72 | DECEMBER 7 • 2023 J
N

SWIFT’S ISRAELI 
BODYGUARD, 
HALLMARK’S CHANUKAH 
FILM, BAD CASTING
Funny how one bit of 
information leads to 
something “pretty hot.” I 
also write for the American 
Israelite, the Cincinnati 
Jewish paper, and an 
Israelite assistant editor 
forwarded an email from 
Gil Kaufman, 60ish, about 
a new film that he is in. 
Kaufman, a Cincy native, 
is a senior writer/editor 
for Billboard, an important 
showbiz weekly. 
He’s interviewed in Milli 
Vanilli, a new documentary 
about Milli Vanilli, a 
“singing” duo. They had 
big hits in the mid-’80s, 
only to have “no career” 
when it was revealed (1989) 
that they didn’t sing on 
their records, and they lip-
synched “their” recordings 
in concerts. This “doc” is 
much more interesting and 
poignant than I expected. 
It’s now streaming on 
Paramount+.
I looked up Mr. Kaufman 
and found a Billboard 
article he wrote in October. 
He broke the news that 
Taylor Swift’s Israeli 
bodyguard had gone back 
to Israel (Oct. 17) shortly 
after the Gaza war broke 
out. (His name was omitted 
for security reasons). The 
bodyguard was expected to 
join the IDF reserve troops. 
Of course, Swift is now 
just about the hottest 
person in entertainment. 
I expect she can hire the 
best bodyguards around 
— and — it appears this 
Israeli fellow is among the 
best — Kaufman reports 

that many fans have posted 
statements praising his 
“fierce crowd-scanning 
skills.”
Kaufman also reported 
that the bodyguard told 
an Israeli reporter: “I got 
a pretty great life back in 
the U.S. I got an amazing 
dream job that I love, great 
friends that I call family and 
a very comfortable home. 
I didn’t have to come here 
… But I could not stand on 
the sidelines while families 
are being slaughtered and 
burned alive in their homes! 
Just for being Jewish or for 
being Israelis.”
Like last year, the 
Hallmark Channel is nice 
enough to provide an 
original Chanukah movie — 
along with its usual 25 new 
XMas flicks. Titled Round 
and Round, this movie is 
another Groundhog Day 
clone. Plot: Rachel (Vic 
Michaelis) is stuck in a time 
loop, reliving her parents’ 
Chanukah party. Rachel 
hopes that Zach (Bryan 
Greenberg, 45), a nice guy 
and a party guest, can help 
her end the “time loop.” 
(Premieres Dec. 10, 8 p.m.).
It’s a bit sad to see 
Greenberg in a Hallmark 
Channel movie. Hallmark 
Channel films don’t feature 
“A-list” actors. 
Here’s Greenberg’s 

story: He was born in 
Omaha. His family moved 
to a St. Louis suburb when 
he was 12. His parents 
were practicing Jews, 
and he had a bar mitzvah 
ceremony. Greenberg, a 
good-looking guy, had 
appeared in plays and in 
a couple of “small movies” 
when he was surprisingly 
tapped to co-star in Prime 
(2005), a romantic comedy-
drama. He played David, 
a young Jewish guy who 
is seriously dating Rafi, a 
pretty, much-older woman 
(Uma Thurman). David’s 
mother (Meryl Streep) 
is a psychiatrist who 
coincidentally is treating 
Rafi. She is very upset 
when she learns David is 
dating an unstable, older, 
non-Jewish woman. 
Streep was very good 
as a Jewish mother, and 
Greenberg and Thurman 
carried their weight. The 
film was a critical and box-
office hit, and I thought 
Greenberg was going 
places. But, after Prime, 
he was in just one hit 
movie, and it was a very 
forgettable “rom-com.” Two 
TV series he starred-in 
(2005 and 2007-8) didn’t 
do well. 
So, I guess, when the 
Hallmark Channel came 
calling, he gladly took the 
role. At least Greenberg 
is aging well — he is 45 
and his Round and Round 
co-star is about 15 years 
younger. (Shades of Prime). 
On Dec. 11, Max 
will premiere a new 
documentary titled 
Beckham and Peltz Versus 
the Wedding Planners. 
Here’s the back story: In 
April 2022, “minor” actress 
Nicola Peltz, 27, and 
Brooklyn Beckham, 24, 
were married in a lavish 
ceremony. There were 500 

guests.
Nicola was raised Jewish. 
Her father is billionaire 
Nelson Peltz, now 81. Her 
mother is Claudia Heffner, 
a former model. There 
are “clues” that Claudia 
may have converted to 
Judaism, but it’s never 
been clear. Brooklyn is the 
son of David Beckham, a 
retired super-star English 
soccer player. His mother is 
Victoria Beckham, a former 
member of the Spice 
Girls, a hot 1980s singing 
group. David’s maternal 
grandfather was Jewish. 
David was close to this 
grandfather and has called 
himself “half Jewish.”
I was surprised when the 
wedding was quite Jewish. 
A rabbi presided and the 
traditional Jewish blessings 
were said — including one 
given by David Beckham.
I’ll watch the docu-
mentary for footage of 
the wedding although the 
“doc” mostly focuses on 
a nasty financial dispute 
between the couple and 
their wedding planners. 
They sued the planners and 
were counter-sued. The 
cases settled in September. 
The settlement cleared 
the decks for the “not shy” 
Nicola and Brooklyn to 
get a lot of publicity via a 
“reality TV” documentary. 

ARTS&LIFE

CELEBRITY NEWS

NATE BLOOM COLUMNIST

DAVID SHANKBONE 

Bryan Greenberg

ROTTEN TOMATOES

Nicola Peltz

