# Marc Blucas

Marcus Paul Blucas (/ˈbluːkəs/; born January 11, 1972) is an American actor. Prior to his acting career, he played college basketball with the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. He had his first starring role as soldier and love interest Riley Finn on the WB supernatural drama series Buffy the Vampire Slayer from 1999 to 2000, and later starred as football team manager Matthew Donnelly on the USA drama series Necessary Roughness from 2011 to 2013.
Blucas starred alongside Katie Holmes in the romantic comedy film First Daughter (2004) and also had lead roles in the thriller films Three (2006) and The Killing Floor (2007). He had supporting roles in the romance films I Capture the Castle (2003), After Sex (2007), and The Jane Austen Book Club (2007); the horror films They (2002), Deadline (2009), and Unearth (2020); the thriller films Brawl in Cell Block 99 (2017) and Looking Glass (2018); and the drama films Prey for Rock & Roll (2004) and Touchback (2011).

## Early life

Marcus Paul Blucas was born on January 11, 1972, in Butler, Pennsylvania, two years after his sister, Kristen. His parents, Walter Joseph Blucas and Mary Catherine (née Gordon), married on January 10, 1970, shortly before both graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP). They are divorced.
A self-confessed "square who earned good grades," Blucas was, like his father, a skilled sportsman. Wally was the quarterback on the undefeated 1968 IUP Big Indians team, competed in the Boardwalk Bowl, and in 1999 was inducted into the IUP Athletics Hall of Fame.
The family moved to Girard in Erie County, Pennsylvania, in 1974, where Blucas' father rose from teacher to school principal and ultimately to Superintendent of Schools for the District. He attended Girard High School in Erie where he graduated in 1990. Blucas became the star player on the Girard High School basketball team, leading them to the Pennsylvania Boys AA State Championship, in the process earning all-state honors and a sports scholarship to Wake Forest University. He played on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons men's basketball team and graduated in 1994 after one season playing on the same court as Tim Duncan. He was also a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity.
After Blucas failed to make it into the NBA, he moved to England, where he played professional basketball for a year with British Basketball League's Manchester Giants (1975–2001). He later decided to become a lawyer, but changed his mind and went into acting instead.

## Career

Blucas's first television role was in the television movie Inflammable, made in 1995. From there, he found roles in both television and film. He starred as the Basketball Hero in Gary Ross's Pleasantville (1998). However, Blucas landed his first major role in 1999 as Agent Riley Finn in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Initially, Blucas was certain that he had blown his audition and had left apologizing for having wasted creator Joss Whedon's time. Whedon asked him to audition again, and he received the part two weeks later. He played Buffy's love interest until 2000.
After Blucas' departure from the series, he went on to act in such films as Summer Catch (2001), We Were Soldiers (2002), alongside Mel Gibson and Chris Klein, and First Daughter (2004), with Katie Holmes. His character in Summer Catch was based on real life Cape League baseball player Michael Macone.
In 2007, Blucas began to land leading roles in films such as Thr3e and The Killing Floor.
In February 2010, Blucas joined the cast of the ABC television drama pilot True Blue.
Blucas was part of the regular cast of the USA Network show Necessary Roughness for the first two seasons, playing Matthew Donnelly. The series premiered on June 29, 2011.

## Personal life

On July 25, 2009, Blucas married journalist Ryan Haddon, daughter of Dayle Haddon; they have two daughters, and Blucas is also stepfather to her two children from her first marriage to actor Christian Slater.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1996 | Eddie | Bench Knicks | |
| 1998 | Pleasantville | Basketball Hero | |
| 1999 | The Mating Habits of the Earthbound Human | The Female's Ex-Boyfriend | |
| 1999 | House on Haunted Hill | Period Film Actor | Scenes Deleted |
| 2001 | Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back | The Guy | Fred Jones look-alike |
| 2001 | Summer Catch | Miles Dalrymple | |
| 2002 | We Were Soldiers | 2nd Lt. Henry Herrick | |
| 2002 | Sunshine State | Scotty Duval | |
| 2002 | They | Paul | |
| 2003 | I Capture the Castle | Neil Cotton | |
| 2003 | Prey for Rock & Roll | Animal | |
| 2003 | View from the Top | Tommy Boulay | |
| 2003 | One Flight Stand | Ben | Short film |
| 2004 | The Alamo | James Bonham | |
| 2004 | First Daughter | James Lamson | |
| 2006 | Thr3e | Kevin Parson | |
| 2007 | After Sex | Christopher | |
| 2007 | The Killing Floor | David Lamont | |
| 2007 | The Jane Austen Book Club | Dean Drummond | |
| 2008 | Meet Dave | Mark Rhodes | |
| 2008 | Animals | Jarrett | |
| 2009 | Deadline | David | |
| 2009 | Stay Cool | Brad Nelson | |
| 2009 | Stuntmen | Eligh Supreme | |
| 2009 | Mother and Child | Steven | |
| 2010 | Knight and Day | Rodney | |
| 2011 | Red State | ATF Sniper | |
| 2012 | Touchback | Hall | |
| 2015 | Sleeping with Other People | Chris | |
| 2016 | The Red Maple Leaf | Derek Sampson | |
| 2017 | Brawl in Cell Block 99 | Gil | |
| 2018 | Looking Glass | Howard | |
| 2020 | Unearth | George Lomack | |
| 2022 | Hunting Ava Bravo | Buddy King | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1995 | Inflammable | Evans | Television film (CBS) |
| 1998 | Arliss | McNamara | Episode: The Legacy |
| 1999 | The '60s | Buddy Wells | Television film (NBC) |
| 1999 | Clueless | Doug Sampson | Episode: "Popularity" |
| 1999 | Undressed | Bill | Episode: "If Words Could Kill #2" |
| 1999–2000, 2002 | Buffy the Vampire Slayer | Riley Finn | Main role; 31 episodes |
| 2007 | Judy's Got a Gun | Richard Palm | Television pilot |
| 2007 | House | John Kelley | Episode: "Top Secret" |
| 2008 | Eleventh Hour | Detective McNeil | Episode: "Resurrection" |
| 2009 | Lie to Me | Jack Rader | Episode: Control Factor |
| 2009 | Castle | Jeremy Preswick | Episode: "The Fifth Bullet" |
| 2010 | True Blue | JD Conlin | Television pilot |
| 2010 | Law & Order: LA | Chip Jarrow | Episode: "Playa Vista" |
| 2011 | Revenge | David Clarke | Unaired pilot |
| 2011 | Body of Proof | Dr. Mark Chandler | Episode: "Dead Man Walking" |
| 2011–2013 | Necessary Roughness | Matthew Donnally | Main role; 29 episodes |
| 2013 | Blue Bloods | Russell Burke | Episode: "The City That Never Sleeps" |
| 2014 | Killer Women | Dan Winston | Series regular |
| 2014 | Stalker | Mark Richards | Episode: "Skin" |
| 2014 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Adam King | Episode: "Road to Recovery" |
| 2015 | Limitless | Nick Tanner | Episode: "This Is Your Brian on Drugs" |
| 2016 | Notorious | Eric Jessup | 2 episodes |
| 2016 | Operation Christmas | Scott McGuigan | Television film (Hallmark) |
| 2016 | The Irresistible Blueberry Farm | Roy Cumberfield | Television film (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries) |
| 2016–2017 | Underground | John Hawke | Recurring role; 9 episodes |
| 2017 | Miss Christmas | Sam McNary | Television film (Hallmark) |
| 2018 | Dietland | Bobby | 2 episodes |
| 2018 | Season for Love | Corey Turner | Television film (Hallmark) |
| 2019 | The Fix | Riv | 10 episodes |
| 2019 | Holiday For Heroes | Matt Evans | Television film (Hallmark Movies and Mysteries) |
| 2020 | Narcos: Mexico | Rick Sacks | Episode: "Se Cayó El Sistema" |
| 2020 | Good Morning Christmas! | Brian | Television film (Hallmark Channel) |
| 2021 | Swagger | Coach Bobby | 6 episodes |
| 2022 | A Christmas... Present | | Television film (Great American Family) |
| 2023 | My Life with the Walter Boys | George Walter | Main role |