Mark Curry

Mark Curry (born Marcus G. Curry, June 1, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, and television host. He is best known for his role as Mark Cooper, an ex-basketball player turned teacher, on the ABC sitcom Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, which originally aired from 1992 to 1997. Curry also served as one of the various hosts of the syndicated series It's Showtime at the Apollo during the early 1990s. He later co-starred in all three seasons of See Dad Run, Nick at Nite's first original live-action family comedy series, from 2012 to 2015.

Born in Oakland, California, the youngest of nine, Curry attended St. Joseph Notre Dame High School in nearby Alameda and California State University, East Bay in Hayward. As a child he was a participant at the East Oakland Youth Development Center. His first film role came in the 1991 feature Talkin' Dirty After Dark alongside Martin Lawrence, before his breakout playing Mark Cooper, an NBA player-turned-substitute teacher, on Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, which ran for five seasons with over a hundred episodes.

Curry guest starred on Living Single, Martin, and The Jamie Foxx Show, and had a recurring role on The Drew Carey Show as Robert Soulard in 2000. He played scientist Norton Ballard in the Disney Channel Original Movie The Poof Point, hosted shows including Don't Forget Your Toothbrush and BET's Coming to the Stage, and came in second on Celebrity Mole Yucatan. He has performed stand-up on The Comedy Festival Laffapalooza Special and joined the Royal Comedy Tour in 2012, and since 2018 has regularly performed stand-up at the Hollywood Improv. In 2007, an exploding aerosol dispenser burned more than 20% of his body, and he spent many months recuperating.