MARK BLUM

(14 May 1950 - 26 March 2020)

The American actor Mark Blum, who has died aged 69 from the Coronavirus, became an actor almost by chance. Born in Newark, New Jersey, he attended Columbia High School where he took part in theatre activities but with the intention of becoming a lawyer. Gradually acting took over and he studied his craft at the Universities of Pennsylvania and Minnesota. He toured with the National Shakespeare Company and ultimately reached Broadway in The Cherry Orchard, Arnold Wesker’s version of The Merchant of Venice and, later on, Neil Simon’s Lost in Yonkers, Herb Gardner’s A Thousand Clowns, Reginald Rose’s Twelve Angry Men, Eugene O’Neill’s Mourning Becomes Electra and other plays. His first film was in 1983 but he wasn’t really noticed until he appeared in Desperately Seeking Susan (1985) with Madonna. Blum’s next film was Just Between Friends with Mary Tyler Moore, and then came the huge sleeper hit that was Crocodile Dundee with Paul Hogan, followed by Blind Date with Bruce Willis and Kim Basinger and The Presidio with Sean Connery. He also won the Obie for his part in Albert Innaurato's play, Gus and Al, in which he played Al. A mix of television and undistinguished movies dogged Blum’s career, until films such as I Don’t Know How She Does It with Sarah Jessica Parker and Blumenthal with Brian Cox came along. Otherwise it was more TV, in particular a recurring role in the Amazon Prime series Mozart in the Jungle (2014 to 2018), until his final feature film, Amy Miller Gross’s The Pleasure of Your Presence with Alicia Silverstone and Tom Everett Scott, which awaits release. Mark Blum was married to the actress Janet Zarish from 2005.

MICHAEL DARVELL