Although this Yale-trained character actor never lacked for work, Shalhoub was almost 50 when the TV series
Monk finally made him a star. Early in his career, he honed his craft on stage, forging important relationships with two of his theatrical costars: Stanley Tucci, who later cast him in a number of films, and Brooke Adams, who married Shalhoub in 1992. With his curly hair, dark complexion and knack for accents, Lebanese-American Shalhoub played myriad ethnic parts, including a romantically inclined Italian cabdriver on
Wings, his first prominent role. During his tenure on the sitcom, he appeared as another Italian (a chef this time) in Tucci's 1996 gastronomic comedy
Big Night. The flavorful indie was a hit with critics and audiences, and Shalhoub in particular was praised for his fiery performance, which led to a string of big-screen supporting parts. In 2002, when he signed on to
Monk as a brilliant but obsessive-compulsive detective, Shalhoub probably had modest hopes for the cable crimedy. But the show was a breakout hit, earning him a Golden Globe and three Emmys, and finally turned him into a household name.
Tony Shalhoub Fast Facts:
- One of ten children.
- Was 6 when his sister volunteered him as an extra in a high-school production of The King and I.
- Met future wife Brooke Adams while acting together on Broadway in Wendy Wasserstein's The Heidi Chronicles.
- Made his TV debut in The Equalizer in 1986.
- On his Emmy-winning role in Monk: "I spend so many more of my waking hours as Monk than I do as myself," he told TV GUIDE Online in 2002, "that I'm afraid a little of him is starting to rub off on me."
- Directed and appeared in the 2002 feature Made-Up, which starred his wife and was written by his sister-in-law, Lynne Adams.
- Frequently works with Stanley Tucci. The two met in 1989 while appearing together in the play Moon Over Miami at the Yale Repertory Theater. Tucci subsequently cast Shalhoub in Big Night (1996) and The Imposters (1998), both of which he directed. In turn, Shalhoub gave Tucci a guest spot on his series Monk in 2006.
- Tony Shalhoub Relationships:
- Helen Shalhoub - Mother
- Joe Shalhoub - Father
- Josie Lynn Adams - Stepdaughter
- Michael Shalhoub - Brother
- Sophie Shalhoub - Daughter
- Brooke Adams - Wife
- Tony Shalhoub Awards:
- 1992 Tony: Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play - Nominee
- 2007 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series - Nominee
- 2003 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy - Winner
- 2004 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy - Nominee
- 2005 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy - Nominee
- 2007 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy - Nominee
- 2003 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series - Winner
- 2004 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series - Nominee
- 2005 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series - Winner
- 2006 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series - Winner
- College:
- University of Southern Maine (BA in Theater, 1977); Yale School of Drama (MFA, 1980)
