Successful Hollywood actor and devoted family man Mark Feuerstein is one of the nicest actors you are every going to meet. He is unassuming, humble with a youthful personality which entertains fans of all ages.

With his several decades of  TV and film work, the youthful actor is mostly recognized for his role as the lovable and empathetic Dr. Henry “Hank” Lawson in the hit USA Network TV series Royal Pains which ran for seven seasons. It was a terrific show with fans all over the world.

Feuerstein went from playing nice to not so nice for his role as Prof. Jacob Ness in the revival of Fox’s massively popular series Prison Break in 2017.  He also was most recently seen in the short-lived but super funny and cool series 9JKL on CBS which was based on Feuerstein’s own story of his struggling days as an actor in NYC while living next to his parents.

The Ravi Report caught up with the well-respected actor recently at Princeton University, where the former graduate was in town to teach an acting workshop to students and afterwards spoke at a standing room only special public event.

RR: It is such a pleasure to meet you Mark. Let me start by asking if I may, that many actors often get into acting by either having some strong influential factor whether it be a professor, acting coach, mentor or parental influence. Who personally influenced you to go into acting?

MF: What a great question! It was my peers at Princeton University who had a significant influence over catching the bug of acting. In high school, I was a football player and wrestler, President of Freshman and Senior Class in high school, involved in lost of extracurricular activities, to build a good resume to get into a good college. I don’t know what force in he universe guided me to see signs for auditions for the play “Burn This” but I followed something and lead me to audition to for that play and I did it with Josh Klausner, who played by brother, and he was so interesting and cool and smart and he guided into my next production which was directed by Eugene Jarecki a very talented documentary filmmaker, and the combination of Josh and Eugene  leading me into acting, made me think I could tell stories, and make people laugh, cry and create characters.

RR: Those are certainly strong influences. Did your parents support you as well in your decision in heading to Hollywood?

 

MF: Well, that influence of those folks in my life were certainly the catalyst in the launching part of this career. But once I am doing it and once I choose to go to London to study acting and then come to NY to do off-Broadway and make my way over to CA to make my way into movies and TV shows, I don’t know what that thing is that keeps you going but they all played a key role in my career.

I was lucky to be raised by parents who made me believe that I could do anything

Mark Feuerstein with his parents

Also, I have had great friends and am blessed to have found a great and amazing woman like my wife who was there for me even when I am down. It’s those factors that keep me going and that made me a success today.

RR: The aspect of fame is tough and challenging at times. Some celebrities can handle it well while others cannot which can lead to a  downward spiral for them. How are you handling fame?

 

MF: Other than for the moments of recognition on the streets, restaurants and…well  for example, recently the parking guy let me park for free…now that was a nice perk (laughs)! I saved 10 dollars but that certainly didn’t cover 4 years of drama school or the PU tuition, but I’ll take it (laughs)! Beyond that, it is ethereal thing this fame. I work very hard not to get caught up in it but I am so grateful that people like what I do. Look, actors are all insecure. We all got a void in us that needs to be filled by the anonymous masses.

RR: Has being famous changed you? And if so, in what way?

MF: Well, honestly, it’s never been big enough for it to impact my life and I am grateful for that. I’m sure it wouldn’t be bad to be Brad Pitt or George Clooney, but on the plus side of that, by not being them, I get to live a very normal happy life with my wife and amazing three kids. Walking out of my house is not a problem and I never had a stalker or anything….well, yet….one can  hope (smiles)!

RR: Let’s move into fatherhood. You have three incredible kids and they seem to be very balanced coming from a famous home. Raising kids today in our crazy world can be challenging. As a  parent, what concerns do you have for them in the future?

MF: I feel like we have given them a lot of love and support for these 11, 10 and 8 years of their lives. I wish for them that they are happy and satisfied by whatever their interested in and able to pursue,  and that they are not in any way beaten down by the system or that they lose confidence because of anything from mean girls to bullies, that they are able to navigate from all that.

RR: What are your concerns about the times we live in now when it comes to raising your children? It is a much more different world now then when we were growing up especially with the explosion of social media and the cell phones.

MF: For me, the most I am concerned about is social media. None of them have  phones yet and I know that is coming. I am concerned about how they will navigate growing up LA because it’s a tricky place for kids to grow up in. There is not much cultural activities like you have in NYC, which is where I grew up where you have museums and people of all kinds of backgrounds and cultures. LA is more sheltered and I do worry that they will grow up to be sheltered. Kids in LA have the choices of becoming actors, writers or directors more so than anything else. I hope they see the whole picture and really find something they love and it doesn’t have to be in this business and if they do, I will give them my 100 percent support.

RR: Maybe they will all end up going to Princeton University like you did!

MF: I would be so grateful if they all got into Princeton.

RR: Last question. What roles excite you and bring out the best in your acting abilities?

MF:  Dr. Hank Lawson from Royal Pains was a dream role, kind of flawless. I got to play a character who was comedic, romantic, sympathetic and a role model. There will never be a role for me like that again. It was a one of a kind. But  I look forward to playing characters with greater flaws, nuances and vulnerabilities. I got to play a really bad guy on Prison Break which was fun and I directed five episodes of Royal Pains and I would love to do more of directing as well. I want to do it all!

RR: Thank you Mark. I have to say it was indeed a pleasure meeting you.

MF: Thank you.

The journey continues…