Chances are, if you read this site or ones like it, you’re watching or have watched a show that’s featured Mark Sheppard in more than a couple of episodes. For me, it started with Sheppard’s excellent role as bowler-hatted Badger in Firefly. Lately, though, he’s appearing in at least three shows I watch regularly, and more than once!
A lot of TV watchers will remember Sheppard as the kleptomaniac lawyer Romo Lampkin in Battlestar Galactica. I’m not sure if he’s going to appear in anymore of the four episodes (four!) left in the series, but he’ll be missed if he’s not.
Move next to Leverage, where Sheppard plays Jim Sterling, an insurance investigator and one-time cohort of Nathan Ford, who now serves as Team Leverage’s primary nemesis of the series. In fact, make sure you watch tonight’s season finale of Leverage to see him try to take down Nate and his team in their biggest heist to date.
Most recently, Sheppard’s appeared as Tanaka on Dollhouse, working alongside someone he’s already shared screen time with recently: Tahmoh Penikett as Paul Ballard, who also plays Helo on Battlestar Galactica.
It doesn’t end there, though! Mark Sheppard’s appeared in many other massively popular shows (or at least shows I regularly watched), including The X-Files, Burn Notice, The Middleman, Bionic Woman, 24, Medium … the list goes on and on. It’s impossible to not catch something the man’s appeared (or is appearing) in.
I will tell you this about Mark Sheppard: he’s one smart buggar. With an acting resume that stretches a mile long, you’d think he’d be in a prime position to headline his own show. Ah, but that’s where he’s outsmarting everyone. While shows on different networks dwindle and die out, leaving their leading men and women scrambling for new work, Sheppard’s not putting all of his eggs in one basket. Without a rigorous shooting schedule to bog him down, he’s free to shop his acting talents around to any show he fancies.
It makes sense that we’re seeing more of Mark Sheppard lately: a few of the shows he appeared regularly on have been canceled or are ending soon. There’s little doubt we’ll be seeing more Sheppard in the near future.
Clacked by Keith McDuffee 
on Feb 24, 2009 @ 11:00 EST5EDT
I’m a HUGE Mark Sheppard fan. If your on Facebook I have a group called “Mark Sheppard Fans” where I keep track of Mark’s TV Appearances, post news, interviews, and such.
https://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=38598113006
his (somewhat) recurring role on Medium is great… and i watch most of those shows he’s been in. It’s always like, ‘hey, it’s that guy again!”
Glad I’m not the only one who’s noticed this :) More power to the man, he’s great!
Is Mark Sheppard the voice for the Geico gekko?
No Morjana he is not the voice of the Geico gekko. I agree Scott I love Mark as Charles Walker on “Medium”, I hope they bring him back on the show again.