Single
ilesearc

Silverman, who grew up in California and
went to school with his close pal David
Schwimmer, a lead in the TV series
"Friends."
"I needed an elective in high school, and
my guidance counselor suggested theater.
I enjoyed myself but certainly wasn't plan-
ning to pursue it as a career.
"I got involved in some of the plays and
was finally cast in a speaking role and,
lo and behold, an agent was in the audi-
ence. He was representing a fellow class-
mate and signed me up. One of my first
auditions was for Brighton Beach Mem-
oirs, and I actually went from the high
school stage to the Broadway stage."
After its New York run, that play took
Mr. Silverman across the country with a
month's stop at the Fisher Theatre in
1984.
"I was in Detroit the year the Tigers won
the World Series," recalled the nonstop
baseball fan, who plays shortstop for the
Hollywood All Stars, a celebrity team that
competes in charity events.
"My favorite baseball player of all time
is Kirk Gibson. Detroit traded him to Los
Angeles for a few seasons, and he helped
us win the World Series in '88. I'm forev-
er indebted to Detroit."
Mr. Silverman went on to act on Broad-
way in two other Neil Simon plays, Biloxi
Blues and Broadway Bound. He also ap-
peared in the made-for-television movie
version of the latter.
Among the actor's film credits are Steal-
ing Home with Jodie Foster and Class Ac-
tion with Gene Hackman. He soon will be
seen in At First Sight and French Exit.
Mr. Silverman, who appeared in an
episode of "Friends," had a regular role on
"Gimme a Break." He also starred in ca-
ble movies, such as Traveling Man with
John Lithgow and For Richer, for Poorer
with Jack Lemmon.
Memoirs.
Although the entertainer studied his
"I lucked into being an actor," said Mr.
craft at New York University while he was
on Broadway, he credits his father and his
grandfather for imparting some of the
skills he now uses.
"My father's a rabbi, and his father was
a rabbi," Mr. Silverman explained. "In a
sense, I watched them perform. I observed
and studied them. Every weekend, they
would get in front of a large group of people
and make them think and laugh and
cry.
SUZANNE CHESSLER
"You might even say I have show busi-
SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
ness in my blood."
Also in his blood is . a commitment to

onathan Silverman is single. Bet-
ter for him — and, he hopes, for
TV viewers across the country —
k: he s The Single Guy."
Mr. Silverman takes the title
role in the new NBC sitcom that
tZ.N,
airs at 8:30 p.m. Thursdays start-
ing Sept. 21. He portrays a char-
acter who shares many of the actor's own
experiences, interests and emotions.
"The show was written for me, and the
character got my first name," explained
Mr. Silverman, 29, who also is on the cre-
ative team planning the series. "We're both
somewhat sensitive and a bit funny. I cer-
tainly have had blind dates and setups
just as Jonathan Eliot will."
Mr. Silverman, however, does not be-
lieve the show will become a date-of-the-
week program.
"It will focus on both the joys and pains
of being single," he said. "True, my char-
acter doesn't have the same responsibili-
ties as his friends with spouses and
children, but by the same token he doesn't
have a soul mate, which is a very sad and
lonely scenario.
"In terms of sticking to reality, my phi-
losophy, which was handed down to me
by the great and legendary Neil Simon, is
that if it's not real, it's not funny. Each
week we will deal with real situations and
real issues as well as poke fun at real
events."
With just about every other cast mem-
ber married as a contrast to "The Single
Guy," episodes build on Jonathan Eliot's
work as a journalist/novelist, romances
with former and new girlfriends and com-
munity concerns.
Mr. Silverman has a strong foundation
for planning shows with a Neil Simon out-
look. His first professional role was in the
Broadway production of Brighton Beach

A single guy brings a
singles series
to NBC.

Jonathan Silverman: Playing himself?

Jewish charities. He is active with the
West Coast Friends of Bar-Ilan Universi-
ty, the Anti-Defamation League and Holo-
caust remembrance organizations.
When the U.S. Holocaust Museum
opened in Washington, he presented read-
ings.
"I have the tendency to say 'yes' to every-
thing that is asked of me," he confessed
about his community service. "I was raised
that way, and Pm on the boards of many
charities."
Other cast members in "The Single
Guy" include Joey Slotnick, portraying a
studio engineer and the best friend of the
main character; Ming-Na Wen acting as
the best friend's wife and an art gallery
owner; Jessica Hecht and Mark Moses de-
picting friends consumed with being new
parents; and Ernest Borgnine appearing
as his apartment building's jovial door-
man.
The show has two creative ties to
"Brooklyn Bridge," a weekly program
about a Jewish family that aired several
seasons ago. Brad Hall has worked as pm-
ducer and writer for both series, and Sam
Weisman has been director for both.
`This show has given me a great excuse
to remain single — research purposes,"

Mr. Silverman joked. "Seriously, I've been
involved in a relationship for about a year
and a half, which is quite lengthy for me.
We met on a softball field, where we were
on competing teams. Her team won, and
I like to go with a winner."
Mr. Silverman and his friend, coun-
try/western singer Anna Lee, recently re-
alized they share a desire expressed by
attached characters in the show — fix-
ing up all their single friends.
'We talked about this in our pilot, the
need to turn everyone else into a couple,"
Mr. Silverman said. "We don't do it on pur-
pose, and we don't mean to put anyone in
uncomfortable or humiliating circum-
stances.
"I haven't gone through a setup in quite
some time because I am in a relationship,
but I have put some of my friends through
it. I've had one or two successes."
While Mr. Silverman is bringing a lot
of himself into his new series, he also has
taken something from the character he
portrays. Up to now, the actor has not been
a writer, but a request from Details Mag-
azine is putting him to work writing an
article.
`That also will be more research for The
Single Guy,' " Mr. Silverman said. 0

83