Tony Shalhoub Movies
A uniquely gifted and versatile actor possessing the distinct ability to immerse himself in a role so convincingly that he becomes almost unrecognizable -- from a quality obsessed restaurateur (Big Night, 1996) to a master criminal bent on world domination (Spy Kids, 2001) -- one can always count on Tony Shalhoub to deliver a memorable performance no matter how small his role may be.Well-known to television audiences for his extended stint as a self-deprecating cabbie on the long-running series Wings, Shalhoub made the often-painful transition from television to film with a grace seldom seen. Born in Green Bay, WI, Shalhoub developed his passion for theater at the youthful age of six when he volunteered via his sister to play an extra in a high-school production of The King and I. Shalhoub was hooked. After earning his master's degree from the Yale Drama School and spending four seasons at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, MA, Shalhoub packed his bags for New York where he began a luminous career on Broadway. Broadway brought Shalhoub success not only in his career, but in his personal life as well: he was nominated for a Tony for his role in Conversations With My Father and he met his future wife, actress Brooke Adams, while acting in The Heidi Chronicles. It was not long after his Broadway success that Shalhoub made his feature debut, as a doctor in the 1990 AIDS drama Longtime Companion.
Shalhoub's film career has been a testament to his range and a compliment to his abilities. Though prone to comedy, his dramatic roles have gained him just as much, if not more, recognition than his comedic roles. Winning the Best Supporting Actor award from the National Society of Film Critics for his well-researched role in Big Night (1996), Shalhoub expanded his dramatic film repertoire with roles in A Civil Action and The Siege (both 1998), while always maintaining his knack for humor (1997's Men in Black). Shalhoub's role as the ultra-mellow "anti-Scottie" in the Star Trek send-up Galaxy Quest (1999) proved that his comic persona was indeed still as sharp as ever. Sticking in the sci-fi/fantasy mold for his roles in Imposter and Spy Kids (both 2001), Shalhoub once again proved that he could do 180-degree character turnarounds with ease. Though Shalhoub would stay in sci-fi mode for his role in Men in Black 2, he would return to solid ground with his role as an obsessive-compulsive detective in the well-received television pilot Monk (2002). Directed by Galaxy Quest helmer Dean Parisot, the pilot for Monk successfully paved the way for the curiously innovative USA series to follow and found the actor warmly re-embracing the medium that had propelled him to stardom. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Filmmaker Peter Miller explores the crimes, trial, and execution of notorious 20th-century anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti in a documentary that highlights just how this landmark case came to symbolize the injustice and intolerance experienced by immigrants longing to pursue their dreams in the land of the free. It was 1920 when Italian immigrant anarchists Sacco and Vanzetti were accused of murder in Massachusetts. Seven years later, when the jurors delivered their final verdict in a notoriously prejudiced trial, both men were condemned to death despite massive protests both in the U.S. and abroad. Eight decades later, as America continues to wrestle with issues of civil rights, immigrant liberties, and dissent, the case of Sacco and Vanzetti continues to resonate. In addition to balancing the personal and political aspects of the case as well as looking into the legal climate of the era, Miller's film brings the prison writings of Sacco and Vanzetti to life as never before as Tony Shalhoub and John Turturro read the deeply personal letters written by the pair during their ordeal. Additional music, artwork, poetry, and film clips inspired by the case propel the narrative by highlighting just what a lasting impression the Sacco and Vanzetti case has had on American culture. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
TV's favorite obsessive-compulsive, phobia-ridden detective is back for another 16 hour-long episode in the fifth season of Monk. The opener finds former San Francisco homicide detective Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub) bedevilled by an egotistical movie star (Stanley Tucci) who is slated to portray Monk in an upcoming movie. But this irritation is a mere pinprick compared to what is in store for our hero in subsequent episodes. For example, in the episode "Mr. Monk Can't See a Thing", the detective faces the possibility of permanent blindess after an "accidental" firehouse explosion. In "Mr. Monk's Class Reunion", Monk must again confront bitter memories of his wife's murder, all the while endeavoring to save a former classmate from a similar demise (by the way, this is the episode in which we discover that Monk attended the University of California at Berkeley--and that his college nickame was "Captain Cool") Equally traumatic is the prospect that Monk's longtime psychiatrist Dr. Kroger (Stanley Kamel) will retire in disgrace after one of his former patients is accused of murder in "Mr. Monk Gets a New Shrink". On a lighter note, in "Mr. Monk Makes a Friend" the infamously neurotic detective is inexplicably befriended by a seemingly neurosis-free guy named Hal, played by comedian Andy Richter. And when he goes undercover as the butler to a suspected murderer in "Mr. Monk Is at Your Service", Monk's list of 311 phobias is suddenly increased to 312 when he develops an overwhelming aversion to frogs. Two of the more noteworthy episodes this season are "Mr. Monk, Private Eye" in which Sharon Lawrence is introduced as Linda Fusco, who will become the new love interest for the recently divorced Captain Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine; and the self-explantory Yuletide installment "r. Monk Meets His Dad", with Dan Hedaya in the title role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Season Four of Monk offers 16 new episodes (and a bonus) delineating the adventures of obsessive-compulsive detective Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub). Functioning as Monk's erstwhile caregiver and assistant this season is Traylor Howard as Valerie Teeger, who had taken over from our hero's previous nurse Sharona Fleming in the middle of Season Three, due to the defection of supporting actress Bitty Schram. In the season opener, Monk meets his match--or so it seems--in the form of know-it-all detective Marty Eels (played by ex-Seinfeld costar Jason Alexander). Next up, John Turturo returns as Monk's agoraphobic brother Ambrose in a Halloween story that also involves the siblings' long-lost father. Then, Natalie takes over for a bedridden Monk to tackle the case of a murdered pizza deliveryman. To solve a subsequent homicide, Monk goes undercover at a business office--and finds he enjoys the work so much he almost loses sight of why he's there. Later on, Monk goes off on an unexpected bender in wine country, sobering up long enough to crack the case of a murder with a "nonexistent" victim. A dash of poignancy is added to the mixture when Monk finds out that his late wife Trudy may still be alive--and that she might have committed murder. And the episode "Mr. Monk and the Big Reward" introduces three brand-new, markedly eccentric detective characters, suggesting that the episode may have been intended as the pilot for a spinoff series. Other cases this season include the attempted murder of Monk's police buddy Lt. Disher (Jason Gray-Stanford) at the wedding of Natalie's brother, and a less-than-sentimental journey to the past when Monk comes to the rescue of his childhood crush. Also: the death of a model whisks Monk off to the world of high-fashion (and bulimia!); an amnesiac Monk is led to believe that he is the husband of a small-town woman named Cora (Roseanne's Laurie Metcalf); Monk's police colleague Captain Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine) can't keep his mind on his work when he suspects that his "hippie" wife Karen (Glenne Headly) is having an affair; Monk sets out to prove an astronaut committed a murder that took place when the suspect was orbiting the earth; and a visit to the dentist's office leaves Monk at the mercy of a robber-murderer who seems to be a big fan of Marathon Man. In the season finale, Monk is summoned to jury duty for a minor robbery trial--and ends up solving yet another murder, not to mention foiling a scheme to spring a big-time criminal. In addition to the above-mentioned episodes, Season Four of Monk yields a special Christmas edition, "Monk and the Secret Santa", wherein murder rears its ugly head at the height of the SFPD's annual Holiday party--with Captain Stottlemeyer as the apparent target! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Shalhoub, Traylor Howard, (more)
- 2005
- Add The Naked Brothers Band: The Movie to QueueAdd The Naked Brothers Band: The Movie to top of Queue
A pair of pint-sized rock stars wrestle with the perils of stardom, icky girls, and too much soda pop in this mockumentary comedy. Nine-year-old Nat Wolff is the singer, guitarist and songwriter for a rock band known as the Silver Bullets, which features his six-year-old brother, Alex Wolff, on the drums. With the help of their equally youthful bandmates Joshua Kaye, Thomas Batuello, and David Levi, Nat and Alex have built the Silver Bullets into one of the most popular groups on Earth, thanks to the business acumen of their manager, Cooper Pillot, and despite the uncalled-for assistance of Nat and Alex's accordion-wielding father (Michael Wolff). But life at the top isn't always easy, and creative differences begin to drive a wedge into the group when Nat insists they record a love ballad dedicated to his nine-year-old girlfriend, Rosalina (Allie Dimeco), while his bandmates would prefer to cut Thomas' "Boys Rule, Girls Drool." As the squabbling continues and Alex becomes addicted to lemon-lime soda, the Silver Bullets break up, but will the pleas of their many fans encourage them to reunite? The Naked Brothers Band was written and directed by Polly Draper, who happens to be Nat and Alex's real-life mom; the Silver Bullets write and perform their own material, and Draper was inspired by her kids' pre-teen musical exploits. Julianne Moore, Uma Thurman, and Cyndi Lauper make cameo appearances as some of the group's better-known fans. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nat Wolff, Alex Wolff, (more)
The first episode of Monk's third season resolves the cliffhanger set up at the end of season two, as obsessive-compulsive consulting detective Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub) trepidly follows a trail of clues from San Francisco to New York in hopes of solving the murder of his beloved wife, Trudy. In a later caper, animal-phobic Monk is forced to babysit a chimpanzee who has been accused of shooting his owner to death! Still later, Monk is fired by the police commissioner for making an embarrassing boo-boo, but wins back his job literally by a hair. Also, our hyper-sensitive hero tries to figure out how a man who was murdered in 1995 could turn up "newly" dead during a citywide blackout; he utilizes his photographic memory to the "max" while trying to trip up the homicidal host of a popular TV game; he is forced to go into protective custody, driving the federal agent (Josh Stamberg) assigned to protect him to the brink of insanity; and he proves that professional jealousy was not the motive in the murder of a "model" employee at his local mega-mart. During the first half of the season, Monk is assisted by his faithful nurse, Sharona Fleming, played by Bitty Schram. When the actress left the show over a salary dispute, Monk was given a new assistant in the form of Natalie Teeger (Traylor Howard), a former bartender and the single mother of an 11-year-old daughter. The season finale finds the hapless Monk, who lives in mortal terror of dirty diapers and mother's milk, forming a strong bond with a 22-month-old child who may be able to provide a vital clue in a strange murder and stranger kidnapping. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Shalhoub, Bitty Schram, (more)
America's favorite super-phobic, obsessive-compulsive detective is back on the job as Monk launches its second season. Still freelancing as a consultant for the SFPD, and ever hoping that he will one day be reinstated on the force as a full detective, the hilariously hypersensitive Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub) gingerly picks through clues and braves such "horrors" as dirty sewer water, large crowds, and darkened rooms, aided and abetted by his nurse, Sharona Fleming (Bitty Schram). This season's case load begins as Monk visits the school where his late wife, Trudy, was once employed, whereupon he probes into the highly suspect "suicide" of an English teacher. Subsequent episodes find Monk nervously traveling to Mexico to determine how a man could possibly drown in mid-air; developing a symbiotic relationship with a baseball player suspected of killing his wife; doing his best to avoid investigating a murder in which a key piece of evidence is a nude picture of Sharona; calling a truce in his ongoing feud with his brother Ambrose (John Turtorro) to deal with a "life or death" situation involving, of all things, a cherry pie; piecing together enough evidence to trap the host of a popular "true crime" TV series who has committed murder over residuals; offering to locate a kidnapped grandmother, whose abductors have demand a ransom consisting of hot turkey dinners; and coming to the rescue of Sharona's actress sister (Amy Sedaris), accused of killing a fellow actor during a performance. New to the series this season is Glenne Headley in the recurring role of Karen Stottlemeyer, wife of Monk's long-suffering boss Captain Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine), who insists upon invading her husband's office to film her air-headed documentaries. The season ends on a cliffhanger, as Monk goes to prison to flush out a nest of neo-Nazis. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Shalhoub, Bitty Schram, (more)
Award-winning actor Tony Shalhoub adds the "director" hyphenate to his calling card with this labor of love, starring his wife, Brooke Adams, and written by his sister-in-law, Lynne Adams. Made-Up lightly parodies the reality-TV "makeover" craze as it tells the tale of Elizabeth (Brooke Adams), a middle-aged divorcée who agrees to be made over by her daughter Sara (Eva Amurri), a process which will be documented for eternity by her aspiring-filmmaker sister, Kate (Lynne Adams). A former actress still smarting over her long-since faded stardom, Elizabeth is none too pleased at having her transformation videotaped, but she goes along with it, and soon finds that her "new you" is winning over the affections of a new beau, restaurateur Max (Shalhoub). But self-doubt continues to nag at Elizabeth, to the point where she almost undermines her own chances at romance. Lynne Adams based her screenplay on her own one-woman play; Gary Sinise makes an appearance as Elizabeth's ex-husband. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brooke Adams, Lynne Adams, (more)
Having been put on administrative leave following his nervous breakdown after the unsolved murder of his wife, Trudy, brilliant homicide detective Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub) returns to work as Monk begins its first season. Unfortunately, during his three years away from the San Francisco Police Department, Monk has morphed into the "obsessive-compulsive" to end all obsessive-compulsives, with a mortal fear of everything from cow's milk to unshined shoes. However, Monk's affliction has sharpened his photographic memory and attention to the most infinitesimal of details, thus his many eccentricities are tolerated by his old friend SFPD captain Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine) and his deputy Lt. Randall Disher (Jason Gray-Stanford). Still, the department balks at fully reinstating Monk until he is "cured" (as if!), so our hyper-phobic hero works in a freelance capacity. Acting as Monk's assistant is his loyal nurse, Sharona Fleming (Bitty Schram). Monk's first case has him diligently determining a link between two apparently unconnected crimes, the murder of a young woman and the attempted assassination of a mayoral candidate. In subsequent episodes, Monk pulls the rug out from under a phony psychic detective; attempts to ascertain if an 800-pound man was capable of committing a murder that would have required a very slim assailant; tries to figure out how a man could be stabbed atop a ferris wheel without any witnesses; looks into the mystery of the "billionaire mugger"; struggles to clear a murder suspect who bears a startling resemblance to his late wife; hunts for clues at "the cleanest crime scene in crime history"; agonizingly endures a cross-country flight to solve a killing and unmask an impostor; and, during a brief rest stop at a mental institution, follows a trail of murder patients to the likely perpetrator -- and this while spending most of his time in a straitjacket! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Shalhoub, Bitty Schram, (more)
- 2002
The versatile Tony Shalhoub starred in this weekly, hour-long mystery series as Adrian Monk, an unorthodox but undeniably brilliant San Francisco police detective. Quitting the force after the death of his wife, Monk suddenly began developing profound and bizarre obsessive-compulsive tendencies, allowing his many phobias -- including a morbid fear of heights, germs, darkness, crowds, even dairy products -- to compromise his skills as a forensic investigator. Nonetheless, Monk flourished as a private detective with the help of his live-in nurse Sharona Fleming (Bitty Schram) and the grudging assistance of his envious former SFPD superior Captain Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine). A marvelous blend of high humor and deadly seriousness (in the two-hour opener, Monk had to chase a perpetrator into the sewer system, nearly causing him to go into a hissy-fit when his immaculate wardrobe picked up a stain or two), Monk debuted with much fanfare over the USA cable network on July 12, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Shalhoub
- 1996
A 12-person focus group comprised of ordinary citizens reviews Frasier's radio show. 11 of the 12 love the show; the 12th, the owner of a newspaper stand, does not. Neurotically obsessing over why this particular group member is apparently hostile toward him, Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) begins stalking the poor fellow -- and nearly destroys his life. The hapless newsie is played by guest star Tony Shalhoub, several years removed from his starring turn on Monk. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
The title of this made-for-TV period drama refers to a low-income suburban New Jersey housing project, which in the year 1958 represents the life's dream of vivacious Brooklyn housewife Gloria Goodman (Kirstie Alley. Weighed down with a well-meaning but boorish husband (Clancy Brown) and a pair of unruly children (Adam Lamberg, Tori McPetrie), Gloria can only dream of life beyond the four walls of her drab little apartment. Enter Bert Kramer (Gil Bellows), a freewheeling young "beat" writer who may well be the only person capable of liberating Gloria and paving the way towards that El Dorado known as Radiant City. The film made its ABC debut on March 31, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kirstie Alley, Clancy Brown, (more)
The outrageous sitcom Wings is back for Season 7 (1995-96), with brothers Joe (Tim Daly) and Brian Hackett (Steven Weber) of Sandpiper Air and their friends and co-workers of Tom Nevers Field. This season, Joe and Helen (Crystal Bernard) enjoy wedded bliss, but not for long, as Brian and Casey (Amy Yasbeck) burn down Helen's house, and the two couples have to live together. Plus, Roy (David Schramm) meets his son's new boyfriend; Fay (Rebecca Schull) announces she's getting hitched; and cabdriver Antonio (Tony Shalhoub) looks for love in all the wrong places when he unknowingly dates a hooker. This four-disc set includes all 26 Season 7 episodes that originally aired on NBC.
- Starring:
- Tim Daly, Steven Weber, (more)
In this season of Wings, Sandpiper Air owner Joe Hackett (Tim Daly) finally wins over lunch counter operator Helen Chappel (Crystal Bernard), as they become engaged and plan their wedding. And not a moment too soon, as Helen's competitive older sister, Casey (Amy Yasbeck), arrives to shake things up, catching the eye of cabdriver Antonio (Tony Shalhoub) and evoking the ire of Joe's newly single brother, Brian (Steven Weber). Plus, batty Fay (Rebecca Schull) quits her job then regrets it, dimwitted Lowell (Thomas Haden Church) turns budding artist (and tries vegetarianism), and surly Roy Biggins (David Schramm) welcomes a mail-order bride! This set contains all 26 episodes from the 1994-95 season.
- Starring:
- Tim Daly, Steven Weber, (more)
Based on a Broadway play and featuring the Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim score, this is a remake of the 1962 movie which was based on the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee, a stripper, depicting her life growing up in "show biz." ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bette Midler, Cynthia Gibb, (more)
Wings is still flying high in its fourth season (1992-93), with the Hackett brothers of Sandpiper Air and their friends and co-workers at Tom Nevers Field. From the moment the gang is rescued from a plane crash (seen in the cliffhanger ending of Season 3) to the introduction of Alex Lambert (Farrah Forke), the sexy new love interest for Joe (Tim Daly) and Brian (Steven Weber), life on Nantucket has never been funnier. Is neurotic Joe or screw-up Brian going to land Alex? And will Helen (Crystal Bernard) finally see her career take off? This season, Roy Biggins (David Schramm) expresses his musical side; cabdriver Antonio (Tony Shalhoub) expresses his sensitive side; and Fay (Rebecca Schull) lands a big part in a local production dubbed "Phantom of the Oprah." Plus, dim-witted Lowell (Thomas Haden Church) ends up living with Joe and Brian...and even dates Helen! This four-disc set includes all 22 episodes of Season 4.
- Starring:
- Tim Daly, Steven Weber, (more)
- 1991
As their romance escalates, Joe (Tim Daly) and Helen (Crystal Bernard) intend to celebrate Valentine's Day by revisiting "that special place." Trouble is, they can't agree on where exactly that "special place" is. In other affairs of the heart, Roy (David Schramm) prepares to pay a terrible price for lying in a classified ad while seeking out a date. Tony Shalhoub makes his first series appearance in the role of moonstruck Italian cab driver Antonio Scarpacci. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1991
Tyne Daly, the sister of series star Tim Daly, guests in this episode as a millionairess with the whimsical moniker of Mimsy Borogroves. The arrival of Mimsy on the isle of Nantucket has Helen (Crystal Bernard), Roy (David Schramm), and Fay (Rebecca Schull) falling over themselves trying to curry favor with the woman in hopes that she will bankroll their individual pet projects. But as things develop, it is Joe (Tim Daly) and Brian (Steven Weber) who are most profoundly affected by Mimsy's presence. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1991
Joe (Tim Daly) insists that he does not want the gang to throw him a birthday party. Evidently everyone takes this insistence as gospel, but Joe still suspects that they intend to spring a surprise on him. When Fay (Rebecca Schull) asks him to remain in the terminal after hours to await a crated shipment of airplane seats, Joe convinces himself that everyone intends to jump out of that selfsame crate and shower him with presents. As it turns out, a surprise has indeed been planned -- albeit for the wrong night! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1991
The marriage between the usually laid-back Lowell (Thomas Haden Church) and his bride Bunny (a pre-ER Laura Innes) is imperiled by Lowell's jealousy. Assuming that Lowell's suspicions are unfounded and irrational, Brian (Steven Weber) generously offers to act as mediator and discuss the situation with Bunny. Imagine Brian's surprise when Bunny suddenly comes on to both him and his brother Joe (Tim Daly)...and imagine further the fireworks when Lowell finds out! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1991
The business rivalry between Joe (Tim Daly) and Roy (David Schramm) spills over into the political arena when both men compete for the same town-council seat. The situation gets even stickier when the local newspaper refuses to endorse either Joe or Roy, choosing instead to back Joe's campaign manager Fay (Rebecca Schull). As it turns out, the newspaper's editorial staff has been "bought off" by a surfeit of home-baked goodies. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1991
Outraged over her discovery of the romance between Joe (Tim Daly) and Gail (Gretchen German), Helen (Crystal Bernard) has vented her wrath by driving her jeep into Joe's office, thoroughly smashing up the place. When she refuses to pay for the damages, Joe takes Helen to small claims court. Unfortunately, Joe can't find anyone willing to take his side in the matter -- nor even deliver the subpoena to Helen. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
