Filipino actor Mark Paguio plays the role of Mark Verlaine, Chris Hemsworth’s dutiful right hand man, in the psychological sci-fi thriller Spiderhead, streaming on Netflix.
The psychological thriller is Paguio’s first major project after two years of professional acting, where he worked closely with the Hollywood superstar and delivered a remarkable performance.
The story is set inside a state-of-art jailhouse where prisoners are given specific freedoms. However, in exchange for these freedoms, the inmates agree to become research subjects to test mind-altering drugs. Steve Abnesti, played by Hemsworth, is the lead researcher of Spiderhead Penitentiary and Research Center. Paguio’s character is Igor from Hemsworth’s Frankenstein.
Paguio is a Bicolano born in Legaspi, Albay but now based in Sydney, Australia after his family moved there in 1999. He went to study performing arts at Monash University and went to join the National Institute of Dramatic Arts.
Apart from several theatrical stints, Mark was also seen in the TV comedy-drama series “Bump” and “The Unusual Suspects.” Given his resume, Paguio never actually thought he’d land the role when he auditioned for it back in 2022, especially after knowing the star-studded casts. Despite it, he still sent off his audition piece and tried it out anyway. He was surprised when he received a callback, and the next thing he knew, he was already in a meeting where he would first meet the film’s director, Joseph Kosinski.
He went through the script and his scenes, doing little fun things to help him perform his character, like drinking black coffee even though he personally hated it. He also did a lot of reading and research. He even got inspiration from the HBO documentary “The Inventor,” which tells the story of Elizabeth Holmes, a former biotechnology entrepreneur who was convicted of criminal fraud. He also read about the pharmaceutical industry in America.
Despite the Spiderhead being his huge break, Paguio still works as a waiter, which helps him pay the bills. However, in terms of his acting career, Paguio vows to keep on hoping to land bigger, more challenging roles in the future.
Photo Credit: https://www.instagram.com/markshmallow/?hl=en
Source: https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/spiderhead-movie-cast, https://www.instagram.com/markshmallow/?hl=en
