MARKI COSTELLO
Biography
Marki Costello, the self-proclaimed and widely acknowledged “Queen of Hosting”, is a highly respected and well-established name in Hollywood.
Ms. Costello, owner and president of Creative Management Entertainment Group, has single-handedly built the most respected host management company in the industry. CMEG has flourished since its creation over a decade ago. Originally the only host management firm in town, the company has expanded to encompass a theatrical department, a casting division, and a production arm.
A strong gene pool may have been a defining influence insofar as her career direction (her grandfather was comedy legend Lou Costello of Abbott & Costello). However, Marki credits her mother, Carole, for her industry knowledge and passion for the arts --- earning her, and appropriately so, a multi-hyphenate in today’s television industry.
With a rapid-fire delivery, quick wit and professional style, Marki Costello has earned a reputation as being a straightforward and tenacious dealmaker. Her undeniable charisma and larger-than-life personality have also made her a regular on television shows over the years. She was the star of her own show on The TV Guide Channel entitled Open Call, a reality show which followed Marki as she cast 10 different shows. She’s also appeared as a judge/panelist on Danny Bonaducie’s I Know My Child’s a Star, Joel Silver Productions’ Next Action Star, and E! Entertainment Television’s Fight for Fame.
For the past 10 years, Marki has worked as a casting director for major network studios including Disney, Warner Bros., FOX, and TBS. She began casting classic reality and game shows before reality was even a genre --- Meet My Folks (NBC); Man Vs. Beast (FOX); Next Action Star (NBC); The Bachelor (ABC); Looking for Love: Bachelorettes in Alaska (FOX); Surprise Wedding I and II (FOX); The Newlywed Game, The Dating Game, Hollywood Squares, and Love Connection. In addition to reality casting, Marki has also cast numerous commercial and print projects, as well as a number of independent feature films. With an impressive list of credits and amazing ability to bring “the best” to the table, it’s no wonder that the Los Angeles Times has touted Marki as, “One of the world’s most prized talent scouts!”
Previously, Marki had served as head talent executive at Four Point Entertainment, Casting Executive for Capitol Records and Barris/Gubber/Peters TV, and as a talent coordinator at Orion Television and Mark Goodson Productions.
Her company, CMEG, specializes in the management of over 30 on-air hosts, including the likes of Jason Kennedy of E! Entertainment Television, Katie Wagner, host of the WB show The Starlet, and Matt Gallant, host of America’s Funniest Animals and the face of DirecTV. Other notable talents include Damone Roberts (Ten Years Younger in 10 Days - TLC, owner of Damone Roberts Salon, Beverly Hills), Michele Merkin (The Next Best Thing for ABC and red carpet regular for E!) and Rossi Morreale (The syndicated game show Temptation, Junkyard Megawars - TLC, On-Air with Ryan Seacrest - Fox).
In addition to casting and management, Marki also puts her talents to work by teaching one of the most prestigious on-camera host seminars in the country. Based on referrals from networks, top Hollywood agents, casting directors and production companies, her monthly “boot camps” have been consistently booked full since their inception. Additionally, Marki has been involved with various workshops around the country, including one for the American Film Institute.
W Magazine ran a feature on Marki’s Hosting Boot Camp in its September 2007 Issue. Writer Kevin West stated, “[The boot camp] promises an introduction to this ever expanding sector of the entertainment industry—a strange, quasi-journalistic beat where going behind enemy lines means crossing the velvet rope to get the real inside dish from all your favorite celebrities.”
Marki has also concepted on branding campaigns for top Hollywood professionals and personalities, including the likes of writer Stephen Cannell, E! star Dr. 90210, and Frank Yang, president and owner of Simple Human.
One wouldn’t be remiss in naming Marki as the “Jack of All Hollywood Trades.”
