Secret Agent 777 Dr. Bardin 1964 Son of Cleopatra El Kebir 1964 100 Horsemen Don Fernando Herrera y Menendez 1963 The Tyrant of Castile Peter I: King of Castile 1963 Black Sabbath Vladimire d'Urfe Also starring Boris KarloffDirected by Mario Bava 1963 The Shortest Day Un ufficiale austriaco Directed by Sergio Corbucci 1963 The Young Racers Stephen Children Directed by Roger Corman 1962 The Reluctant Saint Aldo Directed by Edward Dmytryk 1962 The Longest Day Private Harris Also starring Richard Burton and Sean Connery, Uncredited 1962 Beauty and the Beast Eduardo 1962 Peccati d'estate Dr. Gianni Orgei 1960 House of Usher Philip Winthrop Won Golden Globe Award for Most Promising NewcomerAlso starring Vincent PriceDirected by Roger CormanScreenplay by Richard Matheson 1960 This Rebel Breed Frank Serano 1958 The Party Crashers Twig Webster 1958 Life Begins at 17 Russ Lippincott 1957 Young and Dangerous Tommy Price 1956 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Ray Clements Season 1 Episode 22: "Place of Shadows" 1956 Between Heaven and Hell Private Terry, Company G 1956 Screaming Eagles Private Lambert 1956 Inside Detroit Gregg Linden