- He was a close, long-time friend of American rock singer and songwriter Michael Jackson, and they were godfathers to each other's children. Lester spent Christmas 2003 at the Neverland Ranch, and vocally defended Jackson throughout his trial on child molestation charges in 2005.
- His singing voice in Oliver! (1968) was dubbed by Kathe Green, although this was not made public until 1988.
- In an interview with the British newspaper News of the World in August 2009 he confirmed that he had donated sperm to his longtime friend Michael Jackson as a gift. He claims that Michael's daughter Paris Jackson could be his own child and expressed a willingness to take a paternity test to prove either way.
- By the age of fourteen, was earning £100,000 a year as he starred in an average of two films a year.
- Remained close friends with his Oliver! (1968) co-star Ron Moody.
- Gave up acting in the early Eighties, but was coaxed back to acting, for the first time in over 30 years, in 2012 as King Harold in a historical drama about the Norman conquest of England in the year 1066.
- Made several films in Italy when he was not receiving film offers in Britain.
- Mark is an osteopath in Cheltenham, England. He and his ex-wife, Jane, lived in a three-story Georgian house with their four children until their 2005 divorce. (2004)
- A drunken Oliver Reed brought a prostitute as a gift for him to celebrate his eighteenth birthday on July 11, 1976.
- He is a black belt in karate.
- His father was a Russian Jew and his mother was English.
- Appeared under the direction of three Oscar winners (Carol Reed, James Hill and Richard Fleischer) and three Oscar nominees (François Truffaut, Jack Clayton and Kirk Douglas).
- Trained at the Corona Academy, founded by Rona Knight.
- Father of Lucy Lester and Harriet Lester.
- There was some talk in 1996 of him being in a film version of The Jungle Boy but it was never made,.
- To make him cry in Oliver a string of onions was hung around his neck,.
- His singing in the musical Oliver was dubbed by Kathe Green the daughter of music director Johnny Green.
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