Geoffrey Scott, ‘Dark Shadows’ & ‘Dynasty’ Star, Dies @ 79

Geoffrey Scott, the handsome actor most famous as Mark Jennings on Dynasty, died last month at 79, his wife reported.

Scott, as seen on Hotel in 1984 (Image via ABC)

Scott, who succumbed to Parkinson's disease, died February 23 — one day after his birthday.

Born in Hollywood, Scott was signed as an actor by agent Dick Clayton (1915-2008), a former actor who became a talent titan. Among Clayton's stable: James Dean (1931-1955), Jane Fonda (b. 1937) and the star who Scott strongly resembled, Burt Reynolds (1936-2018). Clayton got Scott signed to Universal, making him one of the last of the contract players, and it was Clayton who would later get Scott his first movie — 1986's The Morning After, with Fonda.

Don't trust him, Angélique! (Image via ABC)

Scott made his acting debut as a mysterious, ultra-rich publisher on the cult series Dark Shadows in 1970, but his bread and butter was in commercials.

The strapping actor appeared in over 100 spots, among them ads for Maxwell House, Marlboro and Camel cigarettes, and Old Spice.

He worked steadily making TV guest appearances, including Where the Heart Is (1972), as the doorman on Cannon (1972-1973), Adam-12 (1974), Kojak (1974), Harry O (1975), Barnaby Jones (1979), Dallas (1980), and Fantasy Island (1983).

Loved (to hate) him on Dynasty! (Image via ABC)

Following series-regular roles on the flops The Secret Empire (1979) and Ramblin' Man (1981), Scott scored with 45 episodes of Dynasty (1982-1984). On the immensely popular nighttime soap, he played dastardly Mark Jennings, the tennis pro first husband of Krystle Carrington (Linda Evans, b. 1942) who arrived on the scene to tell her their Mexican divorce had been fake, and who then proceeded to bed both her rival Alexis Colby (Joan Collins, b. 1933) and Alexis's daughter Fallon Carrington (Pamela Sue Martin, b. 1953).

Would you take tennis lessons from this man? (Images via video stills)

The murder of Mark Jennings was a major and preposterous plot point in 1984, one involving a killer in drag.

Scott continued making TV guest spots on such shows as It's Your Move (1984), Hotel (1984), Matt Houston (1985), Night Court (1985), The Love Boat (1983 & 1986) and Webster (1986), and enjoyed another series-regular role on HBO's sports-themed series 1st & Ten (1984-1985) and played David McAllister on General Hospital (1989).

In the '90s, Scott's acting slowed down to only a half dozen appearances.

Going out as the POTUS is a good way to end a career! (Image via video still)

His finale work was almost 10 years after he left the soap Guiding Light (1994), playing the president of the U.S. in the blockbuster Hulk (2003), his third and final feature film.

Scott's first two marriages ended in divorce. He was married to his wife Cheri since 1993, and is survived by her and by two sons.

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