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PROFILE

Jason Tam

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SOAP STAR STATS

Jason Tam (Markko, OLTL)

— ABC

Vital Statistics

Birthdate:: June 28
Hails From:: Aina Haina, HI
Years on Show:: 2007-present

THE 411

Jason Tam was born and raised in Aina Haina, a town outside of Honolulu on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. He began performing in third grade when he appeared in a community theater production of Bye Bye Birdie. Although he had some ballet experience, he began his formal dance training in ninth grade, mainly studying hip-hop and jazz with a Honolulu dance company.

After graduating from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts with honors, Tam found himself back in his home state filming The N's popular teen surf drama, BEYOND THE BREAK, where he recurred as Kurt "Shoe" Shoemaker in 2006. That same year, he returned to New York to play Paul in the Broadway revival of A Chorus Line and was soon cast as OLTL's Markko Rivera, a hip-hop dancing high schooler with an attitude who caught the eye of Brittany Underwood's Langston while the teens were producing the spring musical.

ET CETERA

Five Random Facts About Jason Tam
— Attended the same high school as Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama, the Punahou School in Honolulu, HI.
— His character's real name is Geraldo Rivera, but the teen changed it to Markko after a race-car driver.
— Co-hosted an educational music TV show for children called THE MUSIC FACTORY at the age of 10.
— In addition to playing soccer, volleyball and basketball, Tam was a member of his high school's canoe paddling team, which involved single-oar rowing in the ocean.
— In late 2007, Tam participated in a workshop of The Nightingale by Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater, the creators of the Tony-winning musical Spring Awakening, which starred former OLTL castmate Jonathan Groff (ex-Henry).