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Friday February 23, 2007

Celebrity Jews

by nate bloom

All about Anton

Anton Yelchin, 17, is a very cute and talented young actor. I first noticed him when he co-starred in “Hearts in Atlantis” (2001). Then I thought he was terrific as Hank Azaria’s son in the recently ended Showtime series, “Huff.”

Most recently, Yelchin starred in “Alpha Dog,” which is still in a few theaters. While the film didn’t get great reviews, most critics singled-out Yelchin for praise.

Available biographies say that Anton is a serious but funny young man; that he was born in Russia, came to the United States in 1989 and that his parents were top figure skaters in the former Soviet Union. His father, Viktor Yelchin, was Sasha Cohen’s first skating coach, and his mother, Irina Korina Yelchin, currently choreographs skating routines for top competitors.

But every bio was silent about Anton’s religious background. Just recently, though, I was referred to a Los Angeles Times piece from 1989. It said Anton’s parents, both Jewish, were stars of the Leningrad Ice Ballet for 15 years. However, they still faced discrimination: Both qualified for the 1972 Olympics, but were left off the Soviet Olympic team because they were Jews.

In 1989, the couple gave up a comfortable life in the Soviet Union and sought refugee status in America. When the Times reporter asked why they did this, they had a one-word answer: “Anton” — then a 6-month-old baby. The Yelchins were afraid for their son’s future in a country where the economy frequently goes bad and there was — and still is — the threat of political and religious persecution.

Anton’s biggest film yet, “Charlie Bartlett,” is scheduled to open this summer. He has the title role, starring as a sharp high school student who has all the angles figured out. The supporting cast includes Robert Downey, Jr. and the pretty young Jewish actress Kat Dennings.

Film note

Opening last Friday, Feb. 16, to very good reviews, was “Breach,” a thriller starring Chris Cooper and Laura Linney. It’s based on the real case of Robert Hanssen, an FBI agent who spied for the Russians. It’s the second film directed by Billy Ray. He made his directorial debut with “Shattered Glass” (2003), a well-received movie also based on a real case (a magazine reporter who made up his stories). Ray wrote the screenplay for both films.

Ray says that he knows his “country music” name is “a curse” for a Jewish guy. He is named after Willy Burns, his great-uncle and the brother of comedian George Burns.

A Conservative Jon Stewart?

Jon Stewart and others on the Comedy Central channel have long provided a comedic take on the news from a mostly liberal perspective. The conservative-leaning Fox News Channel has been a favorite target of Stewart.

Now, Fox News sort of strikes back by offering a comedic “pseudo-news” show that makes fun of news events and the media from a conservative vantage point.

On Sunday, Feb. 18, Fox News Channel aired the first episode of “The 1/2 Hour News Hour.” It will repeat the pilot at 10 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 25. The second episode will air at the same time March 4, and repeat at 10 p.m. March 11. Only two episodes have been made — they are a test to see if there is a market for a right-wing satirical show.

The creator of “The 1/2 Hour News Hour” is Joel Surnow, a Jewish guy who is most known for co-creating and producing “24,” the hit Fox TV action-adventure series. Surnow firmly identifies himself as a political conservative and as a strong supporter of Israel.

Columnist Nate Bloom, an Oaklander, can be reached at middleoftheroad1@aol.com.

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