Mark Patton
Mark Patton (born September 22, 1958) is an American interior designer and former actor. Patton grew up in Riverside, Missouri and, after graduating high school, he moved to New York City to pursue an acting career. Within a few years he landed the role of Joe Qualley in the 1982 Broadway production of Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean. Patton reprised the role in the 1982 film of the same name. In 1985 Patton landed the lead role in the horror film A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge portraying Jesse Walsh, a teen whose body becomes possessed by Freddy Krueger. Patton, who is openly gay, gave up on his acting career following being cast in a planned CBS series in which he would have played a gay character. The reason being the strong homophobia he perceived in Hollywood at that time. After that, years later, he had a hard time struggling with HIV (was diagnosed on his 40th birthday). Upon recovering, he moved to Mexico, where he currently lives happily married.
Patton appears in the A Nightmare on Elm Street documentary Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy, directed by Dan Farrands. Following his appearance in the documentary Patton began touring horror conventions where he is lauded as mainstream cinema's first male "scream queen". After the success he started some projects concerning his life experiences with film (including books and a documentary called "There is no Jesse").
Acting
Movie
A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge
as Jesse Walsh
1985
Movie
Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy
as Self
2010
Movie
Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean
as Joe Qualley
1982
Movie
Swallowed
as Rich
2022
Movie
Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street
as Self
2019
TV
Hotel
as Todd Radcliff
1982
Movie
Anna to the Infinite Power
as Rowan
1983
Movie
Family Possessions
as Tyson
2016
Movie
Amityville Clownhouse
as James
2017
Movie
Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story
as Self
2022
Movie
Amityville in the Hood
as James (uncredited)
2021
TV
CBS Schoolbreak Special
as Chris Jenson
1984
Movie
The Once and Future Smash
as Mark Patton
2022
Movie
Reunion from Hell 2
as Ryan Lavery
2023
Movie
Misplaced
as Roughneck
1989
Movie
Watchdog
as Robert
2026
Movie
#StopTheNightmare
as Jesse Walsh
2020
Movie
Alien Danger! With Raven Van Slender
as Tank
2021
Movie
1 Dead Dog
as Uncle Ted
2020
Movie
Kelsey's Son
1983
Movie
Return to the 5 & Dime: An Interview with Ed Graczyk
as Self – Joe Qualley (archive footage)
2014