Biography

A native of San Francisco, California, Mario Lara received his artistic training in Drama & Musical Theatre at Carnegie Mellon University under the direction of Tony-Winner Mel Shapiro. An actor, tenor and former dancer Mario has performed in over 150 plays, musicals, ballets & operas. Mario has had the honor of working with Award Winning Broadway & Film Directors Ang Lee, Rob Marshall, John DeLuca, David Mamet, Mike Nichols, Mel Shapiro, Adam Shankman, Jennifer Getzinger, Oren Safdie, Kevin Carlisle, Rudy Tronto, Emile Ardolino, Lois Englund, Karen Azenberg, Pamela Hunt, Dan Mojica & Glenn Casale. Mario has also had the Honor of Working & Training with such Talented Artists as Sir Ian McKellen, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Dame Judi Dench, Annette Bening, Gabriel Byrne, Richard Dreyfuss, Whoopi Goldberg, Harvey Keitel, Ron Perlman, Jonathan Pryce, Leslie Caron, Kim Novak & Maggie Smith...to name a few. Favorite roles include Father Sanchez in "In The Shade of The Lemon Tree" Directed By Oren Safdie, Juan in "All This, & Heaven Too" opposite Tony Winner Sammy Williams, Don Jose in "Carmen," Che, Magaldi & Peron in "Evita," Capt. Blakely in "The Caine Mutiny," Egeus in "A Midsummer Night's Dream," Munoz in "City of Angels," Bob Cratchit in "Scrooge," Julio in "Paint Your Wagon," Al & Paul in "A Chorus Line, Carlos in "The Me Nobody Knows," Bernardo in 12 international productions of "West Side Story," King Kalimari in "King Kalimari The Musical" Directed By Derek Taylor Kent & "The Desert Song" Directed By Emmy Winner John DeLuca. Mario has appeared (& disappeared) in the following Film & TV productions: "Fracture," "Guess Who?," "The Hulk," "Matrix Reloaded,""The Wedding Planner," "Stigmata," "City of Angels," "Miss Match," "Luis," "Wanda At Large" & the HBO Film of David Mamet's "Lansky" Starring Richard Dreyfuss. Mario is happily married to Photographer/Cinematographer, Christiáne Terriel LeGrand Lara.
- IMDb mini biography by: TLE

Is an alumnus of Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama.

Mario is a descendant of The Manrique de Lara of The House of Lara or Casa de Lara, a Spanish Noble Family of great literary consequence, known from the medieval Kingdom of Castile.

Currently starring as the beloved King Kalimari in Derek Taylor Kent's "King Kalimari The Musical" at The Avery Schreiber Theatre in North Hollywood, California.