Mark Edward Proksch is an American comedian and actor. He is best known for acting inThe Office, Better Call Saul and What We Do in the Shadowstelevision series, and as a fictionalized version of himself in the On Cinema universe. He first rose to prominence when he portrayed the character "K-Strass", a parody of a yo-yo master who became an internet sensation after appearing on local news shows.
K-Strass
Proksch had the alias of Kenny "K-Strass" Strasser early in his career, during which he appeared on small-market local newscasts as a yo-yo master. The character Strasser was described by Paste Magazine as "the funniest thing that's ever happened" and speaking "in a nasal Midwestern accent, with a halting cadence that was both awkward and deliberate." K-Strass was created when Proksch's temp job at an ad agency fell through. Proksch also appeared as K-Strass while opening for Gregg Turkington's Neil Hamburger on tour. Turkington and Proksch would work together again on On Cinema.
Television career
Proksch had a recurring role on the television series The Office as Nate, Dwight Schrute's lackey and the office handyman. He appeared in 19 episodes over the show's final three seasons. Part of his Season 9 performance was memory holed in 2020. In March 2013, Proksch starred in the NBC television pilot Holding Patterns. He also voiced the character Johnnie in the Adventure Time episode "Bad Timing." In March 2014, Proksch appeared in an episode of Portlandia as Carrie Brownstein's love interest. From 2015 to 2017 he appeared as Pryce, a recurring character on the AMC drama series Better Call Saul, a prequel to Breaking Bad. In 2015, Proksch appeared in Season 3, Episode 1 of Drunk History in which he told the story of the Bone Wars.
''On Cinema at the Cinema''
Proksch plays a fictionalized version of himself in the On Cinema universe, in which he attempts various impersonations, including W.C. Fields and The Marx Brothers. Proksch was briefly declared dead during the 5th Annual On CinemaOscar special, his character having suffocated inside a heavy diving suit during a Jaws impersonation skit. His character briefly appears in season 10's VR episodes, when the camera is turned showing his comatose body. This takes place during a recurring section in which Gregg Turkington plays his old audition tapes for films he failed to be cast in. His comatose body again appears in the 6th Annual Oscar special as a "Talking Oscar" Painted gold and strapped to a gurney pre-recorded phrases in his voice are played in answer to questions surrounding Oscar trivia. During one segment his comatose body is slowly rotated around a nightmarish compilation of past Oscar nominated films. He awakens after being knocked over by host Tim Heidecker and spends the rest of the special in a state of confusion and shock while bleeding from a broken nose.
