Dayton Daily News from Dayton, Ohio • 52

DAYTON DAILY NEWS SUNDAY, AUGUST 8, 2010 D3 actor supports spinal cord injury research When he was growing up in the country village of Arcanum in Darke County, Marcus A. York had no way of knowing that he one day would cheat death and then later fate would reverse and he would become an actor in a hit television series. Marcus is a recurring character known as Billy Merchant on the successful NBC television sitcom seen in Dayton on WDTN-TV, Channel 2. He has a long portfolio of appearances on television dramas including Feet of and others. Making his acting accomplishments even more incredible is the fact that since 1988, Marcus has lived in a wheelchair after what he describes as wicked one-car grinding accident that nearly took his life.

He suffered a spinal chord injury and is paralyzed from the waist down. After graduating from Franklin-Monroe high school in 1984, Marcus was active in sports, and worked at the Greenville Inn, the Mad Anthony restaurant and at Piedmont Airlines at Dayton International Airport. Then one evening, the accident occurred less than a mile from his Arcanum home on Jan. 7, 1988. reached into the back seat for something and pulled up on the steering wheel he said.

right front tire dropped off the road. The car and I tossed around inside like a rag doll until the car landed on its roof. The life squad took me to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton. A personable, outgoing man, Marcus, who is in his early said that in the beginning, was mainly learning to live with pain. May I say I will always remember the genuine concern and care from the MVH He spent three months in the hospital doing rehab exercises, learning to handle the wheels.

took a giant mental Marcus said. I felt so fortunate to be alive. And I really wanted to live and do the best I Marcus said that friends from his church, the Salem Church of God in Clayton, built a wheelchair- accessible bedroom onto his home. was a big step in regaining my he said. Next came extensive advanced rehabilitation therapy, followed by learning to drive a hand-controlled car his grandparents purchased for him.

I was fortunate to land a job working in the document control department at Wright Patterson Air Force he said. In 1993, Marcus was accepted at Anderson University, in Anderson, just across the Ohio border. It is his older brother, alma mater. built a wheelchair ramp for me at the Adult Ed building, which made me feel immediately Marcus said. He graduated in 1997 with a triple major in psychology, sociology and social work.

It was during his college years that he dabbled in some modeling work. And then he heard about a movie being in Indianapolis about soldiers returning from the Korean War. contacted the director, Mark Pellington, and asked him if he would like to add some realism to the with an injured soldier using a he said. They called and told me to come in and get with a uniform. And that was the The director gave Marcus his Los Angeles phone number and told him to look him up if he ever ventured to the West Coast.

July of I headed to Marcus said. second week there, Mark hooked me up with an agency, which I am still with all these years He began making audition rounds, and landed a few roles, but none more prestigious than that of Billy Merchant on In the television show, Marcus plays a no-nonsense building manager. In one particular scene, Marcus remembers acting with the star of the series, Steve Carrell. Carrell, playing character Michael Scott, burned his foot in the plot, and was upset with the lack of compassion from his staff. brings me in, in my wheelchair, to discuss what it is like being Marcus said.

scene ends when I leave after several offensive remarks are made. It is played out with the uysual humor of the Marcus said he got a lot of fan mail about that show. fan wrote that I was doing a good job putting a light on how crazy politics can be for workers with disabilities in a normal setting. It is one of my missions, in real life, to change how Hollywood depicts wheel users on and he said. Then he added, my larger goal is supporting spinal cord injury research, getting people like myself out of wheelchairs Dale Huffman wants your suggestions and story ideas.

like to share a story about you, your family or a friend. This column is for you. Send an e-mail to s.com or write to Dale at 1611 S. Main Dayton, OH 45409. Fax: (937) 2252489.

Phone: (937) 225-2272. DALE HUFFMAN COMMENTARY Help a good cause, win an visit Marcus York is using his talents by supporting the SCI (Spinal Cord Injury) organization research They are sponsoring a contest with winners receiving a trip to Hollywood to visit set. The winner will get two round-trip plane tickets to Hollywood, hotel ac comodations, and ground transportation. The package is valued at $4,000. To enter, go to the website at www.SCICure.org.

They ask for a donation of $1. The winner will be announced on Oct. 23. Marcus York with Steve Carell on the set of.