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Jordan Belfi Sees Parallels Between Showbiz and Politics

(Screenshot)
(Screenshot)

Playing a morally suspect congressman on the hit ABC drama, “Scandal” wasn’t overly taxing for Jordan Belfi. He has, after all, received a master class in the art of behaving badly from the near-constant parade of lawmakers who wind up blubbering on national TV after their shady dealings become public.  

“I feel those interviews,” the veteran actor said of the here-we-go-again performances embattled pols seem to deliver on an alarmingly regular basis. Belfi, who said he indulges in a steady diet of Sunday talk shows and CNN coverage, told HOH he channeled the varying degrees of frustration, awkwardness and hubris typically on display during said media grillings into his portrayal of Congressman Nicholas Reed .  

“It feels like there’s been a lot of resignations in the past year or so,” the self-styled pundit quipped, encapsulating what’s been a tumultuous period — So long , Rep. Michael G. Grimm! Don’t forget to write , Rep. Aaron Schock! — on Capitol Hill.  

With a previous stint on “Grey’s Anatomy” already under his belt, Belfi said he leapt at the chance to slink around in the shadowy corners of #ThisTown that show runner Shonda Rhimes has so much fun exploring.  

“Being a part of her world is incredibly rewarding,” he shared, adding that the Reed character was a “juicy role” he simply could not resist.  

Not to mention the fact that he got to chew the scenery with actress Kerry Washington.  

“She carries the show and she does so amazingly,” Belfi said of working opposite the welcoming foil. “As an actor, you look for partners like that.”  

To wit, he’s fairly certain that the reason Hollywood is obsessed with Washington, D.C., (and vice versa) is because players in both universes have to overcome similar obstacles.  

“The political world and the entertainment world seem to be two sides of the same coin,” he said, citing the need to hustle, incessantly network and get ahead as integral to success in either camp.  

Should Rhimes need Reed to stir the pot again, Belfi suspects he’d be there in a heartbeat. “I’m not dead, so …” he said of his character’s availability for future story arcs.  

Until that time comes Belfi plans to busy himself with a new supernatural thriller expected to begin shooting next month. And he’s looking forward to helping roll out the red carpet for the forthcoming “Entourage” movie, which is scheduled to debut this summer.  

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