Exclusive: Reza Didn't Love Every 'Sharknado' Co-Star
The #Shahs star discusses learning to play nice on set and guarding the White House in his first film role.
Shahs of Sunset’s Reza Farahan has a full plate: real estate, fiance, Bravo… and now movies. The Shahs’ cast member scored his first-ever film role in the cult favorite Sharknado series, and will make his debut in Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!, which premieres on SyFy on July 22.
The campy sequel stars Ian Ziering, Tara Reid — and a diverse slate of other personalities like Mark Cuban, David Hasselhoff, Jerry Springer, and Bo Derek. Off the bat, Reza calls it a genius approach to movie marketing. “They’re smart: It’s a brilliant f***ing concept to give little parts to people who have big social media followings,” he tells The Daily Dish. “They’ll be super excited they’re in the movie and [will] help promote it.” (A rather meta observation!)
Of course, with all these diverse personalities on the set, he said it was all a recipe for a bit of drama. “Let me tell you something: I got dropped off on the set, I got out of my car, and I saw that tw** Ann Coulter’s name on the call sheet and I am thinking, ‘Oh my god, it’s my first movie. And not only am I going to get fired, I’m going to get escorted off the set!” (Needless to say, the views of the uber-conservative pundit don’t exactly line up with the priorities of the Shahs star, who is an immigrant engaged to a man.) “I promised myself if I ever saw that wh*** that I would give her a piece of my mind,” he said. Fortunately, he didn’t actually encounter her in person on the set, and narrowly avoided a brawl. “But if I had seen her, I would have had to school the bitch a little bit,” he said.
Apart from the near-miss with Coulter, Reza described his first acting experience as an absolutely fantastic opportunity. “Sharknado was amazing. Ian [Ziering] was amazing. He made me feel super comfortable, he gave me some pointers,” he said. “[The experience] couldn’t have gone any better. The camera crew, lighting, set — everyone was super gracious and welcoming.” And there was one priceless detail Reza couldn’t help calling out — a movie moment that, you might imagine, stands to rile up the likes of Coulter and her sympathizers. “In my scene,” Reza recalls, “I was a secret service person guarding the White House — this Middle Eastern queen with a mustache guarding the White House! — which was amazing to me.”
See more of Reza before he was a Bravoleb.
