Mark Tallman '02, Education

Acting is Mark Tallman '02's second love; the first was sports. Tallman was an accomplished student-athlete — the co-captain of Bucknell's men's football team — who only turned to acting when his playing days had come to an end. But for someone who knew a thing or two about practicing and resilience and performing under bright lights, it's perhaps no surprise that the former Army brat and education major has found Hollywood success. 

Many career actors hope to eventually land a juicy role on a successful TV series, but Tallman — who's 45 and lives in New York City with his wife and two children — is presently enjoying his second such success.

After a three-season run playing David Montgomery on the BET comedy series First Wives Club, an entertaining adaptation of the 1996 film, he's got another key role in a certified hit series. He plays a curiously likable retired NBA all-star named Nick Brandes in Your Friends & Neighbors, a dark comedy-drama series on Apple TV.

With an all-star cast that includes John Hamm, Amanda Peet and Olivia Munn, the show has been well received by viewers and critics and has already been renewed for a third season. With the premiere of that show's season two slated to begin on April 3, Tallman sat down for a wide-ranging interview, discussing everything from his playing days as a Bison, doing love scenes with Amanda Peet, his superhero dreams and his deep affection for acting.

"Acting is very similar to sports in that it's a game we get to play," he says. "It's just a different type of game where you step into a character's skin instead of stepping onto the field to execute plays. I truly love to act."
 

In 'Your Friends & Neighbors,' Mark Tallman '02 stars opposite Amanda Peet. Photo by Jon Pack

How did you wind up at Bucknell?

As a Division I football recruit, I had five official visits: Bucknell, Lafayette, Lehigh, Georgetown and Penn. When I visited Bucknell, I was an Army brat living at Fort Drum in upstate New York. After that visit, I was pretty sure I was gonna sign there. I still went to a few other places, but I loved everything about Bucknell. I really liked the campus and the faculty members that I met on my visit. One of them, history professor Leslie Patrick, wound up being someone who was inspirational for me during my time at Bucknell because she believed so much in me.

When did your passion to act first arise?

It started very young for me. My father was part of an all-Army acting troupe, so I had exposure to high-level arts from an early age. I remember my family being stationed at places like Washington State and still traveling to New York City to see Broadway plays. Deep down, I wanted to be involved, but I was a three-sport athlete, and that was my life back then. So I didn't pursue acting until I was an adult, after I was done with football.

Why do you think you love acting so much?

I think every athlete constantly chases the high that sports gives you. And I was afraid once my playing career was over that I'd never experience that again. But I'll never forget my first day on set as a professional actor — I'd landed a role on All My Children. I stepped away from filming that day and said, "Oh my God, that was just like playing in a game." Where you practice so hard, and then the lights come on and it's game time, and you perform.

Are there commonalities between how you approached being successful as an athlete and how you try to be successful as an actor?

Absolutely. You have to be super disciplined in both cases. As artsy fartsy as people in the acting industry want to be, if you want to make a career of it, you’d better be organized, disciplined and have a strong work ethic. And you need a lot of emotional resilience. When you play high-level sports, even if you may lose a lot of games, you still have to keep going. When I started acting, I don't think I was aware of all the nos — the way you have to audition 100 times before one thing comes to fruition. But thanks to sports, I was prepared for it. 

It must be gratifying at this point in your career to have gotten some yeses that really paid off.

Yeah, I'm so grateful. It's a testament to my hard work and my skill set as an actor. But I'm also a realist, and I understand that I've been fortunate to be in the right place at the right time. Also, if I'm keeping it real, this industry is so difficult that, more than anything, it's this huge weight lifted off your back when you land a series that is a bona fide success.

Let's talk about Your Friends and Neighbors and about Nick, the character you play. I read that it was the hardest role to cast. So describe Nick and why you were the right guy for the role.

Nick, for those who don't know, is a former NBA All-Star who has become wealthy and continues to grow his wealth through business ventures. Unlike a lot of the other characters in the show, Nick doesn't come from much and earned his wealth the hard way. And he's a great and loyal friend. But we learned in season one that he did something very disloyal to one of his best friends, Coop, who is played by John Hamm. Still, even though he betrayed his friend, viewers grew to love Nick because he was relatable and likable. And I think that's a big part of why I was hired. I remember [show creator] Jonathan Trapper said that this guy had to be so funny and likable so you can watch him do something really bad and still want to forgive him. When people see me in the street, they almost always say, "Man, I wanted to hate your character, but I love him."

One thing that jumps out about Nick is his likable swagger. Do you think your experiences in sports gave you something to help you portray that?

Yes, I absolutely do. Any athlete who's successful has to carry a certain kind of swag wherever they go. Also, my upbringing as an Army brat helped develop that sense of swag because I was forced to be the new kid at school every few years. That forced me to step into new places quickly and confidently. I've carried that through life, and it makes it easier to portray that with Nick.

What's it like to show up on set as the new kid with talents like John Hamm and Amanda Peet?

It has been a dream. To use a sports analogy, it feels like an all-star team. That starts from the top with John Hamm, who is not only our counterpart as an actor but also an executive producer. He carries a sense of leadership when he steps on set, setting the tone for the cast. He's funny, endearing, and a consummate pro; he's always prepared. And Amanda Peet — I've always loved her work. From the first day on set, I was just smitten, man. I couldn't believe the chops on her. And she's so fun.

So, with the release of season two looming, what is exciting or intriguing about these new episodes?

The introduction of James Marsden as another star on the show is like fireworks in a tiny bucket. I'm so excited for people to see him and the dynamic of his character and mine. He's so dynamic as an actor. He's funny, he's charismatic, he's scary. Like his character is cuckoo, but in the best ways. Nick is actually one of the most affluent characters on the show, and because of that, the stakes for what could happen are raised significantly.

At this point in your career, what are your remaining ambitions? I'm sure you try to stay in the moment, but is there something big that you still want to accomplish?

I'm very comfortable with where I am. I try not to step out of that. I'm really grateful to be on this ride with Your Friends and Neighbors. But that said, if I had to name a thing, I'd love to step into the Marvel universe. Having been a former athlete, I see myself in that superhero world somehow. It's a realistic dream. Plus, my kids would love that.