# Mark Feuerstein
**Mark Feuerstein** (born 1971) is an American actor, producer, writer, and director best known for starring as Dr. Hank Lawson, a concierge physician to the wealthy Hamptons set, in the [USA Network](https://www.edgepedia.org/usa-network) series *Royal Pains* (2009–2016).[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/mark-feuerstein/) A Princeton graduate and Fulbright scholar who originally intended to become a lawyer, he built a television career that ran from 1990s sitcoms through recent roles in *Hotel Cocaine* (2024) and *[Guns & Moses](https://www.edgepedia.org/guns-and-moses)* (2024).[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0275417/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1971, New York City, New York, USA[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0275417/) |
| Education | Princeton University, class of 1993, cum laude, English with a certificate in theater and dance; Fulbright scholarship to study acting in London[3](https://arts.princeton.edu/mark-feuerstein-93) • [4](https://encyclopedia-loadbalancer-1-1782916326.us-west-2.elb.amazonaws.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/feuerstein-mark-1971) |
| Breakthrough role | Dr. Hank Lawson in *Royal Pains* (USA Network, 2009–2016), an emergency room doctor turned private "concierge" physician[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/mark-feuerstein/) |
| Other notable series | *Caroline in the City*, *Fired Up*, *The West Wing* (Cliff Calley), *Good Morning, Miami*, *The Baby-Sitters Club*, *Power Book II: Ghost*[4](https://encyclopedia-loadbalancer-1-1782916326.us-west-2.elb.amazonaws.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/feuerstein-mark-1971) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0275417/) |
| Film work | Supporting roles in *What Women Want*, *In Her Shoes*, *Defiance*, and the lead in *Guns & Moses* (2024)[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/mark_feuerstein) |
| Creative work behind the camera | Co-creator, writer, executive producer, and director on *9JKL* (CBS, 2017–18); director and producer of *Royal Pains* episodes[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/mark-feuerstein/) • [6](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/50417/mark-feuerstein) |
| Family | Married producer and writer Dana Klein on July 9, 2005; three children[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0275417/) |
## Early life and education
Feuerstein grew up in New York City, the son of a lawyer and a teacher, and attended The Dalton School from sixth through twelfth grade, where he captained the football and wrestling teams and served as senior class president.[3](https://arts.princeton.edu/mark-feuerstein-93) He was a New York State wrestling champion.[4](https://encyclopedia-loadbalancer-1-1782916326.us-west-2.elb.amazonaws.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/feuerstein-mark-1971)
**A lawyer's path, reversed.** He entered Princeton in 1989 as a sports prospect and initially followed the family track toward law, planning to study in the Woodrow Wilson School.[3](https://arts.princeton.edu/mark-feuerstein-93) That changed during his freshman year, when a friend involved him in a production for the student theater group Theatre Intime; he later recalled stopping midway through resume-building and asking himself what he actually loved to do.[7](https://paw.princeton.edu/article/feuerstein-93-found-his-passion-acting-princeton) • [8](https://www.inquirer.com/philly/entertainment/20090611_He_was_future-focused__then_auditioned_on_a_whim_.html) He acted steadily thereafter, in productions of *Orphans*, *Henry IV*, *Twelfth Night*, *Kiss of the Spider Woman*, *King Lear*, and *A Streetcar Named Desire*, and graduated in 1993 with a degree in English and a certificate in theater and dance.[3](https://arts.princeton.edu/mark-feuerstein-93) • [7](https://paw.princeton.edu/article/feuerstein-93-found-his-passion-acting-princeton)
In 1994 he received a Fulbright scholarship to study acting in London for a year, training at the [London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art](https://www.edgepedia.org/london-academy-of-music-and-dramatic-art) and taking a month of clown class; he also studied clowning at the Ecole Phillipe Gaulier in France.[3](https://arts.princeton.edu/mark-feuerstein-93) • [4](https://encyclopedia-loadbalancer-1-1782916326.us-west-2.elb.amazonaws.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/feuerstein-mark-1971)
## Television career
Feuerstein's television break came through daytime, with a guest spot on the ABC soap opera *Loving* in the mid-1990s.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0275417/) A chance audition then landed him a recurring role as Joe, a love interest for [Lea Thompson](https://www.edgepedia.org/lea-thompson)'s character, on the NBC sitcom *Caroline in the City* (1996–97), followed by a starring role opposite [Leah Remini](https://www.edgepedia.org/leah-remini) and [Sharon Lawrence](https://www.edgepedia.org/sharon-lawrence) in the short-lived comedy *Fired Up* (1997–98).[4](https://encyclopedia-loadbalancer-1-1782916326.us-west-2.elb.amazonaws.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/feuerstein-mark-1971) • [1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/mark-feuerstein/) He headlined his own sitcom, *Conrad Bloom* (NBC, 1998), and later starred in *Good Morning, Miami* (NBC, 2002–04).[4](https://encyclopedia-loadbalancer-1-1782916326.us-west-2.elb.amazonaws.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/feuerstein-mark-1971)
Recurring dramatic work gave him breadth during the same years: he played Leo Fisher on *Once and Again* (ABC, 2000–01), Senate majority counsel Clifford Calley on [Aaron Sorkin](https://www.edgepedia.org/aaron-sorkin)'s *The West Wing* (NBC, 2001–05), and made guest appearances on *Ally McBeal* and *Sex and the City*.[4](https://encyclopedia-loadbalancer-1-1782916326.us-west-2.elb.amazonaws.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/feuerstein-mark-1971) • [7](https://paw.princeton.edu/article/feuerstein-93-found-his-passion-acting-princeton) A string of short-lived starring projects continued with the medical drama *3 lbs.* (CBS, 2006) and the web series *The Hustler* (Crackle, 2009), alongside a recurring part on *Nurse Jackie*.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/mark-feuerstein/)
**Royal Pains.** The starring role that endured was *Royal Pains*, which premiered on USA Network in June 2009.[9](https://eclipsemagazine.com/interview-mark-feuerstein-talks-about-his-staring-role-on-royal-pains/) Feuerstein played Hank Lawson, a Brooklyn emergency room doctor who becomes a private physician serving the wealthy of the Hamptons, a premise one producer described as a fish-out-of-water story in which "it's not that the Hamptons change Hank; it's that Hank changes the Hamptons."[9](https://eclipsemagazine.com/interview-mark-feuerstein-talks-about-his-staring-role-on-royal-pains/) • [10](https://www.popentertainmentarchives.com/post/mark-feuerstein-pains-bring-gains) The series ran eight seasons, and Feuerstein also worked behind the camera on it, serving as producer, co-executive producer, and director of several episodes.[6](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/50417/mark-feuerstein) He has said the show let him "tell the full story of Hank Lawson, this comedic, dramatic, romantic medical MacGyver."[3](https://arts.princeton.edu/mark-feuerstein-93)
After the series ended, he appeared in the limited-run revival of *Prison Break* (Fox) as Jacob Ness, in the Netflix miniseries *Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later* (2017), and as Watson Brewer in Netflix's *The Baby-Sitters Club* (2020–21).[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/mark-feuerstein/) He later played Steven Ott in *Power Book II: Ghost* (2020–23), Burton Greenberg in *Hotel Cocaine* (2024), and Hal Durst in *Lady in the Lake* (2024), with a guest role as Brent in *DMV* (2025–26).[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0275417/)
## Film work
Feuerstein's film career has consisted largely of supporting roles. He appeared in *Practical Magic* (1998), *The Muse* (1999), *Woman on Top* (2000), *Rules of Engagement* (2000), *What Women Want* (2000), *[In Her Shoes](https://www.edgepedia.org/in-her-shoes-film)* (2005), and *[Defiance](https://www.edgepedia.org/defiance-2008-film)* (2008), in which he played Isaac Malbin in [Edward Zwick](https://www.edgepedia.org/edward-zwick)'s Bielski partisan drama.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/mark-feuerstein/) • [5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/mark_feuerstein) He starred in and produced the comedy *Larry Gaye: Renegade Male Flight Attendant* (2015).[3](https://arts.princeton.edu/mark-feuerstein-93) On Rotten Tomatoes his highest-rated film is *Meadowland* (2015) at 92 percent, and his most recent lead is *Guns & Moses* (2024).[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/mark_feuerstein)
**Guns & Moses.** In this action-thriller Feuerstein plays Rabbi Mo Zaltzman, who helps protect his community after an antisemitic attack, alongside [Christopher Lloyd](https://www.edgepedia.org/christopher-lloyd), Dermot Mulroney, and [Neal McDonough](https://www.edgepedia.org/neal-mcdonough).[11](https://sarahprince.ca/2025/07/mark-feuerstein-interview-guns-moses/) To prepare, he read Neal Gabler's *An Empire of Their Own* and Joseph Telushkin's analysis of the Rebbe, consulted rabbis in Los Angeles, and trained with a firearm for the role.[11](https://sarahprince.ca/2025/07/mark-feuerstein-interview-guns-moses/) He has described the film as "Chinatown meets The Chosen" and has discussed ideas for a sequel or trilogy centered on the character.[12](https://popcultureunplugged.com/episode/mark-feuerstein-on-becoming-rabbi-mo-in-guns-moses-action-faith-justice)
## Writing, producing, and 9JKL
Having been a producer on *The Hustler* and *Royal Pains*, Feuerstein became the creative force, with his wife Dana Klein, behind the CBS sitcom *9JKL* (2017–18), about an actor who moves into an apartment next door to his parents and brother; the premise drew on his own time living next to his family in a high-rise after his marriage.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/mark-feuerstein/) • [7](https://paw.princeton.edu/article/feuerstein-93-found-his-passion-acting-princeton) On that series he served as creator, executive producer, writer of the pilot and another episode, director of one episode, and lead actor as Josh.[6](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/50417/mark-feuerstein) • [1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/mark-feuerstein/)
## Personal life
Feuerstein married Dana Klein, a television producer and writer, on July 9, 2005; the couple has three children, Lila, Frisco, and Addie, and lives in Los Angeles.[4](https://encyclopedia-loadbalancer-1-1782916326.us-west-2.elb.amazonaws.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/feuerstein-mark-1971) • [3](https://arts.princeton.edu/mark-feuerstein-93) Most of his family members are lawyers, a fact he turns into a running joke about taking the reverse path from law to acting.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0275417/) • [8](https://www.inquirer.com/philly/entertainment/20090611_He_was_future-focused__then_auditioned_on_a_whim_.html) On the set of *Giving It Up* (1999) he earned the nickname "Chaplin" for his facility with physical comedy, and he lists mountain-biking, wrestling, dancing from hip-hop to salsa, and jogging among his interests.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0275417/)
## References
1. [Mark Feuerstein, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/mark-feuerstein/)
2. [Mark Feuerstein (I), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0275417/)
3. [Mark Feuerstein '93, Lewis Center for the Arts, Princeton University](https://arts.princeton.edu/mark-feuerstein-93)
4. [Feuerstein, Mark 1971-, Encyclopedia.com](https://encyclopedia-loadbalancer-1-1782916326.us-west-2.elb.amazonaws.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/feuerstein-mark-1971)
5. [Mark Feuerstein, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/mark_feuerstein)
6. [Mark Feuerstein, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/50417/mark-feuerstein)
7. [Feuerstein '93 Found His Passion for Acting at Princeton, Princeton Alumni Weekly](https://paw.princeton.edu/article/feuerstein-93-found-his-passion-acting-princeton)
8. [He was future-focused, then auditioned on a whim, The Philadelphia Inquirer](https://www.inquirer.com/philly/entertainment/20090611_He_was_future-focused__then_auditioned_on_a_whim_.html)
9. [Interview: Mark Feuerstein Talks About His Starring Role on Royal Pains, EclipseMagazine](https://eclipsemagazine.com/interview-mark-feuerstein-talks-about-his-staring-role-on-royal-pains/)
10. [Mark Feuerstein: Pains Bring Gains, PopEntertainment](https://www.popentertainmentarchives.com/post/mark-feuerstein-pains-bring-gains)
11. [How Mark Feuerstein Is Building A Legacy Through Storytelling, Hot On The Street](https://sarahprince.ca/2025/07/mark-feuerstein-interview-guns-moses/)
12. [Mark Feuerstein on Becoming Rabbi Mo in 'Guns & Moses', Pop Culture Unplugged](https://popcultureunplugged.com/episode/mark-feuerstein-on-becoming-rabbi-mo-in-guns-moses-action-faith-justice)
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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 F*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 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