Marc Summers: From "Double Dare" Host to One-Man Show
Marc Summers, the iconic host of Nickelodeon's "Double Dare" and a familiar face on television for over three decades, is now showcasing his life story in New York City through his one-man play, "The Life and Slimes of Marc Summers."
It is something Summers, 72, thought would never happen. He was nearly out of the entertainment industry after his time with Nickelodeon and Food Network had concluded. (Paramount is the parent company of Nickelodeon and CBS.)
But Summers' path wasn't always a smooth one. He faced significant personal challenges, including early rejections based on his appearance and last name, which was Berkowitz at birth.
"I had an NBC executive say to me once, 'Your nose is too big. And your name, Berkowitz, is too Jewish. Change your name. Get your nose fixed. But until you do that, I'm not gonna hire you,'" he recalled.
Before his television breakthrough, Summers considered leaving the industry altogether.
In 1986, Summers was hired as the host of "Double Dare," a role that would become iconic. A total of 2,000 people auditioned for "Double Dare" in New York and Los Angeles.
Summers never envisioned himself working on a children's show, but his unique hosting style ended up captivating audiences and leaving a lasting impact on a generation.
"I treated them like they were grownups. And that worked for me," he said.
Despite his confident public image, Summers struggled with obsessive-compulsive disorder in private. He admitted that he had been dealing with OCD since he was just six years old.
"I was living this nightmare of making everything perfect and neat," Summers revealed.
In the early 2000s, he started openly discussing his OCD, a topic he also addresses in his one-man show.
His battle with the disorder came to a head when his wife, Alice, found him compulsively straightening rug fringes late at night.
When questioned about his actions, Summers could only respond, "I have no idea."
Through therapy, Summers has made significant progress in managing his OCD and preserving his marriage. He shared that he has been able to retrain his brain to ward off intrusive thoughts.
Bringing his play to New York City has been a fulfilling experience for Summers. While he has spent a portion of his career performing in front of live audiences, being able to share his personal journey with a crowd every night has been particularly rewarding.
"I find myself getting emotional about it because I never imagined this could happen at this stage of my life," Summers expressed. "I had pretty much moved on from the entertainment industry. The Nickelodeon chapter had come to a close, and I spent 20 years at Food Network before that also came to an end. And then this unexpected opportunity came along. The transformation it has brought about has truly been astonishing."
