With the Season 4 premiere of “Homeland” looming, Mandy Patinkin and Stephen Colbert talked about the state of the real Middle East during his recent visit to “The Colbert Report.”
In a deadly serious tone, Patinkin offered up a solution, and even offered Colbert a role in his plans. “Given the state of the world and its epicenter, which I feel is the Middle East … I am going to tear a page out of your book; your presidential campaign book; and I am going to enter myself to be possibly elected as the new Prime Minister of Israel.”
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He proceeded to offer Colbert a position in his administration as his security advisor. “Security is paramount in that part of the world,” Patinkin explained. “Therefore I feel that with you as the head of security and me as the head of moral and ethical attitude toward humanity, the combination of the two might calm the region into, on occasion, laughing at itself.”
He presented everything he said throughout the interview with the same gravitas and intensity. By the end, he was holding Colbert in his lap and comforting America by telling us that everything was going to be all right.
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Still, there’s at least the inkling of a possibility that Patinkin has genuine political aspirations. The famously intelligent and outspoken actor has shared his passionate views about the state of the Middle East with Colbert before.
In December of 2012, Patinkin told Colbert that he would always choose words over weapons to resolve conflicts.
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“I think that’s the answer to peace in the Middle East,” he said. “Peace in the Middle East isn’t going to be created by another war or violent act on the other side. It’s going to be created by someone like yourself and someone like me, two individuals who have a belief and who can talk to another group of individuals and people start changing their minds. It’s not a magic trick.”
“Homeland” premieres its fourth season on Sunday, Oct. 4 at 9/8c on Showtime.