Shelley Malil Biography

(Actor)

Birthday: December 23, 1964 (Capricorn)

Born In: Kerala, India

Shelley Malil is an American actor and convicted criminal. He is best known for his role of ‘Haziz’ in the Steve Carell-starrer film ‘The 40-Year-Old Virgin’. After emigrating to the U.S. as a child, he developed a taste for acting while performing in school plays. He went on to study the craft at a reputed institute and soon landed in Hollywood to try his luck. After a lot of struggle, he began to bag small parts in films and television shows. His appearance in a Budweiser commercial made him an overnight sensation and his career took off. Winner of numerous awards, he has portrayed memorable roles in many popular TV shows and films, including ‘Scrubs’, ‘Seinfeld’, ‘ER’, etc. But his life took a turn for the worse when he was convicted and imprisoned for a brutal, life-threatening attack on his girlfriend. He was recently released on parole after spending a decade in prison.
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Quick Facts

Also Known As: Shelley Mathew Malil

Age: 59 Years, 59 Year Old Males

Born Country: India

Actors Murderers

Height: 1.8 m

  • 1

    Where is Shelley Malil now?

    Shelley Malil is currently serving his prison sentence at the Valley State Prison in California.
  • 2

    What crime was Shelley Malil convicted of?

    Shelley Malil was convicted of attempted premeditated murder and assault with a deadly weapon for stabbing his ex-girlfriend more than 20 times.

  • 3

    When did Shelley Malil go to prison?

    Shelley Malil was sentenced to prison in December 2010, after being found guilty of the attempted murder and assault charges.

  • 4

    Is Shelley Malil eligible for parole?

    Shelley Malil is eligible for parole but has been denied multiple times since his conviction.
  • 5

    How long is Shelley Malil's prison sentence?

    Shelley Malil was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 12 years for the attempted murder and assault charges.
Career
Shelley Malil was first enamoured with the acting profession as a child when he saw a performance by the actor, Bob Hope, on a neighbour’s TV set in his small fishing village in India. After moving to the U.S. in 1974, he would often win accolades for his performances in high school plays and district-level competitions. He performed in musicals at Dallas theatres after graduating from high school. Soon, he auditioned and got accepted to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, where he perfected his skills for two years.
But Hollywood beckoned and he landed in Los Angeles in 1994 with nothing more than a van, his mother’s roll-away mattress, and less than $1000 in his pocket. Soon after, he managed to land a small part on the TV series ‘The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.’ Thereafter, he continued to get a steady stream of work in films, commercials and TV shows, like ‘ER’, ‘Seinfeld’, ‘The West Wing’, ‘My Favorite Martian’, etc. throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. In 1997, he even won the ‘Los Angeles Ovation Award’ as the ‘Best Featured Actor’ for his comic relief role as ‘Bottom’ in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. He was nominated for the ‘Los Angeles Ovation Award’ again for his performance in the play ‘SubUrbia’.
Then, he did a Budweiser beer commercial that became an instant hit during the 2001 Super Bowl and even earned him a ‘Clio Award’. The commercial brought him fame and helped him bag one of the lead roles in the TV movie ‘Bad News Mr. Swanson’ in 2001. Thereafter, the offers continued to pour in for parts in movies and TV shows like ‘Collateral Damage’, ‘Sabrina The Teenage Witch’, ‘NYPD Blue’, ‘Scrubs’ etc.
In 2005, he landed the role of ‘Haziz’, a co-worker of the lead star, Steve Carell, in the movie ‘The 40-Year-Old Virgin’. He won many accolades for his brilliant acting in the movie, including a mention in the ‘Top 10 Overlooked Performances of 2005’ list released by the ‘Associated Press’. He went on to perform many more successful roles in movies and TV shows until 2008.
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Controversies & Scandals
On August 10, 2008, Shelley Malil was accused of stabbing his then girlfriend, Kendra Beebe, more than 20 times at their home in San Marcos, California, while her children were sleeping upstairs. Fuelled by anger, jealousy and alcohol, he slashed Beebe with a knife and a broken wine glass, and then tried to suffocate her with a pillow. He tried to escape, but was soon arrested at a train station. Beebe sustained many deep wounds, but survived the attack.
At his trial in 2010, he was convicted of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and given a life imprisonment sentence with a prospect of parole after 14 years. During his incarceration, he attended AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) meetings, took up self-help courses and even got a correspondence college degree, all of which led to his first parole hearing in early 2018, almost 10 years since the attack. At the hearing, he admitted to his shameful crime, assured the parole panel that he was committed to his rehabilitation and did not want to victimize anyone ever again. The panel decided to grant him parole, but it was blocked after the public, media and the victim herself expressed their outrage.
Malil exhibited model behavior in prison and in late 2018, he was granted supervised parole for five years.
Family & Personal Life
Shelley Matthew Malil was born on December 23, 1964, in a small fishing village in Kerala, India. He lived there for 10 years, after which he emigrated to the U.S. with his family. He has a close-knit family, including his parents, a sister, a niece and children, but not much is known about them.
In 2007, he began dating Kendra Beebe after meeting her on an online dating website, but their relationship had always been a rocky one.
Facts About Shelley Malil
Shelley Malil is an accomplished guitarist and has a passion for playing music.
He is known for his love of cooking and often enjoys experimenting with different recipes in the kitchen.
Shelley Malil has a great sense of humor and is known for his witty jokes and comedic timing.
He is an avid reader and enjoys diving into a good book in his spare time.
Shelley Malil is passionate about giving back to the community and has been involved in various charitable causes over the years.
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- Shelley Malil Biography
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