Mark Strong

Initially pursuing law degree, Mark Strong then took acting as his major at Royal Holloway, University of London. In his native London, England he was best recognized for his works on TV, while in the US he was most notably known for starring as villains in numerous big screen features. Dividing his time between theater and TV, his first big break was that of Tosker Cox in the 1994 BBC2 miniseries "Our Friends in the North". Since then on, he became familiar among viewers, starring on "Prime Suspect 3" (1993), "Prime Suspect 6: The Last Witness" (2003), "Our Friends in the North" (1996), and "The Long Firm" (2004), the latter of which won him a BAFTA nomination.

Among his many film credits, it was the 2008 "RocknRolla" that became Strong's career breakthrough. It led him to his future film features, one of which successfully catapulted him to prominence "Sherlock Holmes". He shared a Best Fight MTV Movie Award with co-star Robert Downey, Jr. for his starring role as Lord Henry Blackwood in the film. He shared another Best Fight MTV Movie Award with Chloe Moretz for his appearance in "Kick-Ass". After starring in "Robin Hood" and "Green Lantern", the actor won three other awards for portraying the role of Jim Prideaux in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy". "Blood", "Unity", "Grimsby", also "Kingsman: The Secret Service" were just some of his other films.

Amidst his lengthy career in big and small screens, Strong also participated in London's West End plays, such as "Death of a Salesman", "Closer", "The Iceman Cometh", "Speed-the-Plow", "Uncle Vanya" also "Twelfth Night", the last earned him an Olivier nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

Strong was born Marco Giuseppe Salussolia on August 5, 1963. He and wife Liza Marshall have two sons. The family resides in London.