Born in Lowell, Massachusetts (July 24, 1936), the actor (real name: Charles Goddard) grew up in Scituate, Massachusetts, where his father owned a five-and-ten. At Holy Cross, the head of the dramatic society encouraged him to become an actor and, soon, Goddard was off to Manhattan, attending the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He worked with stock companies and made guest appearances on TV before landing regular parts on TV series of his own. Throughout his acting career, in between jobs, Goddard has worked with children, from Head Start programs in California to Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. His daughter, Melissa Goddard, is a producer; the two co-wrote 1992's Big Girls Don't Cry... They Get Even (1992), a film about Mark's work with "at-risk" kids.