Mark McClafferty is a native of the First State of Delaware where he attended the Alexis I. du Pont School and The University of Delaware as an undergraduate. While serving as President of the Student Government Association at the University of Delaware, Mark became a vocal advocate against the war in Viet Nam. Eventually he was called to present his views before the Ninety-First Congressional Ad Hoc Committee of the House for Policy in Southeast Asia. Before graduation Mark was selected by Delaware Governor Russell W. Peterson (R) as a Governor’s Summer Fellow assigned to observe the state’s Family Court system and submit his observations to the Governor. Several months later, while traveling to Miami, McClafferty had a chance meeting with future Senator Gary Hart (D) Colorado, who, at the time, was George McGovern’s campaign manager. Hart asked Mark to join the McGovern campaign. Mark traveled to various Primary States to organize voting campaigns during McGovern’s successful drive to gain the Democratic Presidential nomination. The following summer at the Democratic National Convention in Miami, James Biden, a classmate and friend of Mark’s at the U of D, introduced Mark to his brother, Joe. Thereafter Mark returned to Delaware to serve as a Campaign Director in Joe Biden’s initial run for the United States Senate.
Mark began his career in the entertainment industry when he moved to Los Angeles to work at ABC in the Program Research Department, first as its Manager and then as its Director. Three years later, Mark accepted his initial creative position at Paramount Pictures as Director of Creative Affairs for the premier comedy production house of Miller/Milkus/Boyett. There he assisted in the development of new programs and oversaw the company’s ongoing hit comedies Happy Days, Angie, Mork and Mindy, Laverne & Shirley, Out of the Blue and Bosom Buddies, Tom Hank’s first leading role in Hollywood.
Mark was then asked to return to ABC where he became the Director of Dramatic Programming. He and his staff were responsible for overseeing such successful shows as Hart to Hart, The Fall Guy, Battlestar Galactica, Dynasty, Fantasy Island, The Love Boat , Hotel, Strike Force, Hardcastle & McCormick , Tenspeed & Brown Shoe and The Greatest American Hero.
Four years later, Mark McClafferty joined prolific producer Glen A. Larson at Twentieth Century Fox as G.L Productions, Executive VP and Producer. “Glen and I just clicked from our first meeting on Battlestar Galactica. Our tastes were aligned, and we both believed if you’re going to put in the time it takes to be successful in the entertainment business, you’d better find people you really like working with and you’d better have some fun along the way. It was a great creative experience that I will always cherish.” Many of TV’s most successful programs of the 80’s had the GL logo on them during this period. Nine of the company’s shows aired on Network Television, including The Fall Guy, Cover Up, Knight Rider, Magnum, P.I., Masquerade, Automan, The Highwayman, Trauma Center and Manimal.
During this period Mark received a call from Paramount Pictures. Would he be interested in returning to Paramount as President/Producer at Eddie Murphy Productions? Paramount was investing heavily in all things Murphy and needed someone with significant experience in the TV business to assist. After a 3-day trip to Cleveland and Detroit to join Eddie during his RAW comedy tour, Mark flew back to Los Angeles. Soon thereafter, he received an offer to join Eddie’s company. He was torn leaving his mentor at GL Productions, but when discussing the offer Glen quipped, “you have to take that offer. Besides I can’t afford you anymore!” In that moment, Mr. McClafferty realized the knowledge, friendship and advice Glen had given him would be impossible to ever repay.
Over the next seven years, under Mark’s direction, Eddie Murphy Productions sold 8 network TV shows, movies and projects including ‘’What’s Alan Watching’’ which won the New York Critics Award for the best comedy special for the year. Additional sales included the multi-platinum Best of Eddie Murphy Saturday Night Live Video, the CBS series, The Royal Family, starring Redd Foxx and Della Reese and the classic Holiday Movie, The Kid Who Loved Christmas, starring Cicely Tyson, Della Reese, Charlie Murphy, Vanessa Williams, Ray Parker, Jr., Ester Rolle and Sammy Davis Jr., appearing in his final movie. It was an exciting time which left Mark with a boxcar full of beautiful memories including his friendship with Redd Foxx and the honor bestowed on him when Redd’s wife, Kaho, asked Mark to serve as a pallbearer at Redd’s Funeral in Las Vegas.
Mark is currently President of Spellbound Pictures working with his best friend and partner, the immensely talented Author/Writer/Producer/Songwriter, Pamela Edwards McClafferty. Soon after the formation of the company the partners completed a 60 million dollar, 12 picture deal with Ellipse/Canal+, the French Entertainment giant, to supply the United Artists Theatre Circuit with a steady flow of family friendly films. Mark served as Chairman of the International Consortium. The group’s initial film, THE CLIMB, filmed in New Zealand, was directed by Robert Swaim, the only American to win the French Ceasar Award, and starred John Hurt, David Stratharin and Gregory Smith. It first premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. The film went on to win many International awards, including the Golden Bear UNICEF award at the Berlin Film Festival as well as 6 other international film festival awards. The Spellbound partners went on to finance, film and produce the comedy special, Katt Williams Live. The Platinum selling video, filmed on location in Cincinnati can be viewed on Amazon Prime and all streaming channels.
Spellbound has also published the bestselling novel, BLUE, by Chicago author, Walter Jones. It is in its third edition and is about to be republished on Amazon. Mr. Jones, who died of cancer in 2022, was buoyed in spirit during his last days when the American Cancer Research Institute agreed to support his work before his death.
Mark McClafferty has recently produced several workshops of the original musical ARTLAND, in preparation to move the musical to New York. Music by recent recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master and multi– Grammy Award Winner Stanley Clarke, with the Book and Lyrics by bestselling author, award winning producer/songwriter Pamela Edwards McClafferty. The Los Angeles chapter of The Festival of New American Musicals recommended the Musical to its membership when presented at the Caroline Leonetti Ahmanson Theater with the assistance of the Los Angeles County School for the Arts.
Not only is Artland, the musical launching in 2024, Spellbound Music is in the process of releasing several other projects including the Divisions first album NOW! written by Pamela Edwards McClafferty. The first two releases from the album will drop in May and June 2024.
Spellbound’s TV division has recently purchased rights to the action hero series tentatively titled, NIGHTWATCH, scripted by recent Film School graduate Hunter Barella. The series idea was first brought to Spellbound’s attention by Loyola Film School Professor David Garber who has written and produced for Mr. McClafferty many times in the past.
The TV division is also in development for two projects with Actor/Writer/Producers Clint Smith and Mark Corry. The pair previously worked with Mr. McClafferty and wrote and sold numerous shows and movies in tandem with McClafferty.
Mark McClafferty is a member of Who’s Who in American and Omicron Delta Kappa, the National Leadership Honor Society founded in 1914 to recognize achievement in scholarship, community service and the creative and performing arts. Finally, Mark was selected by the University of Delaware as one of the University’s most notable graduates in the school’s long history.