’08 alum worked on infamous TLC reality show
For Flagler alumnus Clark McCarthy-Miller, ‘08, being a producer’s assistant has meant working on miscellaneous commercials, small movies and television shows. But that all changed when a friend set him up on an interview with a family that would change his life — the now infamous Gosselins, stars of TLC’s reality show, “Jon and Kate Plus Eight.”
After interviewing for the position with four others, the Gosselins handpicked him to work on the show. McCarthy-Miller could be seen on the show’s highest-rated season four opener where he helped the Gosselin family prepare for a birthday bash for the sextuplets.
The Gosselins’ bitter divorce recently brought “Jon and Kate” — which followed the family of one set of twins and younger sextuplets — from popular cable show to tabloid fodder. McCarthy-Miller went along for the ride until the show ended this past fall.
“While I was in communication classes (at Flagler), I was daydreaming about working on movies mainly and didn’t really consider how much I would love television,” he said. “But working on this show and a few other shows here and there, I have really fallen in love with television production.”
His daily tasks included anything that needed to be done to get the show on the air, including running to the airport or loading up the work van. He also took notes about certain shots or scenes that later could be helpful in the editing room.
“It is important that we stay on our game the whole time we are there because there are usually a million things going on at once with eight kids running around,” he said. “The kids are so cute, it is impossible to put into words. Every time I see them, they seem to amaze me in a different way. Seeing them grow up in front of you is incredible.”
The season premiere also included shots of the paparazzi preying on the Gosselins, and McCarthy-Miller was often called and harassed for leaks about Jon and Kate.
“When I started working on the show it was already popular, but didn’t have as much buzz as it does now,” he said. “It has been a real privilege working on a show that has been in the public spotlight for quite some time now.”
But McCarthy-Miller says all the extra attention didn’t really affect his day-to-day routine all that much.
“It is strange to see yourself in magazines, but it really doesn’t affect the work,” he said.
