People
Mark Margolis
Acting · follow into films and chains
Biography
Mark Margolis (November 26, 1939 – August 3, 2023) was an American actor, who had been making films since 1976. Margolis went to Temple University briefly before moving to New York City, where he studied drama with Stella Adler and at the Actors Studio. He was perhaps most famous for his supporting roles in Scarface and the films of Darren Aronofsky: π, Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain, The Wrestler, and Black Swan. Aronofsky wrote the role of Father Avila in The Fountain specifically for Margolis. He had recurring roles on numerous TV shows, including The Equalizer, HBO's Oz, Law And Order, Crossing Jordan and most recently Showtime's Californication and Breaking Bad. He also appeared in a first season episode of Quantum Leap. In 1991, he also played Helmut Dieter in soap opera Santa Barbara.
Notable films
Where to start
Highlights from credits and KinoChain journeys.
Chains
KinoChain journeys
Public chains that pass through their films — or name them as a bridge.
The Reckless Edge - Talent as a Double-Edged Sword
Forty years after Top Gun roared into cinemas, Maverick's need for speed still feels as exhilarating as ever. But Pete Mitchell is part of a much bigger movie t...
7 films
The High Was Never the Point
When Trainspotting arrived in 1996, it was quickly labelled as the ultimate "drugs movie". Decades on, its true subject matter is far clearer. It is not fundame...
8 films
Metamorphosis: Bodies in Flux
From Kafka's insect to Cronenberg's flesh, a journey through cinema's most profound transformations, where identity itself is the shape-shifter.
7 films
The Rivalry Within: How Feuds Shape the Soul
From duelling magicians to warring chefs, explore how rivalry reveals our deepest fears and desires. A cinematic journey through competition, obsession, and the...
8 films
When Finishing Beats Winning
A chain of films where the protagonist loses the official contest but achieves a deeper, personal victory, redefining what it means to go the distance.
8 films
Love in the Time of Espionage
From Berlin to Buenos Aires, a journey through films where romance and espionage entwine, revealing the human cost of secrets.
7 films
Topics
Explore by topic
Related people
Collaborators & neighbours
Acted
Noah
2014 · Magog (voice)
The Courier
2012 · Stitch
Black Swan
2010 · Mr. Fithian / Patron
Defiance
2008 · Jewish Elder
The Wrestler
2008 · Lenny
Gone Baby Gone
2007 · Leon Trett
The Girl Next Door
2007 · Homeless Man Hit By Car
The Fountain
2006 · Father Avila
Infested
2002 · Father Morning
The Tailor of Panama
2001 · Rafi Domingo
Requiem for a Dream
2000 · Mr. Rabinowitz
Flawless
1999 · Vinnie
End of Days
1999 · Pope
Mickey Blue Eyes
1999 · Gene Morgansen
The Thomas Crown Affair
1999 · Heinrich Knutzhorn
Pi
1998 · Sol Robeson
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
1994 · Mr. Shickadance
The Pit and the Pendulum
1991 · Mendoza
White Hot
1989 · The Tin Man
The Bedroom Window
1987 · Man in Phone Booth
Scarface
1983 · Shadow
Muggable Mary: Street Cop
1982 · Sgt. Meyers