ROCHESTER – When Law Tarello moved to Oxford in sixth grade, he was a chubby kid with a Brookyn accent. His sense of humor helped him fit in, he says.
Tarello, now 34, still regularly employs that same signature humor, only now he uses it on stage, in the lecture hall and, as of last week, on Comedy Central. The 1994 Oxford graduate stars as Detective Manetti on M’Larky, a web-based series filmed for Atom.com which debuted on the cable network on September 30.
He describes the series as a parody of cop shows and movies from the 80’s and 90’s.
“We all grew up watching Miami Vice,” he said, explaining that the title character, M’Larky, is loosely based on Don Johnson’s character in the iconic tv show with a little of Die Hard’s John McClane thrown in.
His own character, Manetti or “Manatee” as he is sometimes referred, is more straight-laced and by-the-book than his free wheeling partner. He therefore takes the brunt of a lot of jokes and, incidentally, bullets.
“Everybody gets shot,” he said. There is also an ample supply of car crashes, fake blood and video game sequences. And in deference to the shows they are paying homage to, they get right back up and keep going.
According to Tarello, the premise for the series and each of the characters, was born six years ago when he, Dan Fogler and the other principals involved all lived in New York City.
Fogler’s name may sound familiar. In 2005, he won a Tony award for his role in “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” - (Tarello made his own Broadway debut as Fogler’s understudy). He starred in the 2007 comedy Balls of Fury and had a supporting role in Good Luck Chuck, as well as lent his voice to Kung Fu Panda and Horton Hears A Who. Last year, he earned acclaim at the Tribeca Film Festival for “Hysterical Psycho,” which he wrote and directed. He and Tarello are longtime friends.
“M’Larky was totally born out of improv,” Tarello said, recalling the days when the group ran around New York’s Central Park and on rooftops filming with a “crappy camera.”
“I had a hilarious mustache in the original series,” he recalled, laughing about how on one occasion, the group’s fake-gun and badge toting antics drew the attention of New York’s finest. Luckily, they were able to explain themselves.
It wasn’t until this past January, however, that Fogler was able to secure funding to begin shooting the series in earnest for Comedy Central’s original digital comedy website, Atom.com. The project gave Tarello the chance to work alongside comic Jeff Ross and legendary comedian Gilbert Gottfried.
Even with that star power, Tarello said there was never a guarantee the show would ever see airtime on the cable network itself. But thanks to Facebook and web promotions undertaken by those involved with the production, the web series garnered more than 300,000 hits, enough to earn it a TV premier.
Tarello said he and the rest of the cast encouraged their friends to set their DVR’s, since the pilot was set to air at 3 a.m. Easter time. What they didn’t realize, however, was that for West Coast viewers, it would have the coveted midnight time slot.
M’Larky’s apparent success with viewers and critics alike has the former Oxford resident hopeful that the show will get the green light to move forward - either to produce additional episodes for the web series or launch into “a real bonified TV show.”
“It’s just been a good year for me,” said Tarello who, with his wife Kathy, now calls Rochester home. In addition to his M’Larky role, he is involved with Search Engine Improv and Stage 13, a theatre group founded by Fogler. His biography and professional resume is included in the Internet Movie Database, and can be viewed at www.imdb.com.
When Tarello’s not on the stage or in front of the camera himself, he instructs budding young actors in the art of improvisation as an adjunct professor at SUNY Brockport.
He says his is own acting career started as a small child, when he landed his first professional role at the age of 7. He continued to work regularly as an actor until his family’s move to rural Upstate New York.
He credits one of his high school English teachers - Ann Spencer - with getting him back on the stage his sophomore year.
“She rejuvenated the drama club,” he explained.
Tarello said he jumped at the chance to star in the school’s production of Our Town that first year. The following year, he had a lead role in Harvey.
“Oxford had a huge, huge influence on me,” he said, although he admits you won’t find the name Law Tarello in any Oxford yearbook. That’s because when he was wondering the halls of the district’s middle and high schools he was known as Lawrence or Larry Mongiello. For his new moniker, he combined his mother JoAnn Taranto’s last name with that of his father.
As for Law, “it was always a family nickname,” he said, explaining that as “a junior” they felt the need to distinguish him from his father, whose name he shares.
Tarello said his goal, in both life and his career, is to make people laugh. “I love the happiness that comes from laughter,” he explained.
Those who didn’t see M’Larky’s Comedy Central debut still have the chance to see the show again.
“It will run again,” he said. “Comedy Central reruns everything. It’ll be back in the rotation in a little over a month. The new season of Atom TV has 5 new episodes to air then they’ll rerun the entire season.”
The TV version of the show can also be viewed online at www.atom.com/atomtv/. To view the entire web series, visit www.atom.com/spotlights/mlarky.