Best known for his role as the wily street urchin Oliver Twist, Mark Lester has mostly been absent from our screens since his child acting days, aside from occasional appearances on-screen largely tied to the legacy of pop singer Michael Jackson.
But what’s Mark been up to since he was pick-pocketing on the streets of London and begging for just one more bowl of porridge?
Mark Lester sitting on a step in a cap and tattered outfit as Oliver in the musical Oliver!
Mark Lester will be a familiar face for kids from the mid ’60s and early ’70s
Childhood fame
At just 8 years old, Mark Lester started acting in films such as Fahrenheit 451 (1966), Our Mother’s House (1967) and, of course, got the lead role in Oliver! (1968) alongside Ron Moody.
After the Dickens classic, Mark appeared in several feature films like Black Beauty (1971), Melody (1971) and Who Slew Auntie Roo? (1971).
Mark Lester in The Prince and the Pauper.
Mark Lester starred alongside Raquel Welch and Oliver Reed in ‘The Prince and the Pauper’
Later career
In the early ’70s, Mark took on roles in Scalawag (1973) and La Prima volta sull’Erba (1975). At around 20 years old, he worked on the historical film The Prince and the Pauper, also known as Crossed Swords (1978), which starred Oliver Reed and Raquel Welch.
His most recent credits include the 2011 short Metered and episode 8 of Death in the Spotlight entitled ‘God Save the King’ on Michael Jackson’s last days and has contributed to several documentaries about the so-called King of Pop.
Mark Lester in a striped shirt with his arms crossed at the 2013 Chiller Theatre Expo.
Mark has been married twice and is a father of four
Marriage and kids
Mark Lester married his first wife radiographer Jane Lester in 1993, divorcing in 2005. He married Lisa Lester the following year though it seems they later parted ways as it was reported he is due to wed for a third time, proposing to his girlfriend Brooke Hamilton in 2019.
Over the course of his first marriage, Lester welcomed four children. He is also godfather to all three of Michael Jackson’s children. His current marriage status as of 2026 is unconfirmed.
Michael Jackson wearing large sunglasses and a suit.
Mark is godfather to all three of Michael Jackson’s children
Friendship with Michael Jackson
Mark Lester continues to publicly reject accusations against singer Michael Jackson. The Oliver! actor is godfather to all three of Michael’s children and has spoken out against documentary Leaving Neverland saying: “I found the whole thing disgusting.”
Mark made headlines after an appearance on This Morning in 2019. Michael is said to have asked Mark to act as his sperm donor, though the singer’s lawyers refute this. Speaking to Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford, Mark said: “Regardless of who the so-called biological father is or whatever, Michael raised those children as his own.” He added, “It was something that was given and discarded and Michael brought those kids up.”
Mark Lester in a shirt and black jacket against a blue background at Tokyo Comic Con.
Mark left Hollywood behind and currently works in Cheltenham as an acupuncturist and osteopath
Where is Mark Lester now
Mark still appears onscreen in relation to his friend Michael but in his day-to-day life, Mark works as an osteopath and acupuncturist in Cheltenham.
According to his profile on the Carlton Clinic website, Mark graduated from the British School of Osteopathy in 1993 with a BSc and qualified in acupuncture two years later.