# Mark Deklin
**Mark Deklin** (birth name Mark Scott Deklin, born 1967) is an American actor and fight director who has worked on Broadway, off-Broadway, and regional stages alongside a steady television career. He played Blake Reilly on the ABC comedy-drama *GCB*, Trammell Thatcher on the Fox drama *Lone Star*, Nicholas Deering on the Lifetime series *Devious Maids*, and Senator Jack Bowman on *Designated Survivor*, and he served as fight director on the Broadway productions *Sweet Smell of Success* and *Cyrano de Bergerac*.[1](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/5214/mark-deklin) • [2](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/mark-deklin-96956)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1967, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/mark-deklin/) |
| Professions | Actor, fight director, fight choreographer; also credited for stunts and soundtrack work[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0215293/) |
| Training | MFA from the University of Washington's PATP conservatory; BA from Penn State University in English and History; certified member of the Society of American Fight Directors[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0215293/) |
| Broadway fight direction | *Sweet Smell of Success* (opened March 14, 2002) and *Cyrano de Bergerac* (opened November 1, 2007)[2](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/mark-deklin-96956) |
| Broadway performing | Standby (replacement) for Pumbaa and Scar in *The Lion King*, original Broadway production[5](https://m.playbill.com/person/mark-deklin-vault-0000000546) |
| Major TV roles | Blake Reilly in *GCB* (10 episodes), Nicholas Deering in *Devious Maids* (13 episodes), Trammell Thatcher in *Lone Star* (6 episodes), Senator Jack Bowman in *Designated Survivor* (5 episodes)[1](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/5214/mark-deklin) |
| Current work | Special Agent Dan McLane on *NCIS: Origins*, beginning 2024[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/mark-deklin/) |
## Background and training
Deklin is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; trade profiles describe him as an actor and fight director who is well regarded among his peers though less widely known to the public.[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/mark-deklin/) He earned a BA from Penn State University in English and History and an MFA from the University of Washington's Professional Actor Training Program (PATP) conservatory, and he is a certified member of the Society of American Fight Directors, the credential behind his stage-combat work.[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0215293/) As an undergraduate at Penn State he played rugby as a wing forward.[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0215293/)
Before committing to acting he tried a range of other work: he taught English, worked as an environmental activist for [Greenpeace](https://www.edgepedia.org/greenpeace), played piano in a bar in Vienna, Austria, and spent one summer on the [Cape Cod](https://www.edgepedia.org/cape-cod)-Hyannis Railroad; other jobs included construction worker and art and rare book dealer.[6](https://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/mark-of-distinction/) • [10](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0215293/bio/) Deklin is adopted, and several years ago he searched for and found his birth mother; he maintains a relationship with both his adoptive and biological families.[10](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0215293/bio/) He married Jamie Karen Goldberg in October 2006 and the couple have two children; he lives in Los Angeles.[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0215293/)
## Stage career
Deklin's Broadway work spans both performing and fight direction. As a fight director he staged the combat for the original Broadway musical *Sweet Smell of Success*, which opened on March 14, 2002, and the 2007 Broadway revival of *Cyrano de Bergerac*, which opened November 1, 2007; his fight choreography for *Cyrano* was singled out for praise.[2](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/mark-deklin-96956) • [3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/mark-deklin/) On stage as a performer, he was a replacement standby for the roles of Pumbaa and [Scar](https://www.edgepedia.org/scar-the-lion-king) in the original Broadway production of *The Lion King*, and he appeared as Tybalt in a 1999 regional world premiere of *Romeo and Juliet* in St. Paul, Minnesota, and in the 2003 regional world premiere of *Brooklyn*.[5](https://m.playbill.com/person/mark-deklin-vault-0000000546) • [7](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Mark-Deklin/)
His theatrical credits also include off-Broadway and regional productions as both actor and fight choreographer, in versions of *Macbeth* among other works.[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/mark-deklin/)
## Television and film
His first significant television roles came in the 2006-2007 season, with a part on *Desperate Housewives* as Bill Pearce and a recurring stint as Dr. Matthew Shaw on the short-lived thriller *Justice*, appearing in seven episodes.[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/mark-deklin/) • [1](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/5214/mark-deklin) This led to higher-profile work: he starred as Trammell Thatcher in the Fox primetime drama *Lone Star* in 2010, played closeted Dallas rancher Blake Reilly on ABC's *GCB* in 2012, and starred as Nicholas Deering on Lifetime's *Devious Maids*.[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/mark-deklin/) • [1](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/5214/mark-deklin) Of his *GCB* role he credited series creator Robert Harling, saying he had a specific understanding of the Southern world the show depicted.[6](https://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/mark-of-distinction/)
Guest appearances form a large share of his television record, including Senator Jack Bowman on ABC's *Designated Survivor* (five episodes in 2017), Roy on *Grace and Frankie* (four episodes across 2018 and 2019), Judge Wick Stilton on *The Good Fight* (three episodes, 2021 to 2022), and single- or multi-episode turns on *The Blacklist*, *Younger*, *Blindspot*, *Shades of Blue*, *Major Crimes*, *Elementary*, *Blue Bloods*, *Castle*, *The Mentalist*, *Better Off Ted*, and *Warehouse 13*, among many others.[1](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/5214/mark-deklin)
**Film and voice work.** His film credits include the ESPN reporter in *Herbie: Fully Loaded* (2005), Captain Galasso in the television movie *Tides of War* (2005), and the voice of John Greystoke in the animated *Tarzan* (2013), his biggest box-office hit at $44.1 million worldwide.[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0215293/) • [8](https://www.whatsafterthemovie.com/person/mark-deklin) Hallmark-style romance television movies recur in his recent filmography, including *The Wish List* (2010), *Switched for Christmas* (2017), *Christmas in Evergreen: Letters to Santa* (2018), *Love and Sunshine* (2019), *Meet Me at Christmas* (2020), and the two *Sister Swap* holiday movies (2021), in which he played Eric.[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/mark-deklin/)
Since 2024 he has appeared as Special Agent Dan McLane on *NCIS: Origins*, with the role continuing into the series' second season.[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/mark-deklin/) He also voices [The Warden](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-warden) in the video game *Call of Duty: Black Ops 7* (2025).[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0215293/)
## Parallel work
Deklin describes himself as having been a professional actor and fight director for more than 30 years, and he also works as a corporate speaking coach and a private English and History tutor; his LinkedIn profile lists Netflix among his experience and [Indiana University Bloomington](https://www.edgepedia.org/indiana-university-bloomington) among his education.[9](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-deklin-671948309) On the *GCB* soundtrack credit he is listed as a performer on the songs "It's a Miracle" and "Jesus Is Just Alright With Me" in one 2012 episode.[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0215293/)
## References
1. [Mark Deklin | TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/5214/mark-deklin)
2. [Mark Deklin – Broadway Cast & Staff | IBDB](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/mark-deklin-96956)
3. [Mark Deklin - Actor | TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/mark-deklin/)
4. [Mark Deklin - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0215293/)
5. [Mark Deklin (Performer) | Playbill](https://m.playbill.com/person/mark-deklin-vault-0000000546)
6. [Mark of Distinction | Pittsburgh Magazine](https://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/mark-of-distinction/)
7. [Mark Deklin - Broadway & Theatre Credits | BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Mark-Deklin/)
8. [Mark Deklin: Movies & Box Office | What's After the Movie](https://www.whatsafterthemovie.com/person/mark-deklin)
9. [Mark Deklin - Netflix | LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-deklin-671948309)
10. [Mark Deklin - Biography - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0215293/bio/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames D to Di*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license