Mark Chavarria
Born: 1968
Passed: 2017
Mark was born and raised in Houston, Texas. Graduated from a small parochial school Lutheran High North. He was inspired as a kid in the film business because his father would take him to the movies all the time. Mark was floored as a kid wathcing Superman with Christopher Reeve, and the tag line was "You will believe a man can fly", and when the movie was over everyone in the audience got up and cheered. He was floored that all these people were so moved by this performance, and he looked around the theatre and folks were smiling, crying and clapping. Then he knew he wanted to be an actor but was too shy.
His first role was a martial arts student in They Still Call Me Bruce. From that moment on he wanted to be a stuntman in Hollywood. He pursued his passion and has fought some of Hollywoods leading men, Robert DeNiro, Chuck Norris, Dolph Lundgren, Billy Bob Thornton, Kevin Sorbo, Danny Trejo and many more. Ever since Mark was a child he wanted to be in the film business and find a cure for cancer, something very few people knew. He was mad because many of his heroes were dying of cancer, like Steve McQueen, John Wayne and so many more.
After no serious cancer history in Mark's family, Mark was diagnosed with Stage 4 colorectal cancer, the 2nd deadliest cancer out there. He had just finished Olympus Has Fallen and American Horror Story in 2013 when he got the bad news. He had just lost his best man, and good stunt buddy Bryon Weiss to the same cancer. Desperate for hope, there was none, the Dr's told his wife he had less than a 16% chance of beating it. He did it, in 9 months. Cancer would come back again and again and Mark would go on to beat cancer 3 x's in a row, w/ the odds decreasing each time to less than 8%, 4%. Now Mark is fighting it a fourth time and doing very well.
All the while, during chemo, radiation, surgeries Mark is still able to perform stunts, and still double Cheech Marin. Mark says working on film "makes me forget everything cancer related, I can escape for a day or so". Mark truly believes Hollywood has saved his life, the stunt community, and overall film community from all over the world where Mark has worked, has helped Mark and his wife Alyssa Myer beat this cancer numerous times, which according to top oncologist across the USA, this has never happened. No one beats this type of cancer, and at this stage and his age 3 x's in a row, working on a fourth.
Mark would fight cancer along side his father,who was diagnosed while Mark's cancer came back a 2nd time. Mark would lose his father, his hero in 6 months. Despite all, Mark continues to work and campaign for better treatment and medicine for cancer patients all over the world. He even consults with cancer patients all over the globe thru numerous atricles, interviews he has done. Mark continues his stunt career while working on his documentary, chronicling his extensive battle with stage 4 colorectal cancer, called "Way To Go FECO".
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