ONE LUCKY MENSCH
Actor Joshua Malina credits good fortune for career
Joshua Malina says he’s one of the luckiest actors in Hollywood and also a mensch.
Mensch is a Yiddish word meaning “a person of integrity and honour” and Malina, who plays David Rosen in the hit TV drama Scandal, is thankful for his good fortune.
The series about a crisis management firm in Washington, D.C, begins its third season in September.
“I’d be dishonest if I didn’t acknowledge the role that fortune has played in my career,” says Malina, 47, in a phone interview from Los Angeles, where he lives with his wife, Melissa, and daughters Isabel and Avi.
“It’s sad but true that that’s one of the most important elements, like pursuing something like acting. It’s such a crapshoot, such a lottery. I’d love to be able to say to every young actor who asks me for advice ‘to just stick to it and believe in yourself and if you’ve got the talent you’re going to make it.’ But it’s not true, so I don’t say that to people.”
Malina is the keynote speaker at the Jewish Federation of Ottawa annual campaign kickoff Aug. 25 at the NAC.
His talk is entitled How to Make it in Hollywood and Remain a Mensch.
He says he credits much of his success to Aaron Sorkin, the Oscar-winning screenwriter (The Social Network) who wrote one of TV’s best dramas, The West Wing.
Malina played Will Bailey in that series. He also appeared in the Broadway production of A Few Good Men and in Sorkin’s earlier TV series, Sports Night.
“There are some people who resent the amount of luck that I’ve had and I would say to them ‘ you’re right.’
“If you remove Aaron Sorkin alone, that one factor in my career, I probably would be doing something else for a living.
“I’m not trying to be falsely humble or pretend that I don’t have any confidence in myself, but it’s not enough to be good; you have to have certain opportunities. And they came to me, many if not most of them, through luck. I knew this guy (Sorkin) who was willing to give me a chance, and I know there are people more talented than I am who are not getting the same opportunities. It’s just the reality of pursuing a career as a professional actor.”
Born in New York City and raised in New Rochelle, N.Y., Malina says he was raised in a family in which hearty discussion of issues was encouraged. After graduating from Yale University with a BA in theatre studies, he made his acting debut in the Broadway run of A Few Good Men and later became friends with Sorkin and appeared in many of his TV and film projects.
“My parents discussed things with us. At the same time I went to an orthodox yeshiva (Jewish school) as a boy, even though our level of observance wasn’t orthodox, and I loved it and had a positive experience.
“So, at home the stuff that I was learning was reinforced and my parents didn’t shy away from discussing things such as Israel, religion and politics. We had one of those homes where nothing was taboo and you could work out what you think about things. There was a lot of guidance from my parents, but they gave us room also to develop our own opinions.”
Malina says he has spoken to many Jewish federations in the United States and Canada and it’s a role he’s enjoyed doing since he was asked more than 10 years ago to participate in a pro-Israel rally in Los Angeles.
“They asked me to sit on the celebrity dais. I don’t consider myself a celebrity now, and 12 years ago I certainly wasn’t in the realm of anyone anybody had ever heard of. When I showed up, I noticed there weren’t any actual celebrities there, and I said, ‘This is Los Angeles and it is brimming with famous Jews and where were they?’
“I was told, if it’s something to do with Israel, it’s hard for them to get them to come out. It is considered a politically loaded and controversial topic that people shy away from. It is better now, but I think part of the shame is people feel it is all-ornothing, if I associate myself with Israel in any way then I am giving my stamp on everything Israel does. I think it is a shame to present this black-and-white situation when it is really is grey.”
He says there may be a feeling among some actors that because Hollywood is seen as a “leftie town” it could take away from their leftleaning tendencies if they align themselves with Israel. He says he doesn’t necessarily see it that way, and often encourages his fellow actors to speak on the issues and be critical of Israel policies if it’s warranted.
Malina says he sometimes walks a fine between getting the opportunity to speak his mind and also talking to the converted when he speaks to members of a Jewish Federation.
“I try to be sensitive as not to flog my own opinion beyond just trying to say to get involved. And a lot of it is about being a Jewish parent, about what I have to say. I feel that Jewish parents will do our young people a disservice if we try to paint the situation in the Middle East as black and white, rather than say that you have to look at all sides and get into the issues. Kids are sophisticated enough to sense there’s more to it.”
Scandal, a taut drama penned by Shonda Rhimes (Grey’s Anatomy), has been described by some TV critics as a “guilty pleasure,” seeing that it delves into high-level shenanigans in Washington, D.C. and at a crisis management firm.
“I always feel it’s a shame when I read that, because I don’t know why anybody has to feel guilty watching Scandal,” says Malina. “I feel that it’s a back-handed compliment that seems to suggest that it is not really good. I would quarrel with that assessment, because the show is good. It’s very well-written and directed, and hopefully, well-acted.”