Alia Shawkat
Alia Shawkat | |
---|---|
Born | Alia Martine Shawkat April 18, 1989 Riverside, California, U.S. |
Occupation(s) | Actress, producer |
Years active | 1999–present |
Height | 1.55 m (5 ft 1 in) |
Alia Martine Shawkat (/ˈæliə ˈʃoʊkɑːt/ AL-ee-ə SHOH-kaht; Template:Lang-ar; born April 18, 1989)[1] is an American actress. She starred as Maeby Fünke in the Fox/Netflix television series Arrested Development (2003–2006; 2013–present), and as Gertie Michaels in the 2015 horror-comedy film The Final Girls. She has also guest starred as Frances Cleveland, Virginia Hall, and Alexander Hamilton on Comedy Central's Drunk History. She currently plays Dory Stewart in the TBS black comedy series Search Party.
Personal life
Shawkat was born in Riverside, California, to Dina (née Burke) and actor Tony Shawkat, who owned a strip club in a neighbouring city. She grew up in nearby Palm Springs.[2] She has two brothers.[3] The actor Paul Burke was her maternal grandfather. Shawkat's father is Arab[4] Iraqi, from Baghdad.[5] Her mother is of Norwegian, Irish, and Italian descent.[6] When she is not acting, she likes to paint; she has participated in gallery shows in Los Angeles, Mexico City and Paris. She also likes to make music and sing in jazz bars.[7] She is bisexual.[8]
Career
As Maeby Fünke, Shawkat was a regular cast member of Arrested Development for the entire run of the show from 2003 to 2013.[9] The series received nearly universally positive reviews, with Shawkat's performance occasionally singled out for praise. Pop-culture commentator Brian M. Palmer remarked that she was "one of the brightest lights on a show populated solely by bright lights,"[10] and Scott Weinberg of eFilmCritic described her as "one funny young lady."[11] In an interview with The A.V. Club in 2010, Shawkat remarked that many of her "formative moments" as an actress took place on the Arrested Development set: " [Show creator] Mitch Hurwitz was like a father figure to me. In a way, it was great to be around [the cast], because I feel that my understanding of comedy was able to grow really well during that time."[12]
In 2009, Shawkat appeared in Whip It co-star Har Mar Superstar's music video for "Tall Boy", which also featured Eva Mendes and Eric Wareheim. In October 2009, it was announced that Shawkat, Har Mar, and fellow Whip It co-star Page would produce and write a show for HBO called Stitch N' Bitch.[12] According to The Hollywood Reporter, the show "follows two painfully cool hipster girls as they relocate from Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighborhood to Los Angeles' Silver Lake enclave in hopes of becoming artists—of any kind."[13]
Shawkat, along with Arrested Development co-star Mae Whitman, sang guest vocals on a number of tracks from indie-punk band Fake Problems' 2010 album Real Ghosts Caught on Tape.[14]
Six years after the series was canceled by Fox, filming for a revived fourth season of Arrested Development began on August 7, 2012 and Shawkat reprised her role as Maeby Fünke. The season consists of 15 new episodes which debuted at the same time on Netflix on May 26, 2013. Each episode focuses on one particular character, with Shawkat's Maeby, now a high school senior, featured in episode 12, "Señoritis" and appearing in several other episodes of the season.
In 2015, Shawkat guest-starred on Broad City, portraying the romantic interest and look-alike of Ilana Glazer's character. Leading up to the episode, many had remarked on the physical similarities Shawkat and Glazer bear to one another.[15]
Shawkat currently stars on the TBS comedy Search Party, which premiered on November 21, 2016.[16]
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1999 | Three Kings | Amir's Daughter | |
2005 | Rebound | Amy | |
2005 | Queen of Cactus Cove | Billie | Short film |
2006 | Deck the Halls | Madison Finch | |
2008 | Bart Got a Room | Camille | |
2008 | Prom Wars | Diana Riggs | |
2009 | Amreeka | Salma Halaby | |
2009 | Whip It | Pash Amini | |
2010 | The Runaways | Robin | |
2011 | The Lie | Seven | |
2011 | Cedar Rapids | Bree | |
2011 | The Oranges | Vanessa Walling | |
2011 | Our Deal | Night Creeper | Short film |
2012 | Damsels in Distress | Mad Madge | |
2012 | That's What She Said | Clementine | |
2012 | Ruby Sparks | Mabel | |
2012 | The Brass Teapot | Louise | |
2012 | The Golden Age | Janice | Short film |
2013 | May in the Summer | Dalia | |
2013 | The End of Love | Alia Shawkat | Cameo |
2013 | Setup, Punch | Dottie Kaufman | Short film |
2013 | The To Do List | Fiona Forster | |
2013 | Bunion | Rachel | Short film |
2013 | Night Moves | Surprise | |
2013 | The Moment | Jessie Jamil | |
2014 | Life After Beth | Roz | |
2014 | Wild Canaries | Jean | |
2015 | The Final Girls | Gertie Michaels | |
2015 | The Driftless Area | Carrie | |
2015 | Nasty Baby | Wendy | |
2015 | Adam Green's Aladdin | Emily | |
2015 | Green Room | Sam | |
2015 | Me Him Her | Laura | |
2016 | The Intervention | Lola | |
2016 | Pee-wee's Big Holiday | Bella | |
2016 | Paint It Black | Josie | |
2016 | 20th Century Women | Trish | |
2017 | Izzy Gets the F*ck Across Town | Agatha Benson | |
2017 | Duck Butter | Also writer; In post-production | |
2018 | Blaze | Rosen | Post-production |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1999 | JAG | Young Sarah MacKenzie | Episode: "Second Sight" |
2000 | The Trial of Old Drum | Dee | TV film |
2002 | State of Grace | Young Hannah Rayburn | Main cast; 40 episodes |
2002 | Presidio Med | Tara Wegman | Episode: "Good Question" |
2003 | Without a Trace | Siobhan Arintero | Episode: "Maple Street" |
2003 | Boomtown | Denise Stein | Episode: "Home Invasion" |
2003–06; 2013 | Arrested Development | Mae "Maeby" Fünke | Main cast; 68 episodes |
2006 | Veronica Mars | Stacy Wells | Episode: "The Rapes of Graff" |
2006 | Not Like Everyone Else | Brandi Blackbear | TV film |
2007 | The Business | Screenwriting Manicurist | 2 episodes |
2008 | The Bad Mother's Handbook | Charlotte | TV film |
2008 | The Starter Wife | Robin | 3 episodes |
2010 | The League | April | Episode: "The Expert Witness" |
2013 | NTSF:SD:SUV:: | Gail | Episode: "Burn After Killing" |
2014 | Drunk History | Frances Cleveland | Episode: "First Ladies" |
2014 | Robot Chicken | Minerva McGonagall (voice) | Episode: "G.I. Jogurt" |
2014 | Getting On | Colleen Hoover | 4 episodes |
2015 | Adventure Time | Betsy Poundcake (voice) | Episode: "The Diary" |
2015 | Broad City | Adele | Episode: "Coat Check" |
2015 | Drunk History | Virginia Hall | Episode: "Spies" |
2016 | Portlandia | Mayor's Kid | Episode: "Shville" |
2016 | Animals. | Sharon (voice) | Episode: "Rats." |
2016 | Adventure Time | Charlie (voice) | Episode: "Daddy-Daughter Card Wars" |
2016–present | Search Party | Dory Sief | Main cast |
2016 | Drunk History | Alexander Hamilton | Episode: "Hamilton" |
Awards and nominations
Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2002 | Young Artist Award | Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series – Leading Young Actress | State of Grace | Nominated |
2004 | TV Land Award | Future Classic | Arrested Development | Won |
2005 | Young Artist Award | Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) – Supporting Young Actress | Won | |
Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Nominated | ||
2006 | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Nominated | ||
2014 | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Nominated | ||
2017 | Gracie Award | Actress in a Breakthrough Role[17] | Search Party | Won |
References
- ^ "Alia Martine Shawkat was born on April 18, 1989 in Riverside County, California". California Birth Index.
- ^ "Alia Shawkat – DVD – Interview". Avclub.com. Retrieved 2015-05-31.
- ^ "Internet Movie Database – Alia Shawkat – Biography". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2015-05-31.
- ^ "Arab American Stories - Alia Shawkat Interview". YouTube.com. 2012-05-24. Retrieved 2015-05-31.
- ^ Alia Shawkat (2013-05-28). The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. CBS. Event occurs at 34:52.
(Shawkat) "I'm half Iraqi, my dad's from Bagdhad"
- ^ "Alia Shawkat lands new Comedy Central project". 12 June 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
- ^ Cheirif, Samantha (October 1, 2012). "Alia Shawkat Talks THE ORANGES, Cut Scenes and Alternate Ending, and Returning to ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT". Collider.com. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
- ^ Osenlun, R. Kurt (May 11, 2017). "Actress Alia Shawkat on Bold Projects, Broad City & Being Queer in America". Out. Retrieved 2017-05-14.
I was a tomboy growing up, and I remember my mom asking me when I was 10, 'are you attracted to boys or girls?' I said I don't know. Now I consider myself bisexual[.]
- ^ "Internet Movie Database – Alia Shawkat". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2015-05-31.
- ^ "Interview with Brian M. Palmer". Brianmpalmer.com. Retrieved 2015-05-31.
- ^ "eFilmCritic – DVD Review: Arrested Development Season 1". Efilmcritic.com. Retrieved 2015-05-31.
- ^ a b "Interview". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 2015-05-31.
- ^ "Ellen Page, Arrested Development's Alia Shawkat, and Har Mar Superstar (!) working on HBO show". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 2015-05-31.
- ^ [1] Archived August 21, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Silman, Anna (March 12, 2015). "Alia Shawkat on her hot "Broad City" doppelgänger romance: "It was one of the best makeout scenes that I've had"". Salon.com. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (July 31, 2016). "TBS to Strip New Comedy 'Search Party' Thanksgiving Week, Sets 'People of Earth' Premiere – TCA". Deadline.com. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
- ^ "Alliance For Women In Media Foundation Announce The 2017 Gracie Awards Winners". fox34.com. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
External links
- Alia Shawkat at IMDb
- 1989 births
- 20th-century American actresses
- 21st-century American actresses
- Actresses from Palm Springs, California
- Actresses from Riverside, California
- American child actresses
- American film actresses
- American people of Iraqi descent
- American people of Arab descent
- American people of Irish descent
- American people of Italian descent
- American people of Norwegian descent
- American television actresses
- Bisexual actresses
- Bisexual women
- LGBT entertainers from the United States
- LGBT people from California
- Living people