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Mark Roman Empire (also a podcast)

Comedy

Slightly like WTF with Marc Maron. But no cats. No garage. Just the ABCs: Actors, Buskers, Bands & Comics. Expelled student editors and subversives involved. Plus whatever else Mark finds groovy. Mark Roman. He puts the “I” in “improv”. He's a comic who's opened for Lisa Landry and written for Hank Azaria. He wears short shorts while working new material. On Hollywood Blvd and the Las Vegas Strip. Reno 911's Thomas Lennon calls him "bigger". His Verified Twitter followers might grab your attention. These are his stories.

Location:

Hollywood, CA

Genres:

Comedy

Description:

Slightly like WTF with Marc Maron. But no cats. No garage. Just the ABCs: Actors, Buskers, Bands & Comics. Expelled student editors and subversives involved. Plus whatever else Mark finds groovy. Mark Roman. He puts the “I” in “improv”. He's a comic who's opened for Lisa Landry and written for Hank Azaria. He wears short shorts while working new material. On Hollywood Blvd and the Las Vegas Strip. Reno 911's Thomas Lennon calls him "bigger". His Verified Twitter followers might grab your attention. These are his stories.

Language:

English

Contact:

3239429508


Episodes

#42 - Laurie Burke - 12AUG2020

8/14/2020
Mark interviews stage, screen & voice actor Laurie Burke, the "Original Voice of Google Voice". Laurie and Mark converse about meeting on set and San Francisco and her multi-faceted acting career. You've seen Laurie play Sheriff Laura Stevens in the Rosario Dawson based web series "The North Pole" as well as lawyer Alice Kaye opposite Hugh Laurie in "Chance". Laurie has been an On-Air TV and web Host for Common Sense Media for nearly a decade. Mark discusses the previous and upcoming hiatus....

Duration:01:48:57

#41 – Oscar Armando – 22JUL2020

7/23/2020
Mark interviews Oscar Armando, who produces, directs and writes for television and film. Oscar grew up in Orange County, while his parents hail from El Salvador. Mark shares many of Oscar's early influences, such as Jim Carrey and Robin Williams. Also shared is involvement with the community organization MutualAidLA.org. Oscar is known for his behind the camera contributions to such productions as "Balloon." "Son of Phantom." "Midnight to One" and "Wrong for Right". Mark explains what...

Duration:02:47:05

#40 – Cassandra Salas – 08JUL2020

7/9/2020
Mark interviews singer-songwriter Cassandra Salas, a Herb Alpert Music Scholar who just graduated from LA City College School of Music. It's early days for Cassandra's music, and she's already known for "Singing the Blues" on SoundCloud and her very personal "Mannequin Head" on YouTube (performed at the Herb and Lani Concert Hall, LACC). A pianist and composer as well, her style includes pop, rock, R&B and alternative. A FOLF (Friend of Lt. Frank), Cassandra knows Mark from his early busking...

Duration:01:52:51

#39 – Liz Miele – 01JUL2020

7/2/2020
By the time many figured out what to do with their lives, Liz Miele could have penned her memoir. Writing at 14. Performing stand-up comedy at 16. In NYC. At 18, profiled in "The New Yorker". At 22, appearing on Comedy Central’s “Live at Gotham.” Originally from New Jersey, Liz Miele is an NYC-based comedian known for her joke “Feminist Sex Positions”, which went viral on YouTube and UpWorthy.com. Liz wrote and produced her animated web series “Damaged,” voiced by such as Maz Jobrani. She's...

Duration:01:49:40

#38 – Joe Klocek – 24JUN2020

6/24/2020
A stand-up comic based in San Francisco, Joe Klocek also works with the homeless and addicted in the Tenderloin. He once spent 3 months in Shanghai as an artist in residency at a comedy club. Joe's a guy in recovery, working on being a good guy and a tolerable Zoom comedian. SF Best Stand-up Comic winner in 2011, Joe you've seen/heard on Comedy Central's "Live at Gotham", NBC's "Last Comic Standing", NPR's "Snap Judgement" and the PBS local documentary "The Bridge So Far". Recorded at the...

Duration:02:06:14

#37 – Kevin Munroe – 17JUN2020

6/18/2020
Kevin Munroe is a Trinidad-born comedian and actor based in Los Angeles. A regular at major clubs and theaters nationwide, Kevin has worked with top talent including Tracy Morgan, Paul Mooney, Eddie Pepitone, Loni Love, and W.Kamau Bell. Kevin began performing standup comedy in San Francisco while working as a software engineer. After placing in local comedy competitions he walked away from Silicon Valley. Kevin is the other half of the Showtime & Kev podcast. (Hear Cory “Showtime” Robinson...

Duration:02:25:48

#36 – Jen Friel – 10JUN2020

6/11/2020
Jen Friel launched her first business when she was 8 years old. A writer, she created the blog sensation "Talk Nerdy to Me Lover". Of course, Jen's delivered a TED Talk. Oh, and Jerry Bruckheimer bought her life rights. Twice. She's also another Verified who follows Mark on Twitter. And apparently Mark first asked to interview her on the pod ... ten years ago. (This pod launched in August of 2018.) Mark ponders the last two weeks and difficult conversations. Recorded at the Reasonable Desk...

Duration:02:11:51

#35 – Liberty & Justice for ...? – 03JUN2020

6/3/2020
Is the Pledge of Allegiance a vicious lie? Mark shares his thoughts and actions in response to the global movement protesting the murder of fellow American George Floyd by a white police officer. Join Mark in supporting Black Lives Matter. Recorded at the Reasonable Desk at the Raymond Chandler Memorial Bachelor Pad, Hollywood, CA. Recorded by Mark Roman. Mixed & mastered by Ollie Holliday.

Duration:00:37:43

#34 – Daniel Eachus – 27MAY2020

5/28/2020
Mark first discovered comedian Daniel Eachus at the World Series of Comedy in Vegas. Now Daniel is on the pod! A finalist on "Comedy Central's Up Next" and winner of the Sacramento Comedy Festival 2015, Daniel also acts and writes. You've seen him on "Laughs" on Hulu/Fox, DryBar Comedy and Kevin Hart's LOL Network. Daniel’s stand-up album “Carry The Pillows” can be heard on Sirius XM, Spotify, itunes, and Pandora. Daniel looks forward to touring after the quarantine. Mark wonders why Mental...

Duration:02:20:02

#33 – Shaan Sharma – 20MAY2020

5/21/2020
Shaan Sharma is an actor, educator, union leader, technologist, and musician. You've seen Shaan in "Grey's Anatomy", "Scandal", "NCIS" and "The Mindy Project". Shaan plays Shmuel in the new indie streaming series "The Chosen", first season out now. Mark was a student in one of Shaan's commercial acting classes at the actor's union HQ on Wilshire. A SAG-AFTRA Los Angeles Local Board Member, Shaan has been known to pen a manifesto. Or three. Mark has questions. Shaan has meticulously...

Duration:02:42:06

#32 – Miss Monroe – 13MAY2020

5/13/2020
What do you think of when you hear "street performer" or "costumed character"? Do you think of a master's degree in engineering management? A singer who performs shows in LA & Europe? A professional Marilyn Monroe tribute artist? Mark interviews fellow busker Szilvia Stanisic. She performs as "Miss Monroe". Mark checks in with his professional psychologist Aunt Ellen. Recorded at the Reasonable Desk at the Raymond Chandler Memorial Bachelor Pad, Hollywood, CA. Recorded by Mark Roman. Mixed &...

Duration:02:22:56

#31 – David Fierro – 06MAY2020

5/7/2020
Mark conversates with New York City actor David Fierro. David discusses the pivotal Little League moment that led to his life of stage and screen acting. David is known for his Off-Broadway performance in "Ethel Sings", "Birdman" for film, and in television: "Gotham", "Hawaii Five-O" and "Maniac". His Inspector Jacob Speight is a joy to watch in the Cinemax series "The Knick". Mark reads his Cinco de Mayo Facebook post and discusses the reaction. Recorded at the Reasonable Desk at the...

Duration:02:11:31

#30 – John Storie – 29APR2020

4/30/2020
Mark chats with guitarist John Storie, from Jeff Goldblum and the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra. John is a vocalist, bandleader, arranger, and composer as well. He recorded on Gwen Stefani’s "You Make it Feel Like Christmas" (a #1 Billboard chart holiday album). You can hear John's guitar tracks on "Home Before Dark" streaming on Apple Plus now. His album "Ponderosa" is available on Apple Music and Spotify. Mark checks in with scientist son Connor for another "Connor Caveat". Recorded at the...

Duration:01:50:46

#29 – Fans of Jimmy Century – 22APR2020

4/23/2020
Bands are one of the "ABCs", right? Got you. Mark sits down with two rather groovy humans: Alicia Perrone and Victor James, the "modwave, modsquad genre-bending" power duo that is the band Fans of Jimmy Century (FOJC). Normally fans are in the audience. They are not the band. And who the hell is Jimmy Century? We get to the bottom of all of it, with the music group you've heard on "Get Hard", "Ray Donovan", "Gossip Girl", "Law and Order: SVU", "The L Word" and "Finding Nemo 3D", to name a...

Duration:02:06:51

#28 – Natasha Pearl Hansen – 15APR2020

4/16/2020
Mark typically interviews people he knows well or with whom he's worked. But when a Verified follows you on Twitter ... right? Comedian Natasha Pearl Hansen does. From Wisconsin, "The Other NPH" is a Second City Chicago alumn, writer, Men's Health magazine author and producer. An actor, she's known for "Spare Change", "I Do Yoga" and "To Live and Get by in L.A." Her Future Role Model podcast drops every Tuesday. Mark discovers what project Natasha's been working on and for what iconic annual...

Duration:02:11:59

#27 – John Di Domenico – 08APR2020

4/8/2020
The pandemic canceled a red carpet and the in-person interview. But thanks to the magic of the internets, Mark sits down virtually with global Trump impersonation sensation John Di Domenico. "Johnny D" you've seen and/or heard on Howard Stern, Conan, Fox News, and The View. This marks the second week in a row with a Twitter verified guest who follows Mark @ TheMarkRoman. Also, Mark checks in with his Aunt Ellen in Minnesota & she shares a pandemic recovery zen life hack. Recorded at the...

Duration:02:33:26

#26 – Pandemic Check Ins pt. 2 – 01APR2020

4/2/2020
We wrap what we started last week. Quarantine & social distancing status checks. Cup size? The last of the famous international appetizer-sized conversations with: Ace Katano of Ground Game LA (we finish!), Stefanie Estes of "Tales from the Loop" (streams on Amazon April 03rd), director of photography & host of The Weekend Take podcast Shawn Schaffer, actor & renaissance human Debra Haden & filmaker husband Mars Roberge - both of the 2017 film "Scumbag" - tell their crazy Escape from...

Duration:01:56:57

#25 – Pandemic Check Ins pt. 1 – 25MAR2020

3/29/2020
"How are you?" A question now more urgent than trite. So why not check in with a selection of past podcast guests? See how their quarantine and social distancing is going. Ask their cup size. Enjoy appetizer-sized conversations with comedian & podcaster Cory "Showtime" Robinson, nurse practitioner and podcaster Ersilia Pompilio, impersonator and entertainer Jason Thompson, recovery comedian and podcaster Veronica Porras, and Ace Katano, a Los Angeles public defender, union organizer, and...

Duration:01:41:27

#24 – "Fear & Social Distancing in ... Everywhere" – 18MAR2020

3/21/2020
Tired of doom and gloom? Mark delivers happy results! It's the Age of the Pandemic, so we are all Social Distancing! Including podcasts. We may have guests on Skype as soon as next week. This week Mark goes into how he re-tooled Heroteer to help creatives impacted by the pandemic (including Venka). Mark reads a few of his latest Medium articles. Lt. Frank hijacks the interview wrap pod teaser. Drinking at home? Tip your bartender! It's a The90028.com thing - time to understand #apocaTIPS!...

Duration:00:47:32

#23 – Melanie Neumann – 11MAR2020

3/15/2020
For the first pod interview of 2020, Mark interviews Playboy Bunny and self-described "Detriot Girl" Melanie Neumann. Mark and Melanie met at a Hooters in Vegas. Fast-forward a few years and Mark's watching Melanie perform stand-up comedy at The Comedy Store. Melanie also acts and is a tour guide with TMZ Tours. Recorded on location and at Mark’s humble abode, Hollywood, CA. Recorded, mixed & mastered by Mark Roman. Audio consultation by Ollie Holliday.

Duration:01:02:38