Mark Hapka (born May 29, 1982) is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

film and television actor who first gained attention for portraying the lead role of the spirit 'Zach' on the ''

Ghost Whisperer ''Ghost Whisperer'' is an American supernatural television series, which ran on CBS from September 23, 2005, to May 21, 2010. The series follows the life of Melinda Gordon ( Jennifer Love Hewitt), who has the ability to see and communicate with ...

'' spin-off '' Ghost Whisperer: The Other Side''. Hapka is most notable for his previous role as

Nathan Horton Nathan Russell Horton (born May 29, 1985) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. During his career, Horton played for the Florida Panthers, Boston Bruins and Columbus Blue Jackets. He was drafted third overall by the Panthers in the ...

on the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...

soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...

Days of Our Lives ''Days of Our Lives'' (also stylized as ''Days of our Lives''; simply referred to as ''Days'' or ''DOOL'') is an American television soap opera that streams on the streaming service Peacock. The soap, which aired on the American television net ...

''.

Background

Hapka was born in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...

, to Robert and Debbie Hapka. (His parents have since divorced and both are remarried.) When Hapka was about 11 years old, his family moved to

Rome, New York Rome is a city in Oneida County, New York, United States, located in the Central New York, central part of the state. The population was 32,127 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Rome is one of two principal cities in the Utica–Ro ...

. He is a 2000 graduate of Rome Free Academy, and then went on to study music education and voice at

Onondaga Community College Onondaga Community College (OCC) is a public community college that serves Onondaga County, New York, at two campuses. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. History The college was founded in 1961 and began instruction ...

Syracuse, New York Syracuse ( ) is a City (New York), city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, Onondaga County, New York, United States. It is the fifth-most populous city in the state of New York following New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffa ...

. In 2005, Hapka left Syracuse and moved to

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. He enrolled in acting classes at Playhouse West and worked in student films, before appearing in a 2006 showcase that won him representation. His surname is of Czech origin.

Career

Hapka had his first credited role in

James Franco James Edward Franco (born April 19, 1978) is an American actor and filmmaker. For his role in '' 127 Hours'' (2010), he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. Franco is known for his roles in films, such as Sam Raimi's ''Spider-Ma ...

's 2007

feature film A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...

Good Time Max ''Good Time Max'' is a 2007 drama film directed by James Franco, who also co-wrote and co-stars in the film. It premiered at the 6th Annual Tribeca Film Festival. Plot Two genius brothers grow up and grow apart as one becomes a successful surgeon ...

'', but is best known for his

starring A movie star (also known as a film star or cinema star) is an actor or actress who is famous for their starring, or leading, roles in movies. The term is used for performers who are marketable stars as they become popular household names and wh ...

role as the spirit 'Zach' in 2007 and 2008 in the television series '' Ghost Whisperer: The Other Side'' and ''

''. He won the role when producers Kim Moses and

Ian Sander Ian Sander (November 22, 1947 – May 3, 2016) was an American television producer, whose works include ''Ghost Whisperer'' and '' Profiler''. He was a principal in Sander/Moses Productions. Biography Sander was born in New York City. He grad ...

chose him as a 'fresh face' with an 'It Guy' quality. Following this, he appeared in the television series ''

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'' and had a minor role on ''

'' as an older Johnny DiMera. In 2009, he appeared in the films ''Second Sight'' and ''Midgets Vs. Mascots''. Also in 2009, he had a recurring role in the television series ''

Hannah Montana ''Hannah Montana'' is an American teen sitcom created by Michael Poryes, Rich Correll and Barry O'Brien that aired on Disney Channel for four seasons between March2006 and January2011. The series centers on Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus), a ...

'' and also appeared on ''

Cold Case A cold case is a crime, or a suspected crime, that has not yet been fully resolved and is not the subject of a current criminal investigation, but for which new information could emerge from new witness testimony, re-examined archives, new or re ...

''. In June 2009, Hapka returned to ''Days of Our Lives'' when he was cast in the contract role of

. Soap Opera Digest reported on January 7, 2011, that he was let go from the show. Hapka has starring roles in the upcoming films ''The Danny McKay Project'', where he portrays the title character Danny McKay, and ''Beyond the Mat''.

Filmography

*''

'' (2007) *''

Current TV Current TV was an American television channel which broadcast from August 1, 2005, to August 20, 2013. Prior INdTV founders Al Gore and Joel Hyatt, with Ronald Burkle, each held a sizable stake in Current TV. Comcast and DirecTV each held a smalle ...

'' (2007) *''

'' (2007–2008), 2 episodes: "The Gathering", "Deadbeat Dads" *'' Ghost Whisperer: The Other Side'' (16 episodes, 2007–2008) *''

'' (2 episodes, 2007–2008) as

Johnny DiMera ''Days of Our Lives'' is an American soap opera broadcast on the NBC network. Created by Ted and Betty Corday, the series focuses on the residents of the fictional midwestern town of Salem, USA. It premiered on November 8, 1965. This is a list ...

*''Real Fiction'' (2008) *''Private High Musical'' (2008) *''

'' (2008), Episode: "A Tale of Two Parties" *''The Danny McKay Project'' (2009) *''Midgets Vs. Mascots'' (2009) *''

'' (2009), Episode: "Jackals" *''

'' (5 episodes, 2009) *''Second Sight'' (2009) *''

'' (2009–2011) as Nathan Horton *''Beyond the Mat - The Movie'' (2011) *'' 23 Blast'' (2013) *''

Altergeist ''Altergeist'' (also known under its working title ''Sighting'') is a 2014 science fiction horror film that was written and directed by Tedi Sarafian. The film had its world premiere on 25 August 2014 at the London FrightFest Film Festival and rece ...

'' (2014) *''Deadly Revenge'' (2014) *'' Parallels'' (2015) *''Hot Take: The Depp/Heard Trial'' (2022) as

Johnny Depp John Christopher Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He is the recipient of multiple accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for three Academy Award ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hapka, Mark 1982 births American male soap opera actors Male actors from Buffalo, New York American male film actors American male television actors Living people People from Rome, New York