Monday, August 16, 2010

Lenny Kravitz and His Tallis Make Cameo Appearance on Entourage

Photos of celebs, pro athletes and politicians wearing a kippah (yarmulke) aren't unusual, but you don't often see stars wearing a tallit (tallis or Jewish prayer shawl) on TV.

I've seen pics of famous Jews like Leonard Nimoy (Spock on "Star Trek") and Bob Dylan rockin' a tallit, but it's unusual to see it in movies or television.

When I think about seeing the tallit on TV and in movies, I think of Ben Stiller wearing one in "Keeping the Faith," the rabbi in Seinfeld famously wearing one while sitting at his office desk, and Krusty the Clown in a tallis at his bar mitzvah on an episode of "The Simpsons."

Last night, in an episode of "Entourage," in its seventh season on HBO, guest star Lenny Kravitz is seen in a synagogue for his niece's bat mitzvah wearing a tallis (no kippah oddly enough). Super-agent Ari Gold (played by Jeremy Piven and based on Rahm Emanuel's brother Ari) calls Lenny Kravitz to see if he's available to appear in a movie. Kravitz even speaks a little Hebrew to the rabbi while he's on the phone with Ari. Piven, himself, wore a tallis on the show a couple seasons ago at his daughter's bat mitzvah.

Kravitz is actually half-Jewish, as Adam Sandler sang in one of his "The Hanukkah Song" versions. Jeremy Piven also tweeted that Kravitz is half-Jewish before the premiere of this season's Entourage. Lenny Kravitz, himself, posted HBO's sneak peak at his appearance on the show on YouTube (see video below).




3 comments:

Kol Ra'ash Gadol said...

Hmm. I'm pretty sure I do see a kippah on his head - it's black - I think it's one of those nylon ones.

Rabbi Jason Miller said...

You're right. I didn't notice that!

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry but I don't get it. I live in LA, I consider myself reasonably cool, I like Lenny Kravitz, but what the heck are these guys thinking?

A shul is supposed to be a place of prayer, what benefit is there to Jews when scenes like this are shot inside a shul?

Dropping the f-bomb and discussing business deals are not appropriate in any shul.

These Hollywood Jews really make me sick, for them being Jewish is just like an outfit they can put on whenever it suits them.