NYLA Magazine» Entertainment

Toub Throws a ‘Toup’: Actor Delivers Ceremonial 1st Pitch at Dodgers Game

NYLAMAGAZINE.COM Staff Reports — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 07:46:50 +0000

Prominent Iranian-American actor Shaun Toub (Crash, Iron Man) took another step towards carving himself a place among the Hollywood elite when he was invited to throw out the first pitch of a Major League Baseball Game between the host Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros on May 17th.

For those unnfamiliar with the significance of such an honor, the throwing of the ceremonial “first ball” is a longstanding baseball tradition usually accorded to a notable person in the home team’s city or state, and sometimes, a national figure such as an actor or the U.S. President, Vice President or other dignitary. Notable figures who preceded Toub include fellow actor Matthew McConaughey, who exhibited his pitching prowess at a Dodgers game last season.

The honor sparks a promising summer for Toub, who will return to the big screen this July as General Iroh in the Hollywood live-action film adaptation of the popular Nickelodeon animated television series, The Last Airbender. Written and directed by famed Indian-American filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense), Airbender also stars Dev Patel, best known for his role as the male lead character Jamal Malik in the multiple Academy Award-winning film, Slumdog Millionaire.

The movie also features a bit of Iranian synergy in the form of controversy, as it is the second movie released by Hollywood studios in a span of two months which has been plagued by accusations of “white-washing,” as producers cast white actors to play the roles of characters which are in earnest, people of color. Actor Jake Gyllenhaal, a Swedish-American actor, plays the role of Persian prince Dastan in Prince of Persia, and the majority of the principal roles went to relatively unknown British actors, who were made up to look Persian. The case of Airbender is seemingly more ignominious, as white actors were chosen to play the East Asian characters.

Check out Toub on Facebook.

Check out this Airbender teaser that recently ran as a commercial on the hit TV series, Glee:

Milani Goes From Million-Dollar Briefcases to Million-Dollar Manes

NYLAMAGAZINE.COM Staff Reports — Fri, 28 May 2010 22:51:46 +0000

After 200 episodes, the Howie Mandel-driven game show, Deal or No Deal, was taken off the air in early 2009. But among the 26 briefcase-bearing models who made the show what it is, perhaps the most popular and successful of them all seems to be Canadian-born Iranian actress and model Leyla Milani. Heck, Ms. Television herself, Oprah Winfrey, anointed Milani her favorite Deal princess when Milani and a few of her cohorts made an appearance on Oprah’s eponymous show last year.

Her newest endeavor is quite an interesting and hair-raising venture.

Literally.

Milani announced on a recent television appearance for the Game Show Network that she had started her own hair extension line, Milani Hair, and was also featured in a cover story for popular international magazine, Javanan. We sat down with the aspiring entrepreneur to discuss her exciting new project.

NYLA: Tell us a little about how you come up with the idea of a hair extension line, how it’s different from other similar products on the market, if it’s marketed specifically to Iranians, where it will be sold and what you envision it becoming.

LEYLA MILANI: After more than 200 shows on Deal or No Deal and other TV and film roles, I noticed my hair beginning to lose its once healthy sheen and luster. My hair was being totally fried by the constant heat-styling of curling irons, blow dryers and hair sprays. I had no choice but to keep trimming my hair and after a while, the fullness and length my hair was famous for began to deteriorate. I did not want to turn to traditional salon hair extensions that are not only super-expensive, but very damaging to the hair and scalp and I just couldn’t find high quality yet affordable human hair clip-on extensions. That’s when Milani Hair was born: the do-it-yourself, affordable, low maintenance and commitment-free hair extension solution.

Unlike other clip-in hair extensions on the market that are made of cheap synthetic fibers and cannot be heat-styled, Milani Hair is 100% human hair, which means you can cut it, color it and style it using your favorite hot tools and hair care products – just like your own hair. Also, unlike other human hair clip-on options that run upwards of $400, Milani Hair is affordable. For the cost of an average salon visit, you can get a full head set of real, human hair extensions that look natural and truly last.

Milani Hair is not specifically marketed to any nationality or race. It is for women of all age and ethnicities who want longer, fuller more beautiful hair.

Milani Hair is now available at, www.milanihair.com, as well as select Planet Beauty stores in Southern California and soon Milani Hair will be seen on television screens all across America through our very own infomercial ads.

NYLA: What happened to Deal or No Deal?

LM: After 4 seasons and over 200 shows, Deal or No Deal ran its course and sadly was taken off the air. It was a big surprise for all of us and many of the viewers since the show’s rating was still quite high towards the end. I think the producers and network did not want to make D.O.N.D another Who Wants to be a Millionaire. They wanted to show to leave ‘at the top!’ I personally think it had a few more seasons left in it…but hey, like all good things, it must eventually come to an end – and so we move on.

NYLA: What have been some of your more recent projects/endeavors?

LM: I just shot a national commercial for Experian Credit with comedian Pauly Shore. It’s a really funny piece and I really enjoyed working with Pauly.

You can find it on YoutTube by searching ‘Experian,’ ‘Pauly Shore’ or my name. I’m also co-hosting a new wrestling show with Jimmy Hart called ‘Wrestlicious,’ which will be out later in the year. Aside from that, working around the clock on my baby, Milani Hair.

NYLA: This may break some of our readers’ hearts, but we hear you are no longer single!

LM: Haha…no, not any longer. I am now a happily engaged woman.

NYLA: Any final words?

LM: Yes, check out Milani Hair and get that ‘Million-Dollar Mane’ without spending a fortune!

SBE, Sam Nazarian Launch New Hollywood Hotspot, ‘The Colony’

NYLAMAGAZINE.COM Staff Reports — Thu, 20 May 2010 22:14:05 +0000

Iranian-born mogul and SBE CEO Sam Nazarian (pictured above, left, alongside actor Edward Norton), whose success in assembling an eclectic stable of Los Angeles-area nightclubs and restaurants have catapulted him to the top of the Hollywood nightlife hierarchy, is at it again.

SBE has finished a 6-month renovation on the venue located at the 1700 block of North Caheunga Blvd. in Hollywood (formerly owned by the Sunset Entertainment Group under the names White Lotus, Ritual and Halo), and is slated to unveil the new 13,000-square foot club in late May.

The Colony, as the venue will be known, derives its name from the winning entry in a ontest SBE held through the website, nameyourclub.com and promoted virally through the Facebook profiles for its four Katsuya sushi restaurants.

The winner, who won $1000 and exclusive entry to the club’s grand opening, spent some time in the Hamptons and after reading the description of the venue (SBE described the venue’s aesthetic as “the spirit of the exclusive Hamptons’ lifestyle”) and its amenities, he was reminded of the exclusive beachside community know as the Summer Colony, a gathering place for the trendsetting elite from all over the world which reminded him of Hollywood and inspired him to choose Colony as the new name.

The Colony is SBE’s largest club to date, replete with oversized wood shutters, a dance floor and cabanas in a beach house setting. It’s likely that Persian event industry leader One Group Events, which has produced events at all of SBE’s venues during the past 5 years, will host an event at the venue soon.

NYLAMAG.COM correspondent Amir Zomorrodian captured some images of the nearly completed venue’s exterior earlier this week.

Nazarian, who reportedly recently split with girlfriend and reality television star Kristin Cavallari of MTV’s The Hills, hasn’t missed a step since splitting with resident SBE promoter and longtime Hollywood nightclub-circuit staple Brent Bolthouse Productions last September.

Nazarian followed up the success of Hollywood’s uber-exclusive Hyde Lounge with 2 more venues with the same moniker, one at Staples Center in Downtown, L.A. (which opened, ironically, on the same night Iranian-born center Hamed Haddadi and his NBA club, the Memphis Grizzlies, played the Los Angeles Lakers last November at Staples) and another in Mammoth Mountain.

Jake’s Choice in New York? Kabob at Ravagh Persian Grill in NYC

NYLAMAGAZINE.COM Staff Reports — Thu, 20 May 2010 20:19:26 +0000

Hollywood hunk Jake Gyllenhaal, who plays the role of Dastan, a young prince in 6th century Persia in the blockbuster flick Prince of Persia, went through a virtual body makeover to prepare for his role in the film. And though he humorously dismisses his new muscles to little more than dealing with the upkeep of his mane during the film’s production, Gyllenhaal trained vigorously for the role, including sessions of Parkour, a French martial art.

Lock maintenance aside, in addition to picking up the gym bug, it seems like Gyllenhall also picked up at least one new Persian-oriented habit while making flick: an affinity for Persian food. In a cover story for the May 2010 issue of GQ magazine, Gyllenhaal talks about preparing for his role as Dastan, finding the perfect woman and the loss of his good friend, late actor Heath Ledger, among other subjects.

But the coolest thing about the article? Gyllenhaal does the majority of the interview with GQ writer Chris Heath at Ravagh Persian Grill in Manhattan, New York. The restaurant, according to the article, was Gyllenhaal’s choice. A classic example of life imitating art?

Maybe.

But those who have frequented one of the three Ravagh locations in New York (two in the city, one in Long Island) know there’s no denying that Ravagh is arguably the best Persian grub in the Big Apple.

Proprietor Kaveh Tehrani and his father run all 3 locations, spearheaded by the 30th St. location (the 1st to open, in 1996), which is straddled in the Persian rug dealer district. The Tehranis are no strangers to the entertainment industry, as they have produced some of the biggest Persian concerts in New York for the past few years, and have hosted many prominent Iranian performers at their eateries, including pop phenomenon Arash, who recently visited New York in February to accept the top International Artist of the Year at the Big Apple Music Awards. Arash was reportedly seen at Ravagh with his U.S. agent, Mayar Zokaei, and executives from G Unit Records, who met with Arash’s camp during the weekend to discuss the prospect of a musical collaboration between the popular Iranian-born Warner Music Sweden artist and an unnamed G Unit rapper.

Could this be G-G-G G Unit meets J-J-J- Jigar? Stay tuned!

One Group Events Resident DJ Peyman Z’s Mix #1 (Hip-Hop/Mashups)

NYLAMAGAZINE.COM Staff Reports — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:51:50 +0000

One Group Events resident DJ Peyman Z is one of the most in-demand disc jockeys in Southern California.

You can check out the full schedule of events at which he will be spinning on the One Group Events website. Peyman Z will also frequently contribute his own authentic mixes to NYLA Magazine Online. Click below to check out DJ Peyman Z’s Mix # 1, a Hip-Hop/Mashups hybrid.

Arash Markazi: SI to ESPN, Long Locks to Cropped

NYLAMAGAZINE.COM Staff Reports — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 21:09:48 +0000

For sportswriter Arash Markazi, it’s a new year, a new company (ESPN) and a new ‘do.