Mark Sheppard

Perhaps most famous for playing the cunning Crowley, King of Hell, on the long-running series "Supernatural" (WB, 2005-), Mark Sheppard was born in London in 1964. Taking up the drums at a young age, music became Sheppard's first love. By 15, he was working as a professional musician, including a stint as the drummer for the original lineup of British post-punk cult heroes Television Personalities, performing on their first three albums. The son of prominent actor William Morgan Sheppard, Sheppard did not consider acting himself until his mid-twenties, when he began exploring the craft. He appeared on stage in an acclaimed Los Angeles production of "Cock and Bull Story" in 1992, the same year he booked his first television job, appearing in an episode of "Silk Stalkings" (USA, 1991-99). Sheppard appeared in the award winning drama "In the Name of the Father" (1993) the following year, and began working regularly, racking up guest appearances on TV shows, and eventually landing a co-starring role on the action series "Soldier of Fortune, Inc." (syndicated, 1997-99) in 1997. Pausing in 2001 to write and direct his own film, the thriller "Room 201" starring his father, Sheppard jumped back into the acting game, memorably appearing in the thriller "Unstoppable" (2004) and playing Ivan Erwich on the fifth season of the series "24" (Fox, 2001-2010). Alongside a notable recurring role as a dogged Interpol agent on the comic thriller "Leverage" (TNT 2008-2012), Sheppard joined the cast of "Supernatural" in 2009, and would stick with the series for eight years, finally moving on in 2017. In the meantime, Sheppard stepped behind the camera again in 2012, directing the adventure-fantasy film "Mysterious Island" in which he played the young Captain Nemo while his father played the elder version. In early 2017, Sheppard returned briefly to music, playing drums on a world tour with longtime pal Robyn Hitchcock.