40 | APRIL 15 • 2021
NEW DISNEY SERIES, GAL
GADOT ON COURAGEOUS
WOMEN, EDITOR TO RETIRE
Big Shot begins streaming on
the Disney+ channel on April
16. Created by Brad Garrett
(Everybody Loves Raymond),
the series stars John Stamos,
57, as Marvyn Korn, a hothead-
ed men’s college basketball
coach who gets ousted by the
NCAA and takes a job at a pri-
vate, all-girls high school.
This is Disney — so the
previously stoic Korn quickly
learns a lesson — teen girls
require much more empathy
than he is used to giving. He
also learns how to show some
of his own vulnerability. During
the six-episode season, Korn
evolves into a better guy.
In real life, if I saw a bas-
ketball coach named Marvyn
Korn, I’d guess it’s likely that
he is Jewish — and maybe
Brad Garrett is signaling that.
But I suspect Korn will be yet
another “stealth” Jewish char-
acter.
Jessalyn Gilsig, 49, co-stars
as Holly, a good-natured,
down-to-earth assistant bas-
ketball coach. Shiri Appleby,
42, was originally cast as Holly,
but was replaced last October.
The head producer decided
he wanted someone who
was more a contemporary of
Stamos should they decide to
write-in a romance between
Marvyn and Holly. This might
be the first time being older
helps a middle-aged actress.
Gilsig has a long list of TV
co-starring roles (Lauren Davis
in Boston Public, Gina Russo
in Nip/Tuck, Terri Schuester in
Glee and Siggy Haraldson on
The Vikings). She wed pro-
ducer Bobby Salomon, her
Montreal high school sweet-
heart, in a Jewish ceremony
in 2005 and they had a child.
Sadly, they split in 2010.
The first episode of Impact
with Gal Gadot begins stream-
ing on Monday, April 19 on the
National Geographic Channel.
The remaining five episodes
will stream on successive
Mondays. Impact is a short-
form documentary series, host-
ed by Gadot, 35. The series
follows six courageous women
who lead their communities
as they cope, together, with
natural disasters or stand up
to violence, discrimination
and oppression. Profiled are
women in Michigan, Louisiana,
Tennessee, Brazil, California,
Puerto Rico and Brazil.
In other Gadot news: A cou-
ple of weeks ago, the Israeli
star announced she is preg-
nant with her third child with
husband Yaron Versano, an
Israeli real estate developer.
Also, last October, it was con-
firmed that she would team up
with Wonder Woman director
Patty Jenkins on a bio-pic
about Cleopatra.
CBS Sunday Morning (April
4) had a nice profile of Marty
Baron, 66, the Washington
Post chief editor (posted on
YouTube and the CBS News
website). Baron is about to
retire. Host Lesley Stahl, 79,
pointed out that President
Biden is 78 and he’s not retir-
ing. Baron, who looks very
healthy, replied that he has
been in journalism for 45 years
and the last five years have
been the hardest (the Trump
attacks on the media and the
pandemic). In almost so many
words, he said he needs a
respite.
CELEBRITY NEWS
NATE BLOOM COLUMNIST
PEABODY AWARDS – GLEE
ARTS&LIFE
Jessalyn
Gilsig
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