Mark Upchurch(1957-2004)
With the filming of The Gentle Old Man (1972), Mark found his calling as the team's most promising actor. He starred as Arthur Grimsdyke named for, inspired by, but otherwise unrelated to the tragic character portrayed by Peter Cushing in Tales from the Crypt (1972). Mark reprised the Grimsdyke role in brother Alan's magnum opus The Gentle Old Madman (1974). Alan's co-scriptor on this venture was Tom Abrams, whose short film Shoeshine (1987) was nominated for an The 59th Annual Academy Awards (1987). Mark did not pursue acting, but made a successful career as a talent agent. A week after complaining of mild chest pains, Mark died suddenly, felled by a heart attack at the age of 47.