Mark Damon

Veteran actor and producer Mark Damon was best known for his collaborations with Roger Corman. He majored in literature and business administration at UCLA before pursuing an acting career. He began his professional acting career in 1954 on "Meet Corliss Archer" before making his feature debut in 1956 on "Inside Detroit." He collaborated with legendary producer Corman in the 1960s, starring in films such as "The Pit and the Pendulum," "Young and Dangerous" and "House of Usher." In 1961 he won a Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer and soon after Damon relocated to Europe, where he starred in several Westerns and B-movies including "The Tyrant of Castile" and "The Shortest Day."

He finished his acting career in the mid-1970s to become a film producer, forming his own production company, Producer Sales Organization. He produced the features "The Arena" and "The Choirboys" before executive producing the acclaimed 1981 film "Das Boot." Later in his career Damon founded another production company, Vision International and went one to produce numerous notable films such as "The NeverEnding Story," "Nine 1/2 Weeks" and "The Lost Boys." In 2003, he produced the Academy Award-winning film "Monster" starring Charlize Theron.