Cross & Crescent

When fans approach Ross Mark (Arizona State 1987) and ask him for his autograph, he still has a hard time knowing how to react.

“It’s weird,” he says, about his new found fame. “For example, when I went out to dinner the other night, the waiter knew who I was.”

As one of the two on-camera talent executives for NBC’s Emmy-nominated show “Last Comic Standing,” Mark is suddenly recognized wherever he goes.

“Usually, I’m the guy who’s with the comedian who everyone knows, like Jerry Seinfeld or Ray Ramono,” he says. “It’s kind of fun to be recognized.”

Still Standing

Currently in its fourth season, “Last Comic Standing” is one of the few shows that has its regular season during the summer.

Mark and Bob Read served as talent executives in the show’s first two seasons. During the third season, however, the producers decided to skip the talent search and didn’t require Mark or Read. Not surprisingly, that season did not do well.

“I think people like to see a type of search,” Mark says. This year’s format appears to be working and the show consistently ranks in the Nielson ratings top 20 each week.

The show’s premise is to search for the funniest comics in America. It’s hosted by Anthony Clark, best known as the star of the hit comedy series “Yes, Dear.” Clark replaced Jay Mohr who hosted the first three seasons.

This season kicked off with Mark and Read, who are both full-time talent executives for “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” traveling across the United States in a nationwide search for the best professional and aspiring comedians.

“My position with ‘The Tonight Show’ makes the ‘Last Comic Standing’ more legitimate by having the bookers of ‘The Tonight Show’ scout talent,” Mark says.

After completing the talent search, two semi-final episodes are held with special appearances by celebrity talent scouts Kathy Griffin, Gary Marshall, and Tim Meadows.

This year’s show has the finalists performing on the Queen Mary — a luxury ocean liner that is docked in Long Beach, California. Viewers get to choose the eventual winner by voting over the phone or online.

This season’s finale is scheduled to air on August 8. The winner receives an exclusive talent contract with NBC and their own comedy special on the Bravo channel.

Mark’s Other Job

For the past five years, Mark’s regular full-time job is serving as the talent executive for “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” He and Read are responsible for booking the standup comedians, athletes, and movie stars who appear on the show.

They have booked many big stars from Jerry Seinfeld and Robin Williams to the up-and-coming stars like Dane Cook and Kathleen Madigan.

“It’s the best job I’ve ever had,” he says. “Jay’s the best boss and so is Executive Producer Debbie Vickers.”

One of Mark’s highlights this year was booking Jerome Bettis the day after the Pittsburgh Steelers won the Super Bowl XL.

“Having the No. 1 athlete on the No. 1 watched late night show, the day after they won the Super Bowl….that was cool.”

Sometimes Losing is Better

Mark was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, but raised in Beverly Hills, California. He grew up around comedy as his step-father introduced him to the world famous Improv when Mark was a teenager.

In 1983, Mark chose to attend Arizona State University. When the school fell short on freshman housing, he was assigned to the Lambda Chi house.

He says he really enjoyed the chapter members and was excited when they offered him a bid to join the Fraternity.

“I’d never been away from home before, so it was really nice to be around a good group of guys.”

Mark says he also enjoyed how the chapter gave back to the community by doing meaningful charitable activities like coaching little league baseball.

I lost to a guy who actually sells insurance now

One of the most ironic experiences Mark had during this time there was when he ran for chapter social chairman and lost.

“How could someone who was friends with David Spade and worked part time at The Improv lose the election for social chairman?” he asks.

“I lost to a guy who actually sells insurance now,” he says with a chuckle. The loss “motivated me more to get involved in comedy and work at The Improv full time, five days a week. I had more time because I wasn’t social chairman. It was a godsend I didn’t win.”

HBO, Movies, and More

After graduation, Mark booked acts for Improv clubs across the country. He moved into a career in management and began representing many talented actors, comedians, and writers.

Mark and Read eventually started their own management company and spent time working for HBO as the founders and creators of HBO Workspace, an in-house development space used for the Aspen Comedy Festival, standup comedy specials, documentaries, and feature films for HBO Original Programming and HBO Pictures.

After HBO, the two again joined forces and were hired by “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.”

One of the many great fringe benefits of working for “The Tonight Show” is that the show is dark 10 weeks a year, so Mark has more time for vacation and other projects like producing movies.

He also finds spare time on the weekends to read scripts for film companies like Flame Entertainment, who has hired Mark to help produce standup comedy movies that go straight to DVD. “It’s a fun little venture for me.”