“This Hour Has 22 Minutes” Star on 24
When I first saw the character Hasan Numair on 24 I was scratching my head trying to figure out who he was. I knew he was Canadian and was very familiar but couldn’t put my finger on it. Then I found this article from Canada.com. His name’s Shaun Majumder and he’s from the Canadian mock news show "This Hour Has 22 Minutes". I’m kind of sad that he must have been killed off in the 4th episode when the bomb went off. He’s such a cool actor! Anyway, here’s his interview with the Canadian press about the show:
Fans of Shaun Majumder will be taken aback tomorrow when the performer graduates from 22 to 24.
The 34-year-old Newfoundlander is best-known in Canada as one of the stars of the Halifax-produced news satire This Hour Has 22 Minutes on CBC.
But Majumder gets to show off a not-so-lighthearted side of his acting talent tomorrow night when he plays terrorist Hasan Numair in the third and fourth hours of the new season of the hit drama 24.
"It’s not bad. It’s not a bad role for what I end up doing, which you can’t print," Majumder said during a phone interview from Los Angeles on Monday.
Producers of the espionage drama routinely request that the most shocking twists of 24’s complicated plots not be revealed ahead of airing. Suffice it to say Numair is a very bad dude and is central to a key plot development near the end of the fourth hour.
Majumder spends part of his time each year in Los Angeles looking for parts in U.S. productions. He was a regular on the Fox comedy show Cedric the Entertainer Presents and can be seen in the movie Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle.
"A lot of people say, ‘Shaun, why do you move to L.A.? Why would you leave Canada? There’s a lot of work up in Canada.’
"Well, I have to say that if you don’t live here, opportunities like this don’t come along," Majumder said while driving to the beach for a surfing session.
The actor initially read for a different, though still pivotal, role but was considered to be too old for the part. He was asked to return after a few hours and read for the part of Numair, a man who is first glimpsed as a prisoner garbed in a bright orange jumpsuit.
Majumder sounds grateful for the chance to stretch his acting skills in such a popular program. He also sounds realistic about what it might mean for him in the future.
"In the big picture that is this crazy up-and-down industry, it could lead to stuff," said Majumder, who’s looking for a house in California. "What it does is it gives people who only see me in a comedic light a surprise that I can do drama."
This season of 24 is not the first time Sutherland and Majumder have appeared in the same project. Majumder got to interview the grandson of Tommy Douglas for the CBC series The Greatest Canadian, and shot a quick humorous promotional spot with him for This Hour.
"I wonder about people who see me on 22," Majumder said. "It’s going to be an odd twist for Canadian fans, isn’t it? They’re going to be waiting for a joke."
Source and Source Tags: Hasan Numair, Shaun Majumder, 24, this hour has 22 minutes
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POSTED IN: News, Pictures, The 24 Cast
2 opinions for “This Hour Has 22 Minutes” Star on 24
Bery Girl
Jan 25, 2007 at 10:06 am
Just goes to show, no one knows who will stay or go on 24. Very cool that the actors and crew get the red scripts, otherwise they can get onto the net and copied easier. I did some extra work on The Sopranos and everyone was told not to repeat what went on set.
Sara
Mar 15, 2007 at 12:37 am
The best blog which I saw
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