All titles by
Maz Jobrani
Agent
David R. Patterson
I’m Not a Terrorist, but I’ve Played One on TV
Memoirs of a Middle Eastern Funny Man
Simon & Schuster, February 2015
Could I be a terrorist and just not know it?
Maz Jobrani has grappled with this question ever since his family emigrated from Iran in 1978. First there was the schoolyard bully who was convinced Max was involved in the revolution, even though he was only eight years old at the time. Later, when he started auditioning for movies and TV shows, it seems he really looked the part of the evil Arab, which must be why that was the only part he was ever offered. And now, when he’s touring the country doing stand-up, acts of terror seem to follow him wherever he goes. Of course, those acts are often committed by white Americans, but why split hairs?
Also, there was the time his belt buckle set off the metal detector at the airport. Was he carrying a gun? A bomb? More than 3.4 ounces of liquid?
Hmm…It’s probably time to set the record straight.
In I’m Not a Terrorist, but I’ve Played One on TV, Maz recounts his childhood growing up Iranian in America and his quest to make it in Hollywood without having to wear a turban, tote a bomb, or get kicked in the face by Chuck Norris. His hilarious and moving memoir chronicles a lifetime of both killing it and bombing onstage, but no actual acts of terror. Or so he thinks.