# Mark Valley
**Mark Valley** is an American film and television actor, a West Point graduate and U.S. Army veteran known for playing Brad Chase on the legal drama *Boston Legal*, John Scott on *Fringe*, and the title role of Christopher Chance on Fox's action series *Human Target*[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/mark-valley/) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0885090/). His full birth name is Mark Thomas Valley, and he was born in 1964 in Ogdensburg, New York[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/mark-valley/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birth | Born in 1964 in Ogdensburg, New York; birth name Mark Thomas Valley[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/mark-valley/) |
| Education | Bachelor's degree in Mathematics, United States Military Academy at West Point, 1987[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/mark-valley/) |
| Military service | About five years as a U.S. Army officer, mostly stationed in Germany; drove transports during Operation Desert Storm in 1991[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/mark-valley/) |
| Breakthrough role | Brad Chase on *Boston Legal* (ABC, 2004-2008), the earnest attorney who served as chief foil to James Spader's Alan Shore[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/mark-valley/) |
| Signature lead | Christopher Chance on *Human Target* (Fox, 2010-2011), adapted from a DC comic[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/mark-valley/) • [3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/human_target/s01) |
| Voice work | Clark Kent / Superman in *Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2* (2013)[4](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-105177/filmographie/) |
| Podcasting | Hosts *The Live Drop*, interviewing people involved in diplomacy, intelligence, espionage and national security[5](https://medium.com/@joelsearls/mark-valley-west-point-grad-desert-storm-vet-actor-and-podcast-host-sits-down-with-watm-056cd827e72e) |
## Early life and military service
Valley grew up in Ogdensburg, New York, in a household headed by his father Michael, a school principal, and his mother Martha, who ran a nursery school[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/mark-valley/). He acted while attending high school in Ogdensburg, but set his ambitions aside when he entered the [United States Military Academy](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-states-military-academy) at West Point, where he earned his [Bachelor's degree](https://www.edgepedia.org/bachelors-degree) in [Mathematics](https://www.edgepedia.org/mathematics) in 1987[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/mark-valley/).
He spent roughly five years in the Army, stationed in Germany for most of that time and rising to the rank of lieutenant[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/mark-valley/). He saw some action as a transport driver during Operation Desert Storm in 1991[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/mark-valley/). In interviews he has described the military as formative for his acting career: he learned weapons handling there, qualifying with the M-16 and a .45 caliber sidearm, and studied French and German, skills he later used on screen[6](https://www.dailyactor.com/interview/interview-human-target-mark-valley/).
## Entry into acting
Valley came to acting by chance. Stationed in Berlin after the [Gulf War](https://www.edgepedia.org/gulf-war), he decided that since life could be short he might as well do something he enjoyed, tried a variety of things, and worked as a movie extra[6](https://www.dailyactor.com/interview/interview-human-target-mark-valley/). He was spotted in Germany and asked to appear in [John Schlesinger](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-schlesinger)'s thriller *The Innocent* (1995); though the part was initially non-speaking, he impressed the filmmakers enough to earn some dialogue, and he began pursuing acting in earnest[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/mark-valley/). Once out of the army he moved to New York City, where his first prominent role was Jack Devereaux on the NBC soap *Days of Our Lives*[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/mark-valley/).
Through the late 1990s he accumulated guest roles across network television. He led an FBI tactical squad in the feature *The Siege* (1998)[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/mark-valley/), played FBI Agent Mike Johanssen in that film[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0885090/), and guest-starred on *ER*, *Spin City*, *Law & Order: Special Victims Unit*, *CSI: Crime Scene Investigation*, and *Gideon's Crossing*[7](https://www.metacritic.com/person/mark-valley/). On film he played [Rupert Everett](https://www.edgepedia.org/rupert-everett)'s doctor lover in *The Next Best Thing* (2000) and took the title role of a gunfighter in the Western *Jericho* (2001)[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/mark-valley/).
## Television series work
**Leading-man setbacks.** Valley scored a few series in which he played the central character, but he was out of work when most were canceled after their initial season, with the exception of *Human Target*, which ran for two seasons[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/mark-valley/) • [17](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/human_target). These included *Keen Eddie*, a Fox detective comedy in which he played the title character Det. Eddie Arlette in 2003[7](https://www.metacritic.com/person/mark-valley/) • [8](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/style/2010/01/16/target-acquires-bteam-of-action-plots/e94b2cd1-8df9-436f-a99b-37cf6f598342/), and the 2001 drama *Pasadena*, in which he played Robert Greeley[7](https://www.metacritic.com/person/mark-valley/).
**Boston Legal.** His stride came in 2004, when he joined *Boston Legal* as Brad Chase, a dogged, earnest attorney who served as chief foil and agitator to [James Spader](https://www.edgepedia.org/james-spader)'s morally slippery Alan Shore; he remained with the show through 2008[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/mark-valley/). In a 2005 interview at the Paley Television Festival, he noted that the character had been given a background in the military reserves, with at least one episode sending him to Iraq as a special consultant to the Marines[9](https://www.boston-legal.org/press/press-markvalley-televisionfestival.shtml).
**Fringe and Human Target.** After *Boston Legal* he played John Scott, FBI partner and eventual betrayer of [Anna Torv](https://www.edgepedia.org/anna-torv)'s character, in the first season of J.J. Abrams' *Fringe* (2008)[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/mark-valley/) • [10](https://www.buddytv.com/exclusive-interview-mark-valley-from-fringe-part-1/). The impression he made led quickly to his own series: *Human Target*, on Fox in 2010 and 2011, cast him as Christopher Chance, a private contractor and security expert who shields endangered clients[6](https://www.dailyactor.com/interview/interview-human-target-mark-valley/) • [3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/human_target/s01). The series, based on a DC comic by Len Wein and Carmine Infantino, co-starred [Chi McBride](https://www.edgepedia.org/chi-mcbride) and [Jackie Earle Haley](https://www.edgepedia.org/jackie-earle-haley)[11](https://www.televisionaryblog.com/2009/05/pilot-inspektor-advance-review-of-foxs.html) • [3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/human_target/s01). Critics were divided on the show but often warm to Valley: the Los Angeles Times wrote that the role gave him "the sort of twinkly-eyed one-liners that can take a hard-working actor... and turn him into a big fat star," while the Washington Post judged him "reliable" but called the series "cardboard"[12](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-jan-15-la-et-humantarget15-2010jan15-story.html) • [8](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/style/2010/01/16/target-acquires-bteam-of-action-plots/e94b2cd1-8df9-436f-a99b-37cf6f598342/). Salon praised his Chance as an "unflappable American warrior-gentleman" played without fuss, singling out the season one finale that revealed why Chance stopped killing people and started protecting them[13](https://www.salon.com/2011/02/02/human_target_season_two/).
**Later series roles.** He played Oliver Richard on *Harry's Law* (2011, opposite [Kathy Bates](https://www.edgepedia.org/kathy-bates)), and in 2012 signed on as a series regular for the third season of ABC's *Body of Proof*, playing Det. Tommy Sullivan, a onetime love interest of [Dana Delany](https://www.edgepedia.org/dana-delany)'s medical examiner Megan Hunt who transfers to Philadelphia to win her back; Valley underwent police and firearms training for the part[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/mark-valley/) • [14](https://www.tvline.com/casting-news/body-of-proof-season-3-mark-valley-349080/). Later television work included *Blood & Treasure* (as Patrick McNamara, 2019 and 2022), *The Romanoffs* (2018), *Bloodline* (2015), *The Flash* (2017), *Feud: Bette and Joan* (2017, as [Gary Merrill](https://www.edgepedia.org/gary-merrill)), *Hawaii Five-0*, and *Wisdom of the Crowd*[4](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-105177/filmographie/) • [7](https://www.metacritic.com/person/mark-valley/).
## Film and voice work
Valley's film credits include *Stolen* (2012) and a C-130 pilot in *Zero Dark Thirty* (2012)[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0885090/) • [4](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-105177/filmographie/). In voice acting he played Cyclops in *Shrek the Third* (2007) and voiced Clark Kent and Superman in *Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2* (2013)[4](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-105177/filmographie/). More recent credits include Ben Harding in *Gun Shy* (2017) opposite [Antonio Banderas](https://www.edgepedia.org/antonio-banderas), and Edgar in *Bride Hard* (2024)[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0885090/) • [4](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-105177/filmographie/). AlloCiné also lists a 2026 appearance as Jon Lewis in *Hostage*[4](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-105177/filmographie/). Across television and film, Metacritic records 35 TV and 9 movie credits for him[7](https://www.metacritic.com/person/mark-valley/).
## Personal life and other projects
Valley married *Fringe* star Anna Torv in February 2009; the two had played love interests in the show's early episodes, and IMDb lists the marriage as ended[12](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-jan-15-la-et-humantarget15-2010jan15-story.html) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0885090/). He now lives in Los Angeles[15](https://angelcityreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Angel-City-Review-issue-4.pdf).
Outside acting he has built a second platform around his intelligence-community interests. He hosts *The Live Drop*, a podcast interviewing people involved in diplomacy, intelligence, espionage, and national security[5](https://medium.com/@joelsearls/mark-valley-west-point-grad-desert-storm-vet-actor-and-podcast-host-sits-down-with-watm-056cd827e72e), and he traveled to Kenya to help write, direct, and narrate a short film for Maisha Meds, a medical technology start-up delivering critical medication to rural Kenyans[16](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/12-mark-valley-actor-u-s-army-veteran/id1451895454?i=1000434378511).
## References
1. [Mark Valley - Actor, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/mark-valley/)
2. [Mark Valley (I) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0885090/)
3. [Human Target: Season 1 - Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/human_target/s01)
4. [Mark Valley : Filmographie - AlloCiné](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-105177/filmographie/)
5. [Mark Valley: West Point grad, Desert Storm vet, actor and podcast host - Medium (We Are The Mighty)](https://medium.com/@joelsearls/mark-valley-west-point-grad-desert-storm-vet-actor-and-podcast-host-sits-down-with-watm-056cd827e72e)
6. [Interview: Human Target's Mark Valley - Daily Actor](https://www.dailyactor.com/interview/interview-human-target-mark-valley/)
7. [Mark Valley - Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/person/mark-valley/)
8. ['Target' acquires B-Team of action plots - The Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/style/2010/01/16/target-acquires-bteam-of-action-plots/e94b2cd1-8df9-436f-a99b-37cf6f598342/)
9. [A conversation with Mark Valley - Boston-Legal.org, Paley Television Festival 2005](https://www.boston-legal.org/press/press-markvalley-televisionfestival.shtml)
10. [Exclusive Interview: Mark Valley, from 'Fringe' - Part 1 - BuddyTV](https://www.buddytv.com/exclusive-interview-mark-valley-from-fringe-part-1/)
11. [Pilot Inspektor: An Advance Review of FOX's Human Target - Televisionary](https://www.televisionaryblog.com/2009/05/pilot-inspektor-advance-review-of-foxs.html)
12. ['Human Target' on Fox - Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-jan-15-la-et-humantarget15-2010jan15-story.html)
13. [Human Target: How Fox's stellar action show went horribly wrong - Salon](https://www.salon.com/2011/02/02/human_target_season_two/)
14. [Scoop: Body Of Proof Targets Mark Valley As Dana Delany's New Leading Man - TVLine](https://www.tvline.com/casting-news/body-of-proof-season-3-mark-valley-349080/)
15. [Angel City Review, Issue Four](https://angelcityreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Angel-City-Review-issue-4.pdf)
16. [#12: Mark Valley, Actor & U.S. Army Veteran - The Protectors with Jason Piccolo, Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/12-mark-valley-actor-u-s-army-veteran/id1451895454?i=1000434378511)
17. [rottentomatoes.com](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/human_target)
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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 U to We*
*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