George Wallace Talks Shirin In Loveby Wilson Morales
March 13, 2014
Coming out this week is the romantic comedy ‘Shirin In Love,’ starring Nazanin Boniadi, Riley Smith, Maz Jobrani, George Wallace, and Amy Madigan.
Love has no borders and therein lies the premise of this charming new Iranian-American romantic comedy “Shirin in Love.” Nazanin Boniadi plays Shirin, an absent-minded, young Iranian-American living in “Tehrangeles” (the large Iranian community in Los Angeles) with her overbearing mother and empathetic father. Despite being engaged for years to a successful Iranian plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, Shirin finds herself breaking loyalty and tradition when she falls in love with a mysterious young man who lives in a lighthouse in northern California. As her secret unravels and cultures clash, Shirin discovers what it ultimately means to be true to herself.
For comedian George Wallace, it’s a chance to be seen on the big screen again. A veteran whose film credits include Punchline, Postcards from the Edge, A Rage in Harlem, The Wash, and the Coen Brothers film, The Ladykillers, the Atlanta, GA native has been in Las Vegas for over ten years, headlining at the Flamingo Resort and Casino.
Blackfilm.com recently spoke with Wallace as he talked about his role in the film and his upcoming projects.
What’s your role in the film?
George Wallace: I play a police office who has an encounter with a young woman everyday. I give her a ticket everyday because she’s constantly running through the stop sign. The next you know, she’s falling in love with two guys and I become her counselor somewhat. She’s trying to make a choice between them and I’m guiding her through it. We want this to be like ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding.’ It’s going to be a sleeper and it’s going to grow and grow.
What was the attraction to doing this?
GW: The role and the movie itself. It’s a cute little love story. I thought this would be nice to get into. I do all sorts of films and I’m doing more films lately. I’ll be in ‘Think Like a Man Too’ with Kevin Hart. That’s coming out in a few months. I’ve been in Las Vegas for 10 years and I decided to re-brand and re-create George Wallace, so I’m doing movies again and television.
With ‘Shirin in Love,’ do folks get to see the George Wallace they know or do they see you perform what’s on script?
GW: It’s both, doing the script and doing what’s me.
What role are you playing in ‘Think Like a Man Too’?
GW: In that film, I play a dealer going back and forth with Kevin Hart. That was a lot of fun to shoot. They knew I could do the part. The first of shooting was my first time working with him, and you just know you are in a groove the minute he hits the set. He’s a great actor. I had fun with him and when you act and react to another great actor, it turns out great. I’ve been talking trash all my life and he likes to talk trash, so that’s what we did.
What keeps a comedian’s career going?
GW: Work and living our dreams. We love to live our dreams. That’s what most comedians do. For me, it’s my grub. I love to do standup comedy and make people happy everyday. I’ve been at the Flamingo Resort and Casino for ten years now, filling 750 seats every night. When I walk out there every night and these folks don’t me and I don’t know them, I tell them to sit back and relax. There will be no Republicans or Democrats at the end of the evening. Sit back, relax, and be “Wallacized”! It’s always a diverse crowd coming to see me, from young people, old people, black and white. We’re just having fun out there. All one has to do is listen and the material is there. I was at the airport the other day and someone said to me, “Hi Mr. Wallace, are you in town?” and I said, “What do you think?” It’s simple things like that. “It’s raining outside” and I’m like, “Where else would it be raining?” We just take fun from any given situation and I love it.
Why haven’t we seen you headline your own film?
GW: I do what I want to do. I have lived my dream. My dream was to be on stage. I didn’t want to be a movie star or a TV actor. I have always the careers of Redd Foxx and Rodney Dangerfield. They did it later in life and I’m trying to move into that area. They call me “The New Mr. Vegas.” I’ve worked here longer than any African-American and I don’t work for the hotels. I own the show. I do all the marketing and the advertising. No one has done what I have done and I love it.
You released a book last year, “Laff It Off!” How’s it doing?
GW: The book is into its third printing, believe it or not. It’s going into hard cover. It’s about teaching young people how to enjoy their lives for older people how it’s not too late for them to have fun. It’s an inspiration book, it’s a self-help book, and a humorous little book. It’s about teaching people how to laugh more and not take life too seriously.
What’s a good reason to see ‘Shirin in Love’?
GW: Sometimes you need to see a heartwarming film that’s also cute. No one get killed and just like ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding,’ the film is a lot of fun.
Shirin In Love hits theaters on March 14.
