Marc Singer
A brawny 1980s screen hero who fought alien fascists in a miniseries and swung a sword in a fur loincloth, defining a generation's fantasy TV.
Born 1948 (age 78)·Canadian-American actor·Birthday: January 29·Baby Boomers
Biography
Marc Singer carved out a unique niche in the pop culture of the early 1980s as the embodiment of a specific kind of heroic ideal: physically imposing, morally steadfast, and slightly anachronistic. With his commanding baritone and athletic build, he was perfectly cast as Mike Donovan in the seminal miniseries 'V,' an everyman cameraman who becomes the reluctant leader of Earth's resistance against reptilian invaders. The role tapped into Cold War anxieties and made him a household name. Almost simultaneously, he embraced pure fantasy in 'The Beastmaster,' a film where his portrayal of Dar, a warrior who communicates with animals, became a staple of cable television and midnight movie screenings. His career wasn't confined to genre work—he showed up in the glossy soap opera 'Dallas' and on stage in serious theatre—but it is for those two iconic roles that he remains fixed in memory, a symbol of a time when heroes were straightforward and their battles were painted in broad, thrilling strokes.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Marc was born in 1948, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Marc Was Born
The biggest hits of 1948
#1 Movie
The Red Shoes
Best Picture
Hamlet
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Marc's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1948Born
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1953Started school
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1961Became a teenager
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1964Could drive
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1966Could vote
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1969Turned 21
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1978Turned 30
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 40
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 50
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 60
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 70
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 78 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Starred as resistance leader Mike Donovan in the hugely influential sci-fi television miniseries 'V' and its sequel series.
- Played the titular hero in the cult fantasy film 'The Beastmaster' and its two sequels.
- Portrayed oilman Matt Cantrell during a major storyline on the prime-time soap opera 'Dallas'.
- Had a long-running stage career, including performances in Broadway and touring productions of 'Chicago' and 'Footloose'.
Did You Know?
He is a trained Shakespearean actor who studied at the University of Washington and the Webber Douglas Academy in London.
He performed many of his own stunts and animal interactions in 'The Beastmaster'.
Singer is an accomplished painter and has held exhibitions of his artwork.
He provided the voice for the character of Samson in the 1999 animated film 'The King and I'.
“An actor's job is to find the humanity in any character, even a beast.”
