USA TODAY International Edition
E!’ s ‘ Drama Queen’ knows all the moves in Hollywood
Marki Costello isn’t exactly following in her grandfather’s footsteps.
Yes, she is in showbiz, just as Lou Costello of the classic comedy team Abbott and Costello was. And she works hard, just like he did.
But this Costello, 47, is more of a behind- the- scenes pro. She’s a talent agent. A star maker. A career builder.
She has helped coach Kelly Clarkson, Kelly Osbourne and CeeLo Green and has 26 clients now, all of whom hope to make it big.
That’s what she plans to spotlight in The Drama Queen, her new E! reality show about her work and life. It premieres Sunday at 11 p. m. ET/ PT.
“It’s going to give the audience a glimpse into a side of this business that I don’t think they’ve had a chance to see,” says Costello, who runs Creative Management Entertainment Group. “you had to work hard, and you had to have a talent. I feel like in this day and age, someone can make a video screaming, ‘ I love you, Britney Spears!’ and have their eight minutes of fame. I feel like we have to get back to the roots of having talent.”
But one thing she knows: “You can be a star if you have a launching- off place, a brand, a talent. You can parlay that into something fabulous.”
She points to the Kardashians. They are so successful that the latest family breakup news — Kris and Bruce Jenner’s divorce — will not hurt the brand. “No, I think the divorce will make Kris absolutely more relatable and connectable,” Costello says. “Viewers are going to realize, hey, she’s just like us.”
Being relatable is what the longtime showbiz- kid- turned- manager teaches. And she has seen plenty of it. Costello started off working for The Gong Show guru Chuck Barris, then got into casting, and while she was running a casting company, she went to acting class. Her company is now going to launch a youth division, and viewers will see some of the young people who walk through her doors, including Samantha, 13, who has “raw, untapped talent.” And 20year- old Sloan, who refuses to take Costello’s advice. Not a good idea, considering Costello’s credentials.
“People say, ‘ You’re Hollywood royalty,’ ” she says, and she does have a family tree with famous names. Her music producer dad’s best friend was Dennis Wilson from the Beach Boys, and her godfather was musician Terry Melcher. She is the step- granddaughter of Dean Martin ( her stepfather, Craig Martin, was Dean’s oldest son).
Now Costello has two boys — Finn, 4, and Lucas, 16. They’ll be in the show, along with her boyfriend, Tommy, whom she calls a “crazy” artist.
So why do a TV show? “I wanted to enlighten the world. If you are going to venture on this road of fame and being in front of camera, there’s a method to the madness and don’t just dive in. I hope I can enlighten people with my knowledge so that