four questions

Who's thinking what and why?

1

If there's breaking news involving Hollywood's A-list celebrities,

MICHAEL CHARACH is usually one of the first to know. Charach,

34, who grew up in Southfield and graduated with a degree in com-

munications from Oakland University in Rochester Hills, is director

of station relations for the CBS television shows Entertainment

Tonight and The Insider. He oversees advertising and promotions

for entertainment news shows filled with the real-life dramas of the

stars. "I think it's a lot of fun and it's great to see celebrities open up

about their lives," Charach says. "As a viewer, I always like to learn

how they deal with their problems."

Charach got his start in television

here in his hometown, first as an

intern in the promotions department

at WXYZ-TV (Channel 7), then as a

WHAT BOOK, CD, MOVIE OR OTHER
MEDIA ARE YOU LONGING TO SHARE?

Foreign films. I want to encourage people to be
bold and have the curiosity to discover the world of
cinema. The Host, directed by Bong Joon-ho, is prob-
ably the best genre film ever to come out of Korea.
And everyone should experience a Bollywood movie.
Bollywood cinema is an amazing collage of music, cos-
tumes, villains, heroes and heroines. It's the best-loved
cinema around the world and for good reason. Another
favorite is Sweet Mud, directed by Dror Shaul. It's a
wonderful Israeli film that tells the story of a young boy
in a 1970s kibbutz whose family is abused and alien-
ated by kibbutz members. It keeps winning "best film"
awards at every festival it enters.

writer/producer for WJBK-TV (Fox 2).

He moved to Los Angeles in 1997,

and his career has been on the rise

ever since. Here, we ask Charach our

version of the Four Questions.

— Robin Schwartz

2

IF YOU COULD HAVE BRUNCH WITH
ONE BIBLICAL OR HISTORICAL
JEWISH FIGURE, WHO WOULD IT BE?

I'd like to have brunch with Raoul Wallenberg, the
non-Jewish Swedish humanitarian who worked at great
personal risk to save thousands of Hungarian Jews from

the Holocaust. One of my first jobs in broadcasting
was working on a video presentation for the [local]
Holocaust Memorial Museum. I screened and tran-
scribed interview tapes of survivors who documented
their experiences. During that project, I learned about
Wallenberg. His courage to risk everything to help save
those who were suffering is an inspiration to me.

3

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE
JEWISH FOOD?

Apples, nuts and wine. Just thinking about my
mother's special Passover charoset makes my mouth
water.

4

WHAT WOULD PEOPLE BE
SURPRISED TO KNOW ABOUT YOU?

I think people would be surprised to know that I
can ballroom dance. My wife and I secretly took lessons
and practiced for weeks leading up to our wedding.
At the big event, I forgot a few steps, but we shocked
everyone with our smooth moves. I think I'm ready for

Dancing with the Stars! ❑

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