Mark Staufer
| Mark Staufer | |
|---|---|
| Born |
3 November 1963 Auckland, New Zealand |
| Occupation | Author and screenwriter |
| Website | thenuminousplace |
Mark Staufer (born 3 November 1963) is a New Zealand native. He is the author and curator of The Numinous Place and a screenwriter, most notably of Love, Laughter and Truth, a biopic about US comedian Bill Hicks, which he developed with Oscar Award winning actor, Russell Crowe.
Mark Staufer was born and raised in Auckland, New Zealand the only son of Franz and Jule Staufer. His parents divorced when he was less than a year old, and he was brought up by his mother and strict grandparents, Eileen and Andrew Jackson before being sent at the age of 8 to Dilworth School, a boarding school in Auckland. Staufer was expelled from Dilworth for poor attitude and poor attendance and at age 14 was enrolled at Onehunga High School, where he was also eventually expelled at age 16.
Finally, Staufer was sent to Mt. Roskill Grammar School in Auckland, where he met future actor, Russell Crowe. Crowe took the newcomer under his wing and the two became fast and close friends. At MRGS they formed a band together along with a classmate, Dave Franklin, called '’Dave Decent & the Interrogatives'’ (later changed to Dave Deceit & the Interrogatives), with Staufer playing bass, Crowe singing and playing guitar and the eponymous Franklin on the drums. Staufer and Crowe also became editors of the school paper, The Phoenix, and took the opportunity to write favourable reviews of their band's performances. The two forged a friendship and a professional relationship that would last throughout their adult lives.
After graduating from Mt. Roskill, Staufer attended the journalism school at the Auckland Technical Institute (which is now Auckland University of Technology).
Upon earning his undergraduate degree, Mark began his journalism career in radio, first at talk-back AM station Radio Pacific, then at Radio Hauraki. When he was 22, he was hired as a journalist by Auckland's 89FM and subsequently promoted to News Director. There he made the switch into on-air announcing as part of the successful breakfast show duo, The Top Marks with co-host Mark Kennedy. The duo quickly ushered the show to the top of the ratings. Staufer gained a reputation for his sharp-witted sense of humour and has been described by the New Zealand Herald as a "shock jock."
Staufer eventually moved into television on the TVNZ network's current affairs show Newsnight as a writer, producer and on-camera reporter with Marcus Lush and Alison Mau. Staufer and the team experimented with the conventional news format and incorporated gonzo journalism type of reportage into the programs.
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