Shaun Toub

Actor Shaun Toub fit the bill in Hollywood for ethnic characterizations, albeit with great flexibility; on various occasions, he portrayed a Middle Eastern man (in an episode of Married...With Children in 1994), a native of India (in an episode of Seinfeld in 1997), and many a character from an unspecified foreign background. Toub also specialized in portrayals of slightly shady or nefarious types. He debuted as a guest star on episodes of the police drama Hunter in the late '80s, then moved into a series of bit parts in theatrical films with an emphasis on action and occasional comedy. Some of Toub's more memorable projects included Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993), Bad Boys (1995), Broken Arrow (1996), and Executive Decision (1996). Toub maintained a slightly higher profile in the mid- to late 2000s, with supporting roles in the A-list features Crash (in a harrowing turn as a shopkeeper so harassed by 9/11-related bigotry that he obtains a gun to protect himself and his family), The Nativity Story, and The Kite Runner.

~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide