Mark Dobies, Former OLTL and GL Star, Dead at 65
Mark Dobies, known to daytime fans for his roles as Dr. Noah Chase on Guiding Light from 2000-01 and Daniel Colson on One Life to Live from 2003-05 (with his district attorney character also making a brief appearance on sister show All My Children in 2005), passed away on March 11 at the age of 65.
Looking Back
Dobies was born on April 3, 1959, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, fueling his lifelong passion for his hometown’s football team, the Philadelphia Eagles. His own athletic prowess enabled him to go to Delaware Valley College (now known as Delaware Valley University) on a football scholarship. In 1980, he and his teammates brought the school their first victory in the Middle Atlantic Conference football championship.
He also had a love for acting, both on television and in theater. The highlight of his theater career came in 2004 when he was cast in the off-Broadway revival of The Normal Heart at The Public Theater. He played Bruce Niles in the production, which co-starred Billy Warlock (ex-AJ, General Hospital; ex-Frankie, Days of our Lives et al), Richard Bekins (ex-Jamie, Another World) and Raul Esparza (Law & Order: SVU). In a 2004 interview with Soap Opera Digest, Dobies spoke to the reaction of the audience at the time. “It’s mind-boggling how well it has been received,” he marveled, adding, “but it’s a fabulous cast, and it’s so well-written. Candice Bergen came to see it; so did Joel Grey. There hasn’t been much advertising, but the word of mouth has been incredible.”
Regarding his soap experience, specifically his time as Daniel on OLTL, the actor said in the same interview, “They offered me a juicy role, and playing across from Hillary [B. Smith, Nora] right now is great. It’s picking up — it’s a lot of work for a recurring role. I’m having a good time.”
In addition to his soap roles, Dobies also appeared in television movies like In My Sister’s Shadow and Haskett’s Chance and guested on shows like Just Shoot Me!, Home Improvement, Melrose Place, Any Day Now, Everybody Loves Raymond, Gossip Girl, Law & Order: Criminal Intent and many others.
Later in life and still active, the actor competed in triathlons and turned to personal training, wanting to help others with their fitness aspirations.
He had three children with his ex-wife, Linda Hill — Francesca, Olivia and Robert. In addition to his kids, he is survived by his mother, Suzanne, and siblings Paul and Sandy. Digest sends our sincere condolences to his loved ones during this difficult time.
On Guiding Light, Dobies worked opposite the show’s leading lady, Kim Zimmer as Reva.
Conversation
All comments are subject to our Community Guidelines. Soap Opera Digest does not endorse the opinions and views shared by our readers in our comment sections. Our comments section is a place where readers can engage in healthy, productive, lively, and respectful discussions. Offensive language, hate speech, personal attacks, and/or defamatory statements are not permitted. Advertising or spam is also prohibited.