tony shalhoub Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Yeah, 'Galaxy Quest' Still Rocks
Filed under: Comedy », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Dreamworks », Home Entertainment », Comic/Superhero/Geek »
Those who know and love the film will no doubt mention its innate "watchability," but newcomers to the great comedy Galaxy Quest may find themselves most intrigued by the bizarre cast. Is that Tony Shalhoub and Sam Rockwell stealing every scene that isn't nailed down? And what's Sigourney Weaver doing in a broad comedy? And wasn't that Justin Long ... and there's Missi Pyle ... and Rainn Wilson! And how is the film so funny if Tim Allen is the lead? When did Alan Rickman become so funny? And (my favorite) who is that guy playing the babbly alien leader Mathesar? He's hilarious!But the cast is not the reason that DreamWorks is re-releasing Galaxy Quest on DVD this week. Nope, it's because Dean Parisot's widely-adored Galaxy Quest is an obvious but very affectionate Star Trek satire, and what with the new Trek making all sort of waves this month, the Galaxy Quest re-release seemed like a pretty obvious idea. Clearly I believe that this fine farce deserves a spot on your DVD shelf, but is the new version actually worth the "double dip," or should you just stick with your current version?
What is it Like for Arab Actors in Hollywood?
Filed under: Casting », RumorMonger », Politics »
You can probably imagine what it's like -- what do we see when we frequent the theaters? Lots, and lots, and lots of terrorists. That means good things for the amount of available roles open to these actors, but not so good things for type-casting -- and lots of roles doesn't necessarily mean lots of quality. The LA Times put up a piece today that explores the plight of Middle Eastern actors to make a career for themselves in Hollywood.The article begins with a story from a young actor starting out in the biz. When his voice coach saw his name, and heard that he was from Middle Eastern descent, the teacher said: "Look, I see big things for you, but if you tell people this, you will not work in this town." Attack of the scary name! Arrrrrr! Sorry ... anyhow, of course, the overall scenario is not quite as cut and dry as that, but chances are, if you're Arab or Arab American, you get the terrorist or other bad-guy parts. Some, like Ismail Kanater sees it as progress, noting that there is more work out there, regardless of what the work consists of. Others aren't so big on that whole professional track.
There's men like Tony Shalhoub (perhaps the most recognizable in the mainstream) who says of terrorist gigs: "I did it once, and once was enough." He's one of the few who has made a great career outside of expectations, and is looking to widen the field commercially -- first with his upcoming film AmericanEast. But this is only the tip of the iceberg -- check out the article; it's a good read. And, just maybe, we'll get to see some quality work without the beards and typecasting.
Shalhoub Producing Arab American Film -- American East
Filed under: Drama », Casting », Politics »
Depending on who you ask, you'll get a different response on who Tony Shalhoub is. For some, he's the quirky Italian cab driver from Wings. For others, he's sci fi actor Fred Kwan from Galaxy Quest. And, for many, he's the obsessive compulsive detective, Monk -- a role that has helped him garner 3 Emmy Awards. He is one of the few actors out there who has transcended his race, and is recognized and referred to for his achievements, and not his Arab, Lebanese roots.Considering his efforts as an Arab-American advocate (he helped create the Arab-American Filmmaker Award Competition), Shalhoub should, in time, not only be a successful Hollywood actor, but also a big name for Arab-American relations -- especially after the release of American East. Buzz links the film closely with 9/11, but it is more than just a story about Arabs in America when the Twin Towers fell. The plot revolves around a Jewish-Egyptian-American played by Shalhoub, who agrees to start a restaurant with an Islamic-Egyptian-American -- Skinny Legs and All, anyone? While there are no travelling dirty socks and conch shells in the film, or so I assume, there is a good cast ranging from The L Word's Sarah Shahi to Laura Palmer's creepy father, Ray Wise. The film is directed by Hesham Issawi, who also directed Shalhoub in T for Terrorist, and should be out some time this year.
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