Mark Wayne Salling (born August 17, 1982) is an American actor, singer-songwriter, composer, and musician. He is known for his role as Noah "Puck" Puckerman on the comedy television series Glee.
Salling was born in Dallas, Texas. He was home-schooled at an early age. He was raised in a "strict Christian home" and attended Providence Christian School and Our Redeemer Lutheran during elementary school. He attended but did not graduate from Culver Military Academy, and later graduated from Lake Highlands High School in 2001, where he was a classmate of art rock musician Annie Clark, better known as St. Vincent. While he attended high school, he was a member of the school wrestling team. After graduating from high school, Salling attended the Los Angeles Music Academy College of Music in Pasadena, California and began studying guitar, giving guitar lessons to make a living.