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CELEBRITy PROFILE | HiSHaM tawfiq D
Hisham tawfiq unny people
‘Blacklist’ star reaps hero’s rewards BINGE THIS:
Jerry Seinfeld has a thing for cars. And
coffee. And comedians. Everyone dreams
By Shona Dustan of combining their favorite things into
TV Media one dream job, but Seinfeld has made his
dream job a reality. (Turns out all it takes to
As a high school quarterback who also took dance lessons, Hisham Tawfiq make it happen is creating and starring in
was a well-rounded individual from the start. Tawfiq enlisted in the Marine nine seasons of arguably the most iconic
Corps at a young age and served during the Gulf War, showing a penchant for sitcom in history. Easy peasy!) In each
selfless heroism that ultimately led him to public service and a career in the episode of the aptly named “Comedians
New York fire department. He was accepted into the FDNY in 1996, and, until in Cars Getting Coffee,” Seinfeld picks
recently, firefighting was his full-time gig — he was on the scene for 9/11 and up a famous comedian in one of his many Jerry Seinfeld as seen in “Comedians in
has responded to more fires than he can count. Through it all, he never gave expensive cars and takes them to a coffee Cars Getting Coffee”
up his artistic dreams and continued to dance and audition for as many parts shop, where they chat and sip their drinks.
as possible. Though he landed various supporting roles in television and film, Obviously it’s the chatting part that makes the show — Seinfeld is captivating enough
it wasn’t until he was cast as Dembe, Red Reddington’s (James Spader) right-hand man in NBC’s “The Blacklist,” that he got his big on his own, throw in another famous comedian and you get some hilarious, illuminating
break. Tawfiq’s striking portrayal of the character earned him a recurring role, though Dembe was not supposed to last more than a few
episodes, and last spring, NBC announced that Tawfiq would be promoted to series regular. In October 2015, he finally quit his day job, conversations you won’t want to miss. There are six seasons (and more to come) of this
comedy series waiting for you on Crackle, featuring comedians such as Jimmy Fallon,
retiring from the FDNY after 20 years to begin a new chapter of his life as a television star.
Sarah Silverman, Chris Rock and many, many more.
faCtS:
• Born September 24, 1976 (39 years old) in New York City, New • Played Walter Lee Younger in “A Raisin in the Sun” on stage with WHAT’S NEW:
York The Arkansas Repertory company
• Grew up in Harlem • Served in the Marine Corps and was deployed during Desert Hulu’s original series has been
• Was a high school quarterback, but was seriously injured in his Storm renewed for a second season, and for good
reason — the first, which wrapped earlier
senior year • Worked as a corrections officer at Sing Sing prison for two this month, is considered by many to be
• Inspired by NFL star Herschel Walker, he took up dance to im- years after leaving the military the best comedy of 2015, and now you can
prove his balance and agility • Joined the FDNY and worked as a fire fighter while simultane- stream the whole season on Hulu. Starring
ously pursuing an acting career
• Passed up a chance to go to Hampton or Cornell University in • First audition was for Spike Lee’s “Clockers” (1995); the role he Michaela Watkins (“Trophy Wife”), Tommy
favor of traveling to France to perform with his dance company auditioned for ultimately went to Mekhi Phifer Dewey (“The Mindy Project”) and Tara
• Studied at the Negro Ensemble Theater Company, which has • Has appeared in eight films, including “Notorious” (2009) and Lynne Barr (“Aquarius”), the plot centers yasha Hatendi and ommy ewey as
produced such alumni as Phylicia Rashad, Ossie Davis and “Dead Man Down” (2013) around a brother and sister — the former seen in “Casual”
Denzel Washington • Was made a “Blacklist” series regular in 2015 is a womanizing Peter Pan figure, the latter
an uptight, divorced mother of a teenager
quoteS: — living together as they struggle through life’s challenges and deal with their own is
You’ve got to keep at it, you’ve got to win, you have to over- the Marines and in the fire department, so I just carried all of that sues. It’s a simple premise that “Casual” pulls off with edgy comedic flair. Hulu’s newest
come, you have to adapt — all of that was drilled into my head in training, that mental endurance, into my craft.” show does not disappoint, and you can watch it all on the streaming site.
6 Piedmont tV January 3 - 9, 2016 January 3 - 9, 2016 Piedmont
Hisham tawfiq unny people
‘Blacklist’ star reaps hero’s rewards BINGE THIS:
Jerry Seinfeld has a thing for cars. And
coffee. And comedians. Everyone dreams
By Shona Dustan of combining their favorite things into
TV Media one dream job, but Seinfeld has made his
dream job a reality. (Turns out all it takes to
As a high school quarterback who also took dance lessons, Hisham Tawfiq make it happen is creating and starring in
was a well-rounded individual from the start. Tawfiq enlisted in the Marine nine seasons of arguably the most iconic
Corps at a young age and served during the Gulf War, showing a penchant for sitcom in history. Easy peasy!) In each
selfless heroism that ultimately led him to public service and a career in the episode of the aptly named “Comedians
New York fire department. He was accepted into the FDNY in 1996, and, until in Cars Getting Coffee,” Seinfeld picks
recently, firefighting was his full-time gig — he was on the scene for 9/11 and up a famous comedian in one of his many Jerry Seinfeld as seen in “Comedians in
has responded to more fires than he can count. Through it all, he never gave expensive cars and takes them to a coffee Cars Getting Coffee”
up his artistic dreams and continued to dance and audition for as many parts shop, where they chat and sip their drinks.
as possible. Though he landed various supporting roles in television and film, Obviously it’s the chatting part that makes the show — Seinfeld is captivating enough
it wasn’t until he was cast as Dembe, Red Reddington’s (James Spader) right-hand man in NBC’s “The Blacklist,” that he got his big on his own, throw in another famous comedian and you get some hilarious, illuminating
break. Tawfiq’s striking portrayal of the character earned him a recurring role, though Dembe was not supposed to last more than a few
episodes, and last spring, NBC announced that Tawfiq would be promoted to series regular. In October 2015, he finally quit his day job, conversations you won’t want to miss. There are six seasons (and more to come) of this
comedy series waiting for you on Crackle, featuring comedians such as Jimmy Fallon,
retiring from the FDNY after 20 years to begin a new chapter of his life as a television star.
Sarah Silverman, Chris Rock and many, many more.
faCtS:
• Born September 24, 1976 (39 years old) in New York City, New • Played Walter Lee Younger in “A Raisin in the Sun” on stage with WHAT’S NEW:
York The Arkansas Repertory company
• Grew up in Harlem • Served in the Marine Corps and was deployed during Desert Hulu’s original series has been
• Was a high school quarterback, but was seriously injured in his Storm renewed for a second season, and for good
reason — the first, which wrapped earlier
senior year • Worked as a corrections officer at Sing Sing prison for two this month, is considered by many to be
• Inspired by NFL star Herschel Walker, he took up dance to im- years after leaving the military the best comedy of 2015, and now you can
prove his balance and agility • Joined the FDNY and worked as a fire fighter while simultane- stream the whole season on Hulu. Starring
ously pursuing an acting career
• Passed up a chance to go to Hampton or Cornell University in • First audition was for Spike Lee’s “Clockers” (1995); the role he Michaela Watkins (“Trophy Wife”), Tommy
favor of traveling to France to perform with his dance company auditioned for ultimately went to Mekhi Phifer Dewey (“The Mindy Project”) and Tara
• Studied at the Negro Ensemble Theater Company, which has • Has appeared in eight films, including “Notorious” (2009) and Lynne Barr (“Aquarius”), the plot centers yasha Hatendi and ommy ewey as
produced such alumni as Phylicia Rashad, Ossie Davis and “Dead Man Down” (2013) around a brother and sister — the former seen in “Casual”
Denzel Washington • Was made a “Blacklist” series regular in 2015 is a womanizing Peter Pan figure, the latter
an uptight, divorced mother of a teenager
quoteS: — living together as they struggle through life’s challenges and deal with their own is
You’ve got to keep at it, you’ve got to win, you have to over- the Marines and in the fire department, so I just carried all of that sues. It’s a simple premise that “Casual” pulls off with edgy comedic flair. Hulu’s newest
come, you have to adapt — all of that was drilled into my head in training, that mental endurance, into my craft.” show does not disappoint, and you can watch it all on the streaming site.
6 Piedmont tV January 3 - 9, 2016 January 3 - 9, 2016 Piedmont
