Stevel Marc

EARLY LIFE

Stevel Marc was born on August 16, 1983, in San San, Portland, Jamaica, the first of two children of Jasmine Williams and Carlton (Calton) McDonald. He grew up in Portland and attended Titchfield High School. While still a student, he was discovered by talent scout Dwight Peters of SAINT International Modelling Agency. Shortly afterward he was crowned Mr. Titchfield 2000, which opened doors to international modeling opportunities. He traveled for work to London, New York, Asia, Europe, and South Africa. He eventually made South Africa his professional base.

CAREER

Marc began his professional life as a model after being scouted in Jamaica. He signed with major agencies, including Ice Model Management in South Africa, and appeared in campaigns and commercials for international brands such as Revlon (alongside Halle Berry and Eva Mendes), BlackBerry, Coca-Cola, KFC, Nescafé, Standard Bank, Samsung Mobile, Budweiser, Toyota, and South African Tourism, among others. He also worked as a voice-over artist. He transitioned into acting in South Africa in his early twenties, training at the Johannesburg Civic Theatre while auditioning for roles. In 2008 he furthered his studies at the New York Film Academy and TVI Actors Studio in Los Angeles. His first major feature film role came in the critically acclaimed South African film Of Good Report (2013), which won multiple awards. He gained wider recognition in South Africa for his role as Vuyo in the 1Magic drama series Unmarried. Other television credits include Professionals (opposite Tom Welling), Deep State, Noughts + Crosses, Scandal! (as Sanka), and appearances in various local productions. On the international stage, he appeared in The Mauritanian (2021, starring Jodie Foster and Tahar Rahim), The Challenger Disaster (with William Hurt), Outpost 37, Holiday in the Wild, Office Invasion, and other films. In 2023 he achieved global visibility playing Yasopp (the father of Usopp) in Netflix’s live-action adaptation of One Piece.

PERSONAL LIFE

Marc has largely kept his personal life private. He is known for his multifaceted creative interests beyond acting and modeling, including photography (he runs Stevel Marc Photography, focusing on portraits, fashion, and lifestyle) and writing. In 2015 he published the relationship book The Refined Player: Sex, Lies & Dates.

In addition to acting and modeling, Marc is an active photographer and published author. He continues to work across film, television, commercial work, and creative projects from his base in South Africa while maintaining strong ties to his Jamaican roots. His career spans modeling, screen acting in both African and international productions, voice work, photography, and writing.