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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