Long before Steph Curry was the reigning king of the Bay Area, it was Mark Curry who was giving love to Oakland. Marcus G. Curry, born on June 1, 1961, rose to prominence as a stand-up comedian, and is best known for playing the title role in ‘Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper,’ a staple of TGIF in the mid-to-late 1990s. As a former NBA player – Golden State Warriors, naturally – Mark Cooper gets hired as a teacher for Oakbridge High School. For five seasons, Mark brought family-friendly laughs with a Black cast that featured Holly Robinson Pete, Dawnn Lewis, Nell Carter, and Raven-Symone. After the show ended in 1997, Mark continued to work, appearing in the film ‘Armageddon,’ and landing a recurring role on ‘The Drew Carey Show.’ A stand-up by trade, Mark continued to tour and work on his comedy while continuing to act in projects like ‘The Proof Point,’ ‘Fat Actress, ‘The Secret Life of the American Teenager,’ and ‘See Dad Run,’ and ‘Family Reunion.’
Here, Mark honors his roots by attending the Def Comedy Jam 25th anniversary celebration in 2017. Scroll down to see more photos of this iconic 90s leading man.