90 | SEPTEMBER 14 • 2023
NOT A NICE DAY IN THE
PARK AND THE MAMA’S
DAUGHTER
Wilderness is an original
Amazon Prime mystery-thrill-
er series that will premiere
Sept. 15. Oddly, the number
of episodes isn’t stated
anywhere. Amazon never
“drops” a whole season
when a show premieres.
So, be ready to follow it
for “about” 10 successive
weeks.
Here’s the basic plot:
Wilderness revolves around
a British couple Liv (Jenna
Coleman) and Will (Oliver
Jackson-Cohen, 36) who
seem to have it all: a
rock-solid marriage and a
glamorous new life in New
York. Then Liv learns about
Will’s affair. Her heartbreak
is followed by furious rage,
and she wants revenge.
Will proposes a trip
around America’s epic
National Parks to give their
relationship a fresh start.
Liv thinks the trip will give
her opportunities to get
revenge.
Four Jewish actors are
“top credited,” but except
for Jackson-Cohen, it is
unclear (now) if the other
three will appear in every
episode. They are Jonathan
Keltz, Talia Balsam and Eric
Balfour.
Jackson-Cohen, a very
handsome fellow, is best
known for playing the title
role in The Invisible Man, a
2020 film, and for his lead
role in the two Haunting
series on Netflix (2018 and
2020). Critics liked Invisible
Man, and it made a lot of
money. The Haunting series
got “thumbs-up” from critics
and Netflix viewers.
Jackson-Cohen’s late
father, David, and his
Orthodox Jewish family
left Egypt in the 1950s and
settled in the U.K. David’s
widow, and Oliver’s mother,
is fashion designer Betty
Jackson. She isn’t Jewish. In
a couple of interviews,
Jackson-Cohen talked about
his Jewish background but
didn’t discuss his religious
upbringing.
Keltz, 34, is also the son
of a Jewish father and a
non-Jewish mother. He
was raised (only) celebrat-
ing Jewish holidays. He
was born in New York, but
mostly grew up in Toronto.
He had a recurring role on
Entourage, an HBO series,
and he had a biggish role
in Reign, a CW series. He
plays Detective Wiseman in
Wilderness.
Talia Balsam, 64, plays
“Bonnie” in Wilderness.
Balsam is the daughter
of the late actor Martin
Balsam, an Oscar winner.
Her mother is non-Jewish
actress Joyce Van Patten,
now 89. Her parents’ mar-
riage was brief. I don’t
believe Talia has ever talked
about her religious back-
ground.
Talia has worked steadily
since 1979, but never hit it
“big.” Sadly, until George
Clooney remarried in 2014,
and had kids, Talia was most
famous as George Clooney’s
“only” wife (1989-93). She
had a recurring role on
Mad Men as the wife, and
ex-wife, of star character
Roger Sterling. Roger was
played by John Slattery,
Balsam’s real-life husband.
Balfour, 46, plays “Garth”
in Wilderness. He’s worked
steadily since 2000, with big
recurring roles on Six Feet
Under and 24. Both his par-
ents are Jewish. In 2015, he
wed fashion designer Erin
Chiamulon, and they have
two children. Erin’s father
is of Greek (not Jewish)
background. Her mother is
Jewish. Her Jewish grand-
mother’s obit noted that she
was very involved in the
Jewish community (choir
and counseling).
The third season of the
Apple TV+ series The
Morning Show began on
Sept. 13. Apple, like Amazon,
doles out episodes (10 per
season) every week. I think
The Morning Show is one of
the best series anywhere.
But it works better, I think,
if you binge watch a whole
season.
This week, I was going
to lay out the background
of Julianne Margulies, a
Morning Show star. But I
just discovered a recent,
but almost obscure video
interview with Margulies. It
provides so much info about
her Jewish community activ-
ities that I have to briefly
postpone my Morning Show
and Margulies item.
Not that long ago, I
happened on an online
bio of “Mama” Cass Elliot
(1941-1974), the very tal-
ented Jewish member of
the Mamas and the Papas,
the famous 1960s group.
It noted that Cass had one
child, a daughter named
Owen Elliot-Kugell (born
1967). After her mother’s
death, Owen was raised by
Cass’ sister, Leah (also a
singer).
I looked elsewhere and
found out that Owen mar-
ried (1991) Jack Kugell, a
versatile music producer.
They have two children.
Jack’s father, the late Marty
Kugell, produced (1956) “In
the Still of the Night,” a “doo-
wop” classic.
I was 99% sure Jack
Kugell, now 57, is Jewish.
Then I asked a Jewish
friend, an “oldies” DJ, about
Jack. He had already con-
firmed that Jack was Jewish.
It’s nice that Cass’s daughter
married a Jewish guy with
maybe the cutest, and “most
tasty” Jewish last name I’ve
ever come across.
Owen and Michelle
Phillips (of the Mamas and
Papas) were on hand when
Cass got (October 2022) a
star on the Hollywood Walk
of Fame.
CELEBRITY NEWS
NATE BLOOM COLUMNIST
ARTS&LIFE
BY GREG2600
Oliver Jackson-Cohen
IMDB
Jonathan Keltz
PINTEREST
Owen Elliott-Kugell