As Presidential aide and campaign manager on the highly successful NBC drama series the ‘West Wing’ Will Bailey, played by 42 year old New Yorker Joshua Malina, appeared efficient, serious and totally career focussed.

Indeed by the end of the series he progressed to being a Congressman representing the state of Oregan.

It’s hard to believe then that actor Malina possesses little or no similarities with the character he plays but instead is a poker loving risk taking prankster.

Juggling a dual career as an actor and producer Malina co-created the popular American show ‘Celebrity Poker Showdown’ with colleague and friend Andrew Hill Newman.

On each programme five celebrities playa  HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_limit_(poker)" \o "No limit (poker)" no limit  HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_hold_%27em" \o "Texas hold 'em" Texas hold 'em  HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poker_tournament" \o "Poker tournament" tournament for charity. The winners of each qualifying game get a silver commemorative poker chip and advance to the championship game. The winner of the championship game receive the grand prize for his or her charity as well as a gold commemorative poker chip. Each tournament is comprised of six two-hour episodes: five qualifying games and one championship game.

In a recent interview Joshua Malina explained how and why he came up with the idea of Celebrity Poker showdown. He said “My friend Andy (Hill Newman) and I came up with the idea for it. Andy and I are long time poker players and poker buddies, and we’ve been playing cards in Hank Azaria’s home game for about fifteen years. During a break in a poker tournament, we came up with the idea and the thing just sort of snowballed. It all happened at the right time with poker exploding on TV and everywhere. It’s been a complete joy.”

According to some sources Malina used to play poker to pay his rent when he was a struggling actor. “That is perhaps a slight overstatement,” Malina said in response to the claim. “I was not a professional poker player, but there certainly were lean times when I wasn’t working much as an actor, and the fact that I made a regular profit playing poker definitely helped pay the rent.”

Some of those who have appeared on Celebrity Poker Showdown include actors Ben Affleck, David Schwimmer, Martin Sheen and Chevy Chase, sports icons Denis Rodman (basketball) and Anthony Thompson (boxer) as well as Tennis star James Blake.

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