Mark Linn-Baker
An American actor whose physical comedy and perfect exasperation as Larry Appleton made him a beloved sitcom fixture of the 1980s and 90s.
Born 1954 (age 72)·American actor·Birthday: June 17·Baby Boomers
Biography
Mark Linn-Baker has the face of a man perpetually on the verge of a nervous breakdown, a quality he honed into a brilliant comic instrument. Born in 1954, his early career was marked by serious stage work, including a Broadway debut in a Christopher Durang play. His big screen break came as the starstruck young writer Benjy Stone in 'My Favorite Year,' holding his own against Peter O'Toole's towering performance. But it was television that etched him into cultural memory. As the orderly, fretful Larry Appleton on 'Perfect Strangers,' he became the ultimate straight man—the grounded American cousin trying to manage the boundless, chaotic enthusiasm of Balki Bartokomous. For eight seasons, his flustered sighs and wide-eyed panic were a weekly masterclass in reactive comedy. Beyond that defining role, Linn-Baker has maintained a steady presence on stage, directing and acting, and even ventured into children's television, proving his talents extend far beyond the apartment he shared with his cousin from Mypos.
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.
Mark was born in 1954, 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 Mark Was Born
The biggest hits of 1954
#1 Movie
White Christmas
Best Picture
On the Waterfront
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Mark's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1954Born
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1959Started school
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1967Became a teenager
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1970Could drive
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1972Could vote
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1975Turned 21
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1984Turned 30
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1994Turned 40
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 50
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 60
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 70
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 72 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Starred as Larry Appleton in the hit ABC sitcom 'Perfect Strangers,' which ran for eight seasons.
- Played the lead role of Benjy Stone in the beloved film comedy 'My Favorite Year' opposite Peter O'Toole.
- Has maintained a long career in theatre, both on Broadway as an actor and as a director.
Did You Know?
He is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama.
He originated the role of Mark in Christopher Durang's play 'Beyond Therapy' on Broadway.
He provided the voice for the character of 'Larry' in the children's TV show 'The Adventures of Dynamo Duck.'
“The trick is to play the truth of the moment, even if it's absurd.”
