Man, and I thought the kid who burped into the PA system was the apex of comedic genius in middle school. Little did I know . . .
‘Obvious’ choice
Penn Charter grad Gabe Liedman will hit the big screen tomorrow for his first major acting role in the romantic comedy “Obvious Child,” the small, yet wonderful movie starring former “SNL” cast member Jenny Slate.
Liedman plays the best friend of Slate, a woman who decides to have an abortion after a one-night stand. The two are actually BFFs in real life as well. That natural chemistry, coupled with strong writing, elevates Liedman’s Joey beyond the stereotypical role of screaming-queen gay best friend.
“First of all, I think some of those screaming queens are hilarious, but there’s something about this character in which being gay is not the point of the character. We might be moving into a cool new era, it’s a sign of the times,” said Liedman, who cut his teeth performing at ComedySportz. “Hopefully, we’re in a post gay-as-a-big-deal world. It’s in-line with the politics of the movie. It’s not the point of the movie that [Slate's character] will or won’t get an abortion, it’s about the process. It’s nice to play the gay best friend in a rom-com and just be a funny guy.”
This may be his first big on-screen role, but Liedman is no stranger to the set, writing for “Inside Amy Schumer,” “The Kroll Show” and Fox’s “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” So what does the L.A. transplant miss most? “Having lived in L.A. for a couple years now, I miss how tough East Coast people are. Philadelphians are tougher and less easy to scare,” he said. “Also, I just moved into a new apartment and my [Queen Village-dwelling] mom just sent me all these soft pretzels. Everyone talks about cheesesteaks and Tastykakes, but the thing I miss the most is soft pretzels. So, soft pretzels and tough people.”
What a combo.
See ‘Me’
Viewers of nostalgia-driven MeTV will see a local face during their newsbreaks. Port Richmond-raised Ellen Kolodziej is the news anchor for the New Castle, Del.-based station that deals in throwback fare like “M*A*S*H,” “Welcome Back Kotter” and “Wonder Woman.” Kolodziej breaks into the broadcast for updates every couple of hours.
Kolodziej is familiar to the local news game, most recently working with Mike Missanelli‘s “Philly Pheud” show. She’s hitched to ESPN’s John Barr.
Tony treats
Cheesesteak impresario Tony Luke Jr. headed over to Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Delaware on Tuesday to feed the staff who support Adopt a Pig: Change Matters for Kids with Cancer, an organization that supports children and their families afflicted by the disease. I hear Luke brought all the fixin’s with him – peppers, fried onions, ketchup – to feed the 40-plus staff members.
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Article source: http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/20140619_Wayne_s_Abbi_Jacobson_is_a_funny__Broad_.html