A 90s heartthrob, who starred in the hugely popular teen drama Dawson’s Creek, is miles away from his bad boy role of Drue Valentine with a completely new career.
Mark Matkevich, 45, played the role of Drue in 17 episodes of Dawson’s Creek which ran from 1998 to 2003. The series followed a group of best friends who were students at Capeside High School.
Some of Drue’s storylines saw him kiss Joey during the fourth season, but the relationship never progressed. While another saw the typical bad boy suspended from school after he was framed for a prank.
The show ended in 2003 after six seasons and actor Mark went on to secure roles in the TV series Joan of Arcadia and Ed, along with a part in the movie Sweet Home Alabama. Now, 20 years since his time on Dawson’s Creek, Mark is leading a totally different life, away from acting altogether.
The 45 year old now boasts a very normal job as he’s the owner and gallerist at an art establishment in Philadelphia, America. His gallery, Axiom Contemporary was founded in 2011 and sells a variety of art and books.
Sadly the switch in his career was down to a family tragedy which came with a “lot of self-reflection”, the former actor explained. Speaking to affordableartfair.com, Mark explained: “When I turned 30, my father became terminally ill and with that came a lot of self-reflection.
“Being an actor is unlike any other profession; you are the salesman and the product. Despite a modicum of success, it was becoming less and less fulfilling to me and I just couldn’t see myself sustaining it my entire life as a career.
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“I wanted to find something that would challenge me to learn something new, and grow as a person. I wanted to get to work, and bring passion and focus to a new practice. I wanted to move my energy around in a different way, and felt like I owed it to myself.”.
He went on to add that the art business found him and after he left the world of acting was “basically open to anything new, anything that made me feel inspired and motivated.” Mark shared that he “fell in love with contemporary art” after he walked into an art gallery in Los Angeles where he had “lived for 15 years”.
Fans of Dawson’s Creek will be happy to know that the series is still available to watch today on multiple streaming services. You can find it on ITV and Netflix.
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