Tony Shalhoub might be best known for playing Adrian Monk in the landmark detective series named after the character, but the actor gives an equally off-the-wall performance in an underrated 2013 crime movie directed by Michael Bay. Shalhoub’s character Victor Kershaw in the satirical black comedyPain & Gainis the one that really stands out, even though Kershaw couldn’t be more different from Adrian Monk. WhereasMonk’s eponymous protagonist is an extremely neurotic but brilliant detective who solves violent crimes, Victor Kershaw is the victim of a violent crime himself inPain & Gain, and he’s far from happy about it.
On the other hand, just as he is inMonk, it’s Shalhoub who’s responsible for many of the best comedy moments inPain & Gain. Still, Victor Kershaw is nothing like Monk, and the fact that Shalhoub excels in these two disparate roles demonstrates his comedic range as an actor.Adrian Monk’s funniest scenesplay up the character’s uncanny ability to land himself in incredibly awkward or farcical situations. Yet the humor Shalhoub elicits from his movie character Victor Kershaw’s is all about his proclivity to fly off the handle into a fit of rage.
Tony Shalhoub Starred In Michael Bay’s Pain & Gain As Victor Kershaw
Shalhoub’s Character Is The Victim Of An Extortion Attempt
Although Michael Bay’s 2013 moviePain & Gaincenters on the extortion scheme of Mark Wahlberg’s protagonist Daniel Lugo, it’s Adrian Monk actor Tony Shalhoub who steals the show.Shalhoub elevates any scene he’s in, playing the unfortunate victim of the crimewho suffers the full force of Lugo’s violent actions. Shalhoub’s Victor Kershaw is no shrinking violet, however, and displays his irascible temper in the form of withering put-downs even when he’s kidnapped and blindfolded, or consigned to a wheelchair.
Tony Shalhoub’s performance strengthens thePain & Gainfurther by throwing moments of levity into the mix, which help furnish the film with its satirical edge.
Kershaw taunts Lugo, his fellow bodybuilders Paul Doyle and Noel Doorbal, played by Dwayne Johnson and Anthony Mackie,respectively, and Sun Gym manager John Mese, as they attempt to carry out their crime without leaving a trace of evidence behind.Pain & Gainis based on the true story of the real Miami-based Sun Gym gang. Thanks to its suspenseful portrayal of the crimes committed by the gang,the movie is surely one of Michael Bay’s best. Tony Shalhoub’s performance strengthens the film further by throwing moments of levity into the mix, which help furnishPain & Gainwith its satirical edge.
Tony Shalhoub’s Pain & Gain Character Was Aggressively Different From Monk
Victor Kershaw Is Short-Tempered And Always Ready With The Kind Of Put-Down Adrian Monk Would Never Use
Nevertheless, it will be a surprise for manyMonkfans to see Shalhoub playing this kind of role.Just the thought of behaving like Victor Kershaw would surely terrify Adrian Monkhalf to death, yet Kershaw still responds aggressively to his kidnappers even when he appears to be half-dead.
This Underrated $86M Movie From 2013 Is Dwayne Johnson’s Best Performance & Shows He’s Been Wasted For Years
More than a decade later, Dwayne Johnson’s darkly comedic work in Pain & Gain remains my favorite performance from the wrestler-turned-actor.
Pain & Gainprobably doesn’t rank alongsideTony Shalhoub’s very best movies and TV shows, given that the actor has starred in the award-winning sitcomWings, the Coen Brothers masterpieceBarton Fink, and the acclaimed 1996 comedy-dramaThe Big Nightalongside Stanley Tucci. But this crime comedy is definitely worth a watch, even if just for Shalhoub’s hilariously crazed performance.
Monk
Cast
Starring Tony Shalhoub as Adrian Monk, Monk follows the titular detective, a private investigator with OCD who helps solve crimes with the San Francisco Police. On the side, he also investigates the death of his wife, who was killed by a car bomb. Bitty Schram, Traylor Howard, Ted Levine, and Jason Gray-Stanford also star.
