Mark Ghanimé

Mark Ghanimé was born on December 1, 1977 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada to a Canadian mother and a Lebanese father, granting him a rich multicultural heritage that would later inform his artistic choices. Growing up between Calgary and Montreal, he became trilingual, effortlessly switching among English, French, and Arabic, a skill that not only reflects his family roots but also gave him a unique edge in the Canadian entertainment market. Initially intent on a business career, Ghanimé earned a finance degree from the University of Lethbridge, yet his creative impulses led him to vocal coaching and hip‑hop dance classes in his early twenties. A chance background appearance on the 2004 film Chasing Freedom ignited his passion for acting, prompting him to shift focus from real‑estate ambitions to the performing arts. From that pivotal moment, Ghanimé built a steady career beginning with Canadian commercial work before landing his first guest‑starring role as Graham on CBC’s Wild Roses. Over the next decade he accumulated a string of memorable appearances on genre‑defining series such as Smallville, Supernatural, Arrow, and The Secret Circle, showcasing a versatile on‑screen presence. His breakout came in 2014 when he was cast as Major Sergio Balleseros, the disciplined CDC officer guiding a team through a viral crisis on Syfy’s thriller Helix, a role he reprised for two seasons. Subsequent recurring parts—Don Carlos on The CW’s Reign, Justin Faysal on Slasher, and Dr. Cameron Hayek on Netflix’s Virgin River—have cemented his reputation as a reliable character actor capable of balancing intensity with nuance. Off‑screen, Ghanimé frequently returns to Lebanon, advocating for more positive Middle‑Eastern representation in Western media and expressing a desire to portray characters that highlight the region’s beauty and cultural depth. His recent work includes the romantic lead Sam Calloway in To All a Good Night (2023), demonstrating his continued evolution and commitment to diverse storytelling.