‘My nickname is Puck. Yes, I love it!’

Like Luke Evans, the villain Owen Shaw in Fast & Furious 6 featured in Funfare last Monday, Mark Salling has visited the Philippines and swore to high heavens how he loved it. Mark is the egotistical jock Noah “Puck” Puckerman in Glee who torments the glee club members but eventually joins the club and reveals his softer side. Throughout the show’s first season, Mark created an iconic character with his “mohawk, muscles and moody good looks” that helped land him a spot in People magazine’s 2009 “Sexiest Man Alive” issue.

“I cannot wait to be in the Philippines again,” Mark says in an exclusive e-mail interview with Funfare as he looks forward to hosting the CircuitFest 2013 Music & Skate on Saturday, May 25, at Circuit Makati, Ayala Land’s entertainment district that is part of the exciting “Make It Happen, Make It Makati” campaign.

The all-day party CircuitFest will also feature skating legends Riley Hawk and Fil-Am Willy Santos, and international bands Yellowcard, Mayday Parade, We Are The In Crowd, The Downtown Friction, This Century, Allstar Weekend, A+ Dropouts, Before You Exit and Megan Nicole among the performers. (Note: For inquiries and information about the early-bird promo tickets, log on to CircuitFest website at www.circuitfest.com)

More on Mark from those behind CircuitFest:

Mark Wayne Salling was born on Aug. 17, 1982, in Dallas, Texas, graduated from Lake Highlands High School in 2001 before moving west armed only with a suitcase and his guitar to attend the Los Angeles Music Academy in Pasadena, California. He began his acting career in the 1996 film Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering in which he played one of several children in a small town who is possessed by the ghost of a wrongfully murdered preacher. The movie also starred then-unknown actress Naomi Watts, who went on to star in blockbusters such as The Ring (2002).

Financially strapped, Mark took a few years off from acting to earn a living by teaching guitar lessons and working on a burgeoning music career. The singer, songwriter and musician — he played guitar, piano, bass and drums — occasionally performed under the stage name Jericho, and released his debut album Smoke Signals (2008) on an independent label. He described his music then as a combination of indie and alternative rock, influenced by bands such as Radiohead and Coldplay. Having given his music career a shot, Mark returned to acting in 2006, landing a role in the independent horror film The Graveyard.

Struggling to find bigger projects in Hollywood, Mark considered packing up and moving back to Texas. However, his manager convinced him to stay long enough to audition for a new series titled Glee from writer and producer Ryan Murphy, who created the provocative medical drama Nip/Tuck. Determined to stand out from other actors, Mark cut his hair into a mohawk for his Glee audition.

Here are excerpts from our interview:

What is it in your character Noah “Puck” Pukerman that you can identify with? 

“I identify with Puck’s passion for music.”

Do you like the nickname Puck?

“I think the nickname Puck has some punch to it and I believe it’s a character from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

What are your memorable moments in Glee and how have you grown up on and with the show?

“I remember during the first season when Kristen Chenoweth was doing a number in the choir room and I was in the front row so I was really experiencing it up close and intense. That’s when it hit me that this show was something special and I was so humbled and thankful to be part of it.”

What are the best lessons that you have learned from the show?

“The show has taught me the need for arts in schools. It gives so many young minds an outlet to be creative and musically active which can shape and increase a person’s confidence and well-being for life.”

Your passion is music. What kind of songs appeals to you? Who are your musical influences?

“I’ve been through almost every type of obsession as far as music genres go so I usually say I just like a good song but the songs that are the most universal that a person on the other side of the world knows and can relate to is a very powerful entity. Having played in cover bands and performing for Glee and seeing what types of people relate to and don’t relate to as far as a particular song is concerned has been interesting.

“I’ve had so many different influences musically even from people who aren’t even musicians. If you’re inspired by someone and you document it musically then they are your influence. I’ve studied several guitar players and songwriters mostly from Al di Meola to Dimebag Darrell, from Freddie Mercury of Queen to Kurt Cobain of Nirvana and Bradley Nowell of Sublime.”

When did you realize that you wanted to be a musician?

“I decided I wanted to be a musician when I saw the movie Amadeus around 1987. I was five years old so it was a good time to start piano lessons after seeing Tom Hulce who played Mozart play the harpsichord on his back with his hands crossed. Such a great movie to inspire a five-year-old.”

By the way, what can we expect from you when you come to Manila for a show?

“Any future musical endeavor I join or produce will DEFINITELY be coming to the Philippines. The Flipino people have such an appreciation for music that is very evident in their culture. I mean, what other country could produce a replacement for Steve Perry of Journey the way that Arnel Pineda did?”

What have you heard or what do you know about the Philippines?

“I’ve known some amazing Filipinos in the Southern California area and was fortunate enough to visit Manila and Boracay two years ago and found it was every bit as beautiful as I had heard it was. The people were incredibly friendly and I even ended up extending my trip. I cannot wait to be there again and be a part of CircuitFest.” 

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