Queens actor getting work

Former Queens resident Hal B. Klein is making a name for himself in the acting world and can currently be seen in two films, “Nobel Son” and “Bottle Shock,” both of which made their debut this year at the Sundance Film Festival.
Born in Jamaica, Klein has long been interested in acting.
“I think it was always in my blood,” he said. “My grandpa was kind of a ham.”
During summer camp as a child, Klein would take part in the plays being put on. When his family eventually moved to California, he continued with studying acting by taking drama classes.
“I just thought it was really fun,” the 32-year-old Klein said. “I really like being able to experience someone else’s life. It’s great and exciting to play so many different people.”
When Klein graduated from college be came back to the New York City area, staying in Flushing before moving to Manhattan, and started doing a lot of work in the theatre. He then met director Randy Miller, who cast Klein in “Marilyn Hotchkiss’ Ballroom Dancing and Charm School.”
Two of Klein’s most recent films, “Nobel Son” and “Bottle Shock,” were also from Miller.
“I just got really lucky in a way, kind of falling in with Randy,” Klein said. “He’s really taken me under his wing, which is great.”
In “Bottle Shock,” which focuses on winemakers in California and the 1976 blind Paris wine tasting, Klein plays Shenky, a good friend of one of the main characters. Scheduled for theatrical release over the summer, “Nobel Son” is about a dysfunctional family. In it, Klein is a worker in a coffee shop frequented by one of the other characters.
Klein said that going to Sundance with the two movies was amazing and a very exciting experience, particularly because it occurred during the writers strike.
Klein also recently had a lead role in the Jeff Fisher film “Killer Movie,” which is about a reality television show being produced.
Many of the characters Klein has recently played he described as being quirky and “just a little bit off center.”
“They’re just really fun to play,” he said. “It’s really fun and you get to do unexpected things.”
In both films, Klein got to work with Alan Rickman and Bill Pullman. He said that he admires both actors and hopes for an acting career such as theirs where they are able to do films and theatre. Klein said that he wants to be able to do films and both classical plays and musicals for the theatre.
While looking for other future projects right now, Klein is also in the process of developing a cooking show. He said that he has always had a passion for cooking and that the show will teach people how to make amazing food without it being stressful and without cutting corners. Klein said he is currently putting the treatment together for the show and will then starting looking for a “home” for it.
For more information on Klein and his work, visit www.halbklein.com.