Today we’d like to introduce you to M.V. Oliphant. They and their team shared their story with us below:
M.V. OLIPHANT (born Mark V. Oliphant) has appeared in a number television and stage productions over a span of more than 25 years. Among his career highlights include:
*BMF on Starz
*Tyler Perry’s For Better or Worse
*TV One’s Fatal Attraction
*Two national television commercials on ESPN: one for the 2015 TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl with NASCAR superstar Dale Earnhardt JR., and for Dodge RAM Truck with Marty Smith 2021 through 2022.
* Music video by 21 Savage featuring J. Cole “A Lot” in 2018
*National television commercials for Bud Light, Krystals, Auntie Annie’s Pretzels, Harrahs Cherokee Casino
A native of Wrens, GA, and raised in Augusta, Oliphant began acting as a hobby three years after receiving his degree from Morehouse College. His first public acting performance was a self-written and produced one-man monologue entitled “The Choice is Yours,” performed at his family home church, Broadway Baptist Church in South Augusta. A member sitting in the audience who watched his performance became his career mentor, the late actress/writer Maxine Barnett-Nesbitt (whose film credits include In the Heat of the Night, Murder in Mississippi & Skeleton Key). She immediately offered him a lead role in her stage production of the famed murder mystery play “A House Without Windows” directed by the late J.C. Taylor (former drama instructor for Paine College in Augusta). This was the first of 12 stage productions Oliphant performed in throughout his career… ranging from comedic and Christian productions to a Shakespearean play.
In 2003, Oliphant began his journey in television and film as a background actor in a number of films and shows, with first ones being “The Fighting Temptations,” “Drop Dead Diva,” “Lottery Ticket,” & Tyler Perry’s “Meet the Browns.” He later began work as a film stand-in/body double for a number of actors, including Martin Lawrence, Kadeem Hardison, Ice Cube, Cedric the Entertainer, Wendell Pierce, GregAlan Williams, and LaVan “Curtis Payne” Davis of Tyler Perry’s “House of Payne.”
Oliphant’s other film credits currently televised include:
* Irreconcilable Differences (Tubi TV)
* Dirty South House Arrest (Amazon Prime, Apple TV & Tubi TV)
* Project ISISX (Amazon Prime)
* Personal Injury Court (Amazon Prime, Paramount Television, Apple TV, in syndication on CW)
During his career, Oliphant has also worn directorial and producer hats. In 2013, he made his directorial debut as an assistant director of music videos of two Atlanta-based independent recording artists DUKES OF DANVILLE (“13th Floor” – 2013) & ELI REVEL (“Just Move It” – 2013). In 2022, he began co-producing in a comedy series he also co-stars titled “THE SHOP” which is slated for release in 2025.
In 2018, Oliphant was honored by his peers in the ATL film & television community at the 2nd annual ATL ACTORS’ AWARDS. He was among a group of Atlanta-based actors recognized for their respective career achievements. Other honors and recognitions he has received during his career include the “2018 Dr. Martin Luther King JR. Dream Keepers” award for achievements in the field of Arts & Entertainment from the R&R Community & Youth Empowerment Organization, membership eligibility into the Screen Actors Guild for his work on Tyler Perry’s “For Better or Worse” (Episode 235) in May 2012, and “Best Comedy Film Production” award for the film “Dirty South House Arrest” he co-starred at the 2017 ATL Actors Awards.
Oliphant has studied acting under some of the most acclaimed actors in the entertainment industry, including.
KIM FIELDS (Living Single, Facts of Life)
CHIP FIELDS-HURD (Good Times, What’s Happening, Living Single)
CLIFTON POWELL (Friday movie sequel, Ray, Norbit, Saints and Sinners)
The late TOMMY FORD (Martin, Harlem Nights)
TERRI J. VAUGHN (Johnson on Bounce, Meet the Browns, Steve Harvey Show)
GREGALAN WILLIAMS (Greenleaf, Baywatch, Remember the Titans, Preacher’s Kid)
MICHAEL H. COLE (BMF, Being Mary Jane, Cobra Kai, Killing Reagan)
In between his filming gigs, Oliphant continues his work as a media and publicity consultant, as well as a voiceover artist. He attends Fountain of Faith Missionary Baptist Church in Riverdale, GA, where Rev. Reginald B. Newman is his pastor.
Mark V. Oliphant is the son of Pearl C. Oliphant and the late Alex Oliphant.
WEBSITE: https://mvoliphant.com
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/mvtheactor/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/ActorMvOliphant
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As with anything one wants to achieve in life, it comes with times of circumstances, sacrifice, rejection, and, at times, hardship. When people see the number of film bookings I’ve been blessed to have earned, they had no earthly idea how many auditions I labored through just to get booked those few. This business isn’t for the thin-skinned or sensitive. No doesn’t always mean you’re not good. No, oftentimes simply means another actor is a better fit to what the producers have in mind for that particular role. Some of challenges I faced early on in my career were juggling my job with film work, going through an “act of congress” requesting either a half day off, an extended lunch or even a day off to get to an audition or even work a film shoot. At times I had transportation issues where I actually had to hustle to an audition via long rides on MARTA (train or bus) and end up too tired and wiped out to give a good audition. And during my climb through this journey, I found out who were truly on my team and who aren’t. Some family members included unfortunately. But what I’ve learned is if this business was easy (as with any career of choice), everybody would be able to do it. I’ve seen people try this business on like a pair of shoes just to see how they look and feel, then return them (or quit) because it’s not a comfortable walk in the park right away.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a triple threat of a talent: actor, voiceover artist, and vocalist. Among my major career accomplishments to this date include co-starring in the seventh episode of the third season of BMF on Starz, Tyler Perry’s For Better or Worse, two episodes of TV One’s Fatal Attraction, commercials for Bud Light, Auntie Annie’s Pretzels, ESPN’s 2015 TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl & Dodge Ram Truck. What sets me apart from most talent is:
1) I started in this career at what’s considered conventionally considered late in life (mid to late 30s)
2) I’ve performed in over 12 stage plays during my career (mostly local), meaning I bring a balance of stage and film acting
3) As actors, we’re tasked to bring life experiences in our characters we portray. I’ve been in the military, attended college, worked in corporate America, worked labor jobs while in college, worked as a barber, security guard, experienced encounters with law enforcement, went through both marriage and divorce, experienced racism/discrimination, coached sports, singing both secular and Gospel songs, etc. So, I bring plenty to the table for a production.
What’s next?
I’m currently wearing two hats for an upcoming comedy web series titled “THE SHOP”… co-producer and co-star that’s currently in negotiation for a distribution. So far, we have filmed three episodes. The cast and crew is based in Greenville/Spartanburg region of South Carolina. I am currently in the process of following the advice of acting coaches Kim and Chip Fields, the late Tommy Ford, Clifton Powell, and GregAlan Williams in writing and producing films. Stay tuned…
Contact Info:
- Website: MVOliphant.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mvtheacto
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ActorMvOliphant
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mvoliphant/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/MVOliphant1
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC96KlFaCJ6PcsZiex4Mt8Hg
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/mvoliphant
Image Credits
Ira Carmichael
