Written By: Michela Arlia
Brooklyn College theater professor and accomplished theatre actor Mark Blum passed away late last month after a fight with coronavirus. He was a loved professor within his department, and he will be mourned inside and out of the campus community.
Mark Blum, born on May 14, 1950, in Newark, New Jersey, was an American actor who worked in theatre, film and television. His most notable credits on Broadway include Twelve Angry Men and Lost in Yonkers. Some off-Broadway credits include The Overwhelming, and We Live Here.
His breakout role on screen was his leading role in the 1985 film Desperately Seeking Susan. In the later part of his career, he was probably best recognized for his role of Union Bob on the acclaimed Amazon Prime series Mozart in the Jungle.
Apart from being a well established actor both on screen and on the stage, Mark Blum was one of BC’s own, serving as an adjunct professor for the M.F.A. Graduate Acting program on campus. In an email sent out to the BC community announcing his passing, President Michelle Anderson described Blum as a beloved professor and actor.
“He enjoyed a long and distinguished career as a character actor, and was beloved by all who learned from him,” Anderson wrote. “His former students, many well-known actors among them, attest to Mark‘s extraordinary work as a teacher.”
“I am saddened by this tremendous loss to the college, which leaves his colleagues and students in shock. Unfortunately, Mark Blum is unlikely to be the only one this horrible virus takes from us.”
Serving as an adjunct at Brooklyn College for the last 15 years, Blum taught and connected with his students in the most memorable ways. His students past and present have taken to remembering him.
“He was an incredibly warm, intelligent, sharp and often hilarious curmudgeon,” said M.F.A alumnus Jorge Sánchez-Díaz. “He talked SO much. A comically exhausting amount, but he spoke from a place of deep knowledge, passion, and respect for the craft.”
According to his students, Blum had a lot of knowledge on the craft and had a lot to teach his students. He was always committed to the craft.
“Mark was a wizard of encouraging us to bring ourselves to the character while separating criticism of the art from criticism of the artist,” said Michael Magliocca, a second-year M.F.A candidate. “He encouraged us to be dangerous, be specific, and to honor the hard work that comes with the calling of being an actor. I’ll never forget that.”
His colleagues and students have taken the news hard and have found it difficult to cope with the fact that they will never be able to see their dear teacher and friend again.
“He was an excellent human being, a consummate professional and artist and our world is less than without him,” said Judylee Vivier, the director of BC’s MFA Acting program. “The gaping hole left by his passing will take a very long time to heal.”
Mark Blum was a talented actor and teacher, whose methods of teaching reached his students in ways that seem they will carry with them through life. His accomplishments in his time with us allow us to enjoy everything he has done for the entertainment industry, and for the Brooklyn College community of Graduate students in the M.F.A. His contributions will last a lifetime.
Blum is survived by his wife Janet Zarish, who is the head of the M.F.A Acting Program at NYU. He was 69 years old.