MARK PRIESTLEYMark Priestley, who reportedly took his own life on 27 August, 2008, aged 32, was an Australian actor who starred in hospital drama All Saints.He had been playing emergency department nurse Dan Goldman since 2004 and his character had recently married a fellow nurse. He was a popular figure in the show for his good looks and his amiable bedside manner.Mr Priestley had previously had a recurring role in the award-winning dramas, The Secret Life of Us (2005) and Changi (2001), and he also had parts in shows like Blue Heelers (2004) and Water Rats (2000).He was born in Perth on 9 August, 1976, and grew up on a farm. He later said this upbringing helped him avoid being squeamish about blood, a useful skill for a star of a medical drama.He studied performing arts at the National Institute of Dramatic Art and landed his first acting jobs shortly after graduating in 1999. He appeared in a handful of minor films and had also performed on stage with the Bell Shakespeare Company and Sydney Theatre Company.A spokesperson for Channel 7, which broadcasts All Saints weekly, said his death had affected his fellow cast members profoundly, particularly Jolene Anderson who played his on-screen wife: "They were incredibly close, their two characters just got married. Like other members of the cast and crew, Jolene is struggling to come to terms with the death of her dear friend overnight."He was also described as "a tremendous young person - loved and respected by his fellow All Saints cast members and crew".Channel 7's director of programming Tim Worner said: "His work on stage and screen was admired by everybody who knew him. His death is such a sad loss. We at Channel 7 will miss his energy and smile."
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