- Published: November 14, 2021
- Updated: November 14, 2021
- University / College: UCL
- Language: English
- Downloads: 29
The multiple award-winning American star actor, performance artist, and filmmaker Tony Shalhoub is most remembered for his quirky lead role in the USA network TV dramedy Monk, among many others.
Having started acting in the mid-80s, this Lebanese-American has no doubt had a successful film career with such myriad of ethnic parts, including his first prominent role as a romantically inclined Italian cab driver on the American sitcom Wings. Here are things to know about the actor.
Tony Shalhoub Biography
Tony was born on October 9, 1953, as Anthony Marcus Shalhoub. He was born and raised alongside his siblings in Green Bay, Wisconsin. His first venture into acting was at the age of six, in a school production of The King and I, thanks to his older sister Sussan who put his name forward to be an extra in the high school production.
Talking about his educational background, Tony Shalhoub went to a public high school known as Green Bay East High School. He also studied for a short time at the University of Wisconsin- Green Bay before moving to the University of Southern Maine where he earned a bachelor’s degree in drama. He later went on to earn a master’s degree from the Yale School of Drama.
Tony’s first appearance on the TV was in 1986 as a terrorist in one episode of the crime drama series The Equalizer. Two years after, he made his first TV movie appearance in Alone in the Neon Jungle. Other TV series he starred in the late 80s and early 90s include Money, Power, Murder, Day One, and Monsters. Following his ability to absorb himself totally in character roles, Tony Shalhoub landed in several other successful films and TV series which in turn led to his popularity as one of the active and skilful actors to be reckoned with. His latest films such as Final Portrait, Cars 3, Rosy, alongside his latest TV series like The Price and The Band’s Visit, could attest to this fact.
Talking about his role as a movie director, he made his directorial debut in the 2002 movie Made-Up, in which he co-stars with his wife, Brooke Adams, and her sister, Lynne Adams.
Net Worth
The Lebanese- American actor, producer and director has been in the entertainment industry for decades with his talents spanning from television, the big screen to the Broadway stage. He has an estimated net worth of $30 million which he earned by maintaining a prolific career in Hollywood, both on the big screen and on television. His role as Adrian Monk, on the mystery series Monk, helped in giving his earnings a major push. More so, he received a Tony nod for his performance in a 2014 play titled Act One in which he appeared as American playwright Moss Hart. He also won the award for The Band’s Visit, a musical about an Egyptian police band stranded in an Israeli desert village.
Tony Shalhoub Family, Siblings, Religion
Tony Shalhoub was born into the Shalhoub family as the ninth of ten children of Joe a meat peddler and his wife Helen. The family are Maronites (Arab Christians from the Maronite Church, an Eastern Catholic church), his father left Lebanon for the US at the age of eight and there he began his meat selling business. While doing his business at Green Bay, Wisconsin, he met and married Helen who is a second-generation Lebanese-American and together they had Tony and his siblings. Among them are Michael Shalhoub, Susan Shalhoub Larkin, Dan Shalhoub, Jane and Deborah Shalhoub-Landin.
Michael is a well-known actor like his brother. Together they acted in the American detective mystery television series Monk. First, he appeared as a member of a disbanded radical group in Mr Monk and the Missing Granny, next was in Mr Monk Bumps His Head where he played as a beekeeper. This was followed by his appearance in “ Mr Monk Is the Best Man” as the minister presiding at Leland Stottlemeyer’s wedding. Michael also took over for Tony to voice Luigi in Disney Infinity.
Sussan is Tony’s older sister, she is also an actress known for her roles in such films as Stranger Things, Good Deeds and Last Vegas among many others. Tony Shalhoub parents, Joe and Helen have a family grocery chain in Green Bay.
Tony Shalhoub Wife, Children
Tony is married to Brooke Adams, an American actress best known for her roles as Abby in an American romantic drama n Days of Heaven which was released in 1978. The two probably met while working on one of their numerous films like Wings, BrainDead and in the revival of Lend Me a Tenor. Shalhoub and Adams got married in 1992 and have since been living together. The couple also has no biological children but they have two adorable daughters Josie Lynn and Sophie whom they adopted. Adams first adopted Josie while she was still a single mother and after her marriage with Tony, they then became the little girl’s parents. In 1994, they adopted another daughter, Sophie who was born in 1993.
In December 2016, their first daughter Josie who was born in 1989, got engaged to her preschool teacher. But, the family has not announced their marriage date yet. Tony and Brooke have a very stable and perfect married life. They are often seen together at several award functions and red-carpet events. Currently, there aren’t any claims of divorce between the couple.