Font Resize'Nash Bridges" was the last television series filmed in Northern California, so folks are excited about the new series "Trauma," which is shot at Treasure Island and around the Bay Area.
If you tune in at 9 p.m. Monday on NBC, you'll see Alamo resident Mark Anthony Lopez, a local actor and 2004 De La Salle alumni, who plays a passenger and plane crash victim.
The spot on "Trauma" is the latest of several small TV roles and various movie productions for Mark since he graduated. I spoke with Mark and his folks, Paul Lopez and Joni Enea-Lopez, about his life as an actor and how he got the bug, which he caught as a junior in high school.
"I was hooked," said Mark, 24. "I knew this would be my life's passion."
Mark applied and then became the first Diablo Valley College graduate to be accepted to an intensive theater program at Yale.
"During the rigorous acting courses, Mark was told that his intensity and talent made him ready for Broadway. I asked him what created his intensity. He told me that his whole life has been influenced by his disabled sister, Victoria," Joni shared his experience with me.
Mark added, "Whenever I need to pull out any emotion, I think of her. She can do nothing but her fight for life is awesome. I am so lucky to be strong and healthy. I love her. She is my inspiration for acting and life."
Mark attended the New York Film Academy in L.A. and completed
Mark got his break last year when he made a valuable contact, which led to him being cast in a still-in-production movie called, "Not Another, Not Another Movie."
Following that small role, he also landed work in the sequel to "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" — "Get Him to the Greek" — and also has a small role in the remake of "Fame." In addition to his movie credits, Mark performed small roles on several television series, including "24," "General Hospital," "Scrubs," "Raising the Bar," "Numb3rs," "House" and "Trauma."
When I spoke to him, he told me each time he films it is an adventure.
"When I did '24,' I got to meet Kiefer Sutherland, and working on 'Trauma' has been an incredible experience," he said. "When I filmed the episode of 'House,' I got to portray a football player, which was pretty fun. I love what I am doing and I hope I continue to pick up more work."
Mark is now working on another episode of "Trauma." NBC announce last month that the show will be canceled, but that it will have its full production run of 13 episodes. The action-drama, shot entirely in the Bay Area, focuses on the lives of emergency first responders.
"The show has a great cast and is a first-class production shot by veteran cameraman Tim Bellen," he said. "The finished program is visually stunning with lots of local images and recognizable San Francisco landmarks."
I will be watching for Mark on "Trauma" on Monday, and I'm sure we'll be seeing more of him in the years to come. In his downtime, Mark is always looking to improve his acting skills.
"As long as I'm not training, I'm cheating myself and my craft," he said.
When jobs are slow to come, he thinks back to his roots in Alamo and never forgets from where he came.
"The support I still receive keeps me going on the days I cannot find work," he added.
Break a leg, Mark!
Around Alamo runs every other Saturday. Reach Caterina Mellinger at aroundalamo@hotmail.com.
