After graduating from Juilliard, Mark Nelson worked as a professional actor for over two decades. He appeared in films and television, and, eventually, he and his wife (also an actress) settled in the Twin Cities to raise a family and work at the Guthrie Theater. Interestingly, his first play at the Guthrie, “Philadelphia, Here I Come” co-starred Rainn Wilson, who would go on to star as Dwight in the American version of The Office. See a review of the play from Variety below.
Mark would go on to perform in over 20 productions at the Guthrie. At age 40, however, when most people are settled firmly into their careers, he decided to make a major change in his life: he started medical school to become a family practice physician.
Listen as I talk to Mark about why he decided to give up acting, how he handled the transition back into the life of a student, and what he hopes to achieve in his career as a physician.