Tony Shalhoub to Play Carlos Ghosn in New Series
Carlos Ghosn led Nissan, Renault, and Mitsubishi through some challenging times, but his tenure with the alliance ended in ruins when he was arrested in Japan for allegedly underreporting his income and misusing millions in company funds. His subsequent escape and life in Lebanon have been heavily documented in books, interviews, and documentaries. Even so, Deadline recently reported that there’s a new series on the way with a familiar face playing Ghosn.
Tony Shalhoub, star of Monk, Wings, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, will play Ghosn, who made his way from being out on bail in Japan to living a limited but un-jailed life in Beirut, Lebanon, in a daring escape. With the help of a few Americans, including a former Army Special Forces Soldier, Ghosn fled prosecution in Japan hidden in a large equipment box.
The escape cost his accomplices their freedom, and he lost the ability to leave Lebanon, but Ghosn’s current life seems mostly unburdened by his significant global legal troubles. It’s unclear how much of the story the show’s character will portray, and casting for other roles isn’t complete, but it’s hard to imagine a better actor for the main job. The sometimes-neurotic, sometimes hilarious Shalhoub is an excellent choice to play the equally interesting Ghosn.
[Image: Eugene Powers via Shutterstock]
Become a TTAC insider. Get the latest news, features, TTAC takes, and everything else that gets to the truth about cars first by subscribing to our newsletter.
Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.
More by Chris Teague
Comments
Join the conversation
Both are of Lebanese origin, so the choice seems to make sense.
However SHaloub is too nice a guy to play such an $hole villain pompous a$$ clown like the abominable Ghosn.
I’ll watch!!
Pretty interesting quote from Ghosn himself: "If you have not been a villain at a certain point in time, you will never be a hero. And the day you are a hero, you may become a villain the next day." And, interestingly, he has actually been the hero of his own manga volume in Japan. Regarding the casting of Tony Shalhoub, I like it. I think he will do a great job of bringing a nuanced mix of charm and arrogance to the character.
If Ghosn makes any money from this or any venture then I'll pass, but the actor is great