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Mark Proksch
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| Mark Proksch |
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| First Apperance | 2nd Annual On Cinema Oscar Special |
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| Aliases | W.C. Fields |
| Portrayed by | Mark Proksch |
Mark Proksch is an American actor and impressionist, best known for his impressions of W.C. Fields. He is also well known for his portrayal of Abdul in the television series Decker. He frequently appears during movie review show On Cinema's annual Oscar specials, performing impressions of Fields and famous movie actors.
He is close friends with On Cinema creatives Tim Heidecker and Gregg Turkington, often helping the two in their various creative endeavors. Turkington was also Procks' caretaker after a medical incident left him in a coma.
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History
His first notable appearance in the public eye occurred during the 2nd Annual On Cinema Oscar Special. During the special, Proshk appeared as W.C. Fields, and stayed in character for most of the program. He mainly stayed backstage next to other guests, though he would occasionally chime in for segments, such as giving his pick for Best Picture that year. He subsequently appeared in the first two episodes of season 6 of On Cinema, performing as W.C. Fields in Gregg's segment Golden Age Comedies.[1][2]
During season 8 of On Cinema, Mark was employed at the Victorville Film Center as a “popcorn jockey,” working the concession stands. He enjoyed the job, although he disliked the commute to work, as well as his coworker, Alex, who frequently called in sick.[3] Mark later co-hosted the Our Cinema Oscar Special with Gregg.[4]
Over the course of season 9, Mark served as a waiter at Tim's Six Bag Cinemas facility. Tim was less than impressed with Mark's waitering abilities, particularly his annoying habit of handing patrons their drinks directly instead of putting them on the table.[5] After Tim was arrested following the tragic events of the Electric Sun Desert Music Festival, Gregg became host of On Cinema, with Mark as co-host. Mark revealed that the upscale dishes he prepared in the Six Bags kitchen were mostly frozen meals that head chef John Lenard made him go out and buy. Gregg and Mark were able to revive Golden Age Comedies for one episode.[6] However, their tenure lasted all of two episodes, as Tim was conditionally released and returned to the host's seat.[7]
Diving helmet accident and coma
Mark was featured on the Fifth Oscar Special, where his talents were put to use re-enacting various scenes from Jaws (1975, 130 mins). However, his re-enactments fell short of Tim's expectations. He attempted twice to re-enact Quint's monologue, but struggled to recreate the character's accent, and stood when the character actually delivered the speech while seated.
Mark's last Jaws scene of the evening was to have been a re-enactment of Dr. Hooper's dive to kill the shark. His costume included an old-fashioned diving helmet. After putting the helmet on, Mark passed out from lack of oxygen. The crew immediately called EMS and tried to get the helmet off, but struggled to remove it. Mark was taken to the hospital, and it was later reported that he had died. A video tribute to Mark was aired on the Special. Thankfully, it was later revealed that Mark survived, but the asphyxiation had caused him to lapse into a long-term coma.[8]
During season 10 of On Cinema, Gregg cared for the comatose Mark himself. In various segments featuring the Victorville Film Archives, Mark's ventilator system was audible in the background. Additionally, Mark's slumbering form could be seen in the 360-degree virtual reality segments, directly in front of Gregg.
For the Sixth Oscar Special, Mark was painted gold and propped up as a “Living Oscar” statue. Throughout the night, Gregg would ask the “Living Oscar” various questions about the Oscar ceremony, including predictions about the winners, with clips of Mark's voice as pre-recorded responses. Later in the Special, the “Living Oscar” was featured in a segment with clips from all of the Best Picture winners. The segment had the “Living Oscar” rotating between two TV monitors. However, Mark's ventilator pipes became tangled and overstretched, causing the “Living Oscar” to fall over.
The fall jolted Mark out of his coma, causing him to writhe and cough uncontrollably for several minutes. Although he eventually settled down and began responding to verbal cues, he was highly confused and thought he was still on the set of the previous Oscar Special. Mark physically recovered from the coma, but his mental faculties were left permanently impaired.[9]
In December 2024, Mark was working as a handyman for Gregg, renovating the Movie House.[10]
List of impressions