- For the film director, see Mark L. Lester.
Mark Lester (b. July 11, 1958) was an English child actor known for playing innocent-looking boys in British and European films of the 1960s and 70s.
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Film career
He was born Mark A. Letzer.[1] The son of actor and producer Michael Lester and actress Rita Lester, Lester attended Corona Stage Academy in London and had supporting roles in several British television series, including The Human Jungle and Danger Man. At the age of nine, Lester was cast in Oliver! (1968). He played the lead in the multiple Academy Award-winning musical adaptation of Charles Dickens' novel, which co-starred Jack Wild. These two child actors later reunited for Melody (1971), which depicted British schoolchildren in love. Tracy Hyde played the role of Melody in the film, which used early music from the Bee Gees and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. In 1969, Lester received critical acclaim for his portrayal of a withdrawn only child in Run Wild, Run Free, starring opposite Sir John Mills. However, after starring in Eyewitness and Melody and in Black Beauty (1971), he found good roles harder to come by. Night Hair Child (1971) where he kissed a woman on the lips and Redneck (1972), where he stripped naked for the camera, were considered by many critics as inappropriate vehicles for the young actor due to their themes of sexuality and violence.
Adult life
Having exhausted his earnings, he later took his A Levels at the age of 28 and became an osteopath. He was taught by Jo-Anne Holmden at the BSO. He married in 1993 but filed for divorce in 2004, with both sides accusing the other of destroying the marriage through excessive drinking. Lester is a close, long-time friend of pop superstar Michael Jackson, and spent Christmas 2003 at Jackson's Neverland Ranch. While Lester was willing to testify in Jackson's defense at the trial, he was not called to do so. Lester has consistently supported his friend by telephone and in interviews. He lives in Cheltenham and has a daughter, Harriet, who attends CLC and also wishes to be an actress. He was turned down for the role of Charlie in the film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.
