Mark Kerrigan wears a suit and shirt Loro Piana. sunglasses Photographer's own.
Obtaining contact information for celebrities is crucial to our work. interviewand Mark Kerrigan is the man on speed dial to make it happen. As managing director of Celebrity Services, the online database most magazines use to find details about the talent they want to feature, Mark has been working for nearly 30 years to make the most inaccessible a little more accessible. We thanked him for his service over sangria in Seville. He arrived in Seville with a briefcase full of relics from his pre-internet days at Celebrity Services and told me stories of his years of searching for stars.
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Ben Barna: Celebrity Services was founded in 1939 by a man called Earl Blackwell. Can you tell us about him?
Mark Kerrigan: He got famous because in 1939, no guests showed up to the World's Fair in Flushing, Queens. Someone, I think it was Bank of America, gave him a car and a driver and a small budget to do celebrity days, so he started inviting celebrities. There was a Mary Martin Day, a Noel Coward Day, and so on. He made it all happen. He was also a big Kennedy fan. He got Marilyn Monroe to sing “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” at Madison Square Garden.
BARNA: How long have you been working at Celebrity Services?
Kerrigan: I started in 1994 when I was 24 years old.
BARNA: What did you do initially?
Kerrigan: The office was computerized. When I got there, there was a group of older gentlemen and ladies who were still using typewriters.
BARNA: If someone asked you what your occupation is, what would you say?
Kerrigan: I always say I'm in the entertainment industry doing talent and VIP outreach, but no one can really explain what Celebrity Services is – not even Earl Blackwell could. We're a database and information service on people in the public eye.
BARNA: How do you keep up with celebrities?
Kerrigan: It's tough. Ten years ago, there were 120 scripted TV shows on different channels. Last year, there were 520. And you have to keep up with all of them. In Blackwell's mind, anyone whose name doesn't need explaining is the definition of a celebrity.
Burna: I know, I called to ask for help finding Mia Khalifa's contact information, and you said you'd never heard of her, which means that according to your company's motto, she's not a celebrity.
Kerrigan: Blackwell was interviewed on CBS Radio in 1940, and someone asked him, “What is your definition of a celebrity?”, and he came up with that answer. Of course, today there are so many other celebrities that it's hard to maintain that stark stance.
Burna: What brought you to New York and what brought you to Celebrity Services?
Kerrigan: One day, my husband's brother was hanging out in Greenwich, Connecticut, and he said, “I want to move to New York. Do you want to come?” I said, “Yeah, sure.” I got a job at a staffing agency. They had a client called Celebrity Services. One day, the owner called me and said, “We're looking for a marketing director.” I sent out a bunch of resumes hoping to earn some commission. None of them worked out. I ended up sending out my resume just for fun, and I got a call right away saying, “Let's talk if you're interested.” I got the job. I was young and very stupid.
Burna: So you weren't some kid obsessed with fame and you got your dream job?
Kerrigan: No, I had no idea what I was doing. I have a lot of friends now who are celebrities, but in this context, they're stock that other people are looking for. I have no interest in any of this. If their agent says, “Oh, fuck you,” I say, “My agent told me to fuck you.”
BARNA: So you look at celebrities as stock?
Kerrigan: No, no, no, no. You can't say inventory when you're dealing with humans. That's a very flippant way of looking at things. Inventory is only about names, not people.
BARNA: Have you ever been confused?
Kerrigan: I can find anyone. Very few people have ever stumped me. For a long time, my golden apple was an actress named Tamara Dobson. When Pam Grier was Foxy Brown, [Dobson] It was Cleopatra Jones from the old blaxploitation movies. I couldn't find her anywhere. I even called Pam Grier and said, “Do you know what happened to Tamara Dobson?” Turns out her obituary in The New York Times said she had multiple sclerosis or muscular dystrophy and was in a nursing home.
BARNA: What's the strangest request you've ever received?
Kerrigan: Someone called and asked if Jerry Lewis' dog had a hearing aid. We called his office, we talked to him on the phone, we said, “Someone wants to know if your dog has a hearing aid.” And he called the dog a few times. “Come here. Come here.” He came back and said, “No, but I'll put one on in the morning,” and hung up.
BARNA: Has anyone ever gotten upset because you revealed personal information?
Kerrigan: Oh, yeah. Well, not me, but the company. We got thousands of letters from celebrities saying, “Stop giving out your home phone number.” One infamous incident, not our fault, but long before I joined the company, was when Mark David Chapman called Celebrity Services and got John Lennon's address. Francis Vann, who'd been with the company since 1941, said, “We don't give out address information. We only do subscription services. If you'd like, we'll mail you a media kit or a package.” And they said, “Send it to so-and-so at the YMCA.” And of course, I don't know if it was a few days or days later, he shot Lennon dead outside the Dakota.
BARNA: That's amazing. Who's your favorite celebrity right now?
Kerrigan: I can't do that, because I love millions of people. I think Keanu Reeves is a great actor. I love his energy and I think he's a really cool guy. I've been introduced to him a few times, but we don't have any particular friendship.
BARNA: Can you talk about some of the people that you share this issue with and tell us if you've heard of them?
Kerrigan: Of course.
Burna: Meg Ryan.
Kerrigan: Yeah.
Burna: Olivia Rodrigo.
Kerrigan: Of course.
Varna: Adele Exarchopoulos.
Kerrigan: I don't recognize her, but that doesn't mean anything, because whatever place she works at doesn't mean my staff doesn't already have her there. What's her name? Adele?
Varna: Exarchopoulos. She is a French actor. Blue is the warmest color.
Kerrigan: Okay.
Burna: What about Kit Connor?
Kerrigan: Yeah.
BARNA: Erika Jayne?
Kerrigan: Of course.
BARNA: Have you heard of Tems?
Kerrigan: Yes. Do you know why?
Burna: Why?
Kerrigan: That's not the name she uses. It's TIMS, right?
BARNA: No, TEMS. She's a singer.
Kerrigan: I know who she is. If it's the same person I think she is, I think Nicole Perez represents her. I know she's in our system. Christine Thames or something.
Burna: Okay.
Kerrigan: You know what I mean? It's just that it's so hard for us to find people. For example, when Kanye West changed his name to Ye, he never came up in a database search. So in our database, he's listed as “Ye, formerly Kanye West.”
Burna: That's right.
Kerrigan: It's important that we do so and respect his name change, but I don't care about him. Just carry on.
Burna: Jordan Ross.
Kerrigan: Yeah, of course. He's a producer. Daryl's son. Kind of flashy.
BARNA: Peso pluma? [Editor’s note: Peso Pluma canceled on us the day of his shoot.]
Kerrigan: I have no idea.
BARNA: He's the new singer. Sexy Red?
Kerrigan: Again, no.
BARNA: What about Ayo Edebiri?
Kerrigan: Yes. bear.
Burna: Dixie D'Amelio?
Kerrigan: I feel like I've heard of it somewhere before, but I don't know what it does.
Burna: Lily Gladstone?
Kerrigan: Yes, absolutely.
Burna: Christopher Abbott?
Kerrigan: That reminds me too. Is he a stage actor?
Burna: Yes, he is. girlHe has also appeared in films and on stage.
Kerrigan: Okay, he should be in our system.
Burna: He's definitely in your system.
Suit and shirt Loro Piana. glasses Mark's own.
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hair: Kiyonori Sudo Use Oribe in L'Atelier NYC.
Photography Assistant: Caeten Bonri.
Fashion Assistant: Nicholson Baird.
