Born 1946 (age 79) · Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Appears in 58 titles

Mark L. Lester is an American writer, producer, and director of action films. Following his first film, Twilight of the Mayas, Lester worked on films such as Stunts, Steel Arena, and Bobby Jo and the Outlaw. His next film Roller Boogie with Linda Blair was a modest success, which he built on with reasonably received exploitation thriller Class of 1984, and Stephen King's Firestarter. His biggest hit came in 1985 with Commando, an Arnold Schwarzenegger action film that grossed over $57 million worldwide. He also produced Armed & Dangerous starring Meg Ryan and John Candy. In 1989 he directed Class of 1999, a very loose science fiction sequel to Class of 1984. Mark Lester married Dana Dubovsky, who he now works with and had two children, Jason and Justin. He also founded American World Pictures, and independent production and distribution company. Recent films include The Base, an action film, the thrillers Blowback and Hitman's Run, and television film Pterodactyl (produced for the Sci Fi Channel). Other credits include Showdown in Little Tokyo starring Dolph Lundgren and Brandon Lee, Night of the Running Man, Extreme Justice, Misbegotten, The Ex, Double Take, and Truck Stop Women.

Filmography

Commando
6.7
Commando
1985
Director
Firestarter
6.3
Firestarter
1984
Director
Showdown in Little Tokyo
6.4
Showdown in Little Tokyo
1991
Director
Class of 1984
6.4
Class of 1984
1982
Director
Class of 1999
6.1
Class of 1999
1990
Director
Armed and Dangerous
5.7
Armed and Dangerous
1986
Director
Pterodactyl
4.3
Pterodactyl
2004
Director
Poseidon Rex
4.0
Poseidon Rex
2014
Director
Night of the Running Man
5.8
Night of the Running Man
1995
Director
Roller Boogie
5.6
Roller Boogie
1979
Director
Bobbie Jo and the Outlaw
4.5
Bobbie Jo and the Outlaw
1976
Director
The Base
4.7
The Base
1999
Director
Extreme Justice
5.0
Extreme Justice
1993
Director
Truck Stop Women
4.5
Truck Stop Women
1974
Director
Betrayal
4.3
Betrayal
2003
Director
Groupie
3.3
Groupie
2010
Director
Stealing Candy
5.1
Stealing Candy
2003
Director
Public Enemies
3.9
Public Enemies
1996
Director
Blowback
4.8
Blowback
2000
Director
Stunts
5.3
Stunts
1977
Director