SL_Spotlight_Tony_Shalhoub_0120_Spotlight 1 / 13 / 20 12 : 21 PM Page 1 s S P O T L I G H T Golden Touch From Monk to The Marvelous Mrs . Maisel , Tony Shalhoub continues and a 2018 Tony Award for The Band’s Visit on Broadway . to leave an indelible mark . On The Marvelous Mrs . Maisel , which is a comedy - drama set in the BY DEBRA WALLACE 1950s , Shalhoub makes viewers feel the pain of his character , Abe . Throughout the show , Abe learns to reinvent himself , in part , because of his daughter Miriam “ Midge ” Maisel’s willingness to tackle major life Tony Shalhoub is nothing if not adaptable . Considering changes — from mother and wife to standup comic and rising star — and the range and abundance of roles he has taken on throughout his become the plucky , independent working woman she was meant to be . acting career , one might even call him a chameleon . The show , which has been greenlit for a fourth season , is set in New York Shalhoub is perhaps best known for portraying the obsessive - but gives a nod to Philadelphia in Season Two . compulsive detective Adrian Monk in eight seasons of Monk . Yet Maisel co - star Marin Hinkle admits that she is awed by Shalhoub’s Shalhoub is now earning praise for his role as family patriarch Abe talent : “ Everything that Tony touches ends up turning into some sort Weissman in Amazon Studios ’ binge - worthy smash , The Marvelous of artistic gold . … He’s eccentric and idiosyncratic , in the best possible Mrs . Maisel . way ; his flavors are completely unique . ” Shalhoub’s body of work has included memorable turns in dozens We spoke with Shalhoub about the show’s popularity , the of films , including Big Night , the Men in Black franchise , and Pixar’s challenges associated with producing it , and what today’s audience animated Cars , as well as in TV’s Wings . His trophy case brims with looks for in a character . four Emmys — three for Monk , and one for The Marvelous Mrs . Maisel — with Katharine Hepburn , Grace challenges as [ the show ] goes We have a certain level of chal - It’s easy to Kelly , and Audrey Hepburn . on . So , there’s always a curve - lenge with this material , the lan - see why The When I was Rachel’s age ( 29 ) ball coming at us . This makes it guage , and the speed at which Marvelous Q & A and starting out as an actor , I interesting and certainly keeps we have to spin out this dia - Mrs . Maisel couldn’t have handled a tenth it alive . logue . There’s no showboating ; has become so popular . What of what she is doing . She’s got one person isn’t more impor - is it like for you to be on this so many plates spinning , and What kind of feedback are you tant than the other . It really has beautiful TV show ? she does it with such grace . getting from friends and fans ? to be cohesive and collabora - Oh , it’s such a great world , isn’t She’s such an advocate for They have fallen in love , and tive , and it lends itself to closer it ? The furniture , the dishes , the herself and for her character . I they cannot wait for the next connections . We are all so clothing , those hats and gloves . have learned so much for her . season . That’s a wonderful kind proud of the material and so It’s all rather spectacular , isn’t of paradox that’s going on . proud of each other , and we it ? … Every episode involves a Do you think viewers see her People want to binge watch . want to see each other soar and lot of rehearsals . That’s why it os as a role model ? They can’t help themselves succeed in these challenges . feels like a play . We have two tudi Yes , and she is a heroine , too . from watching it , yet they don’t people on the set ; one is S n Someone who can go outside want it to be over . Have you gotten more watching our words , one is azo of their comfort zones with comfortable in becoming your watching exactly what we’re Am f such sort of courage and Why do you feel that is ? character , Abe Weissman ? doing in terms of continuity . o y strength and take risks . I think Rachel Brosnahan ( who Well , we can only become Two script supervisors . It’s kind rtes Someone who asks , “ How can plays Miriam “ Midge ” Maisel ) comfortable to a certain extent of crazy in a wonderful way . cou we grow and take risks and let brings a certain unusual , inter - because our characters start to aph things fall where they may ? ” is esting , mature level of grace really go through some big What is it about The Marvelous togr exactly what we’re all looking and sophistication . It’s that changes and our relationships Mrs . Maisel that has struck a ho for in our lives right now . P something special like we saw go through alterations and chord with so many people ? ? SUBURBANLIFEMAGAZINE.COM JANUARY 2020 80 |