Stacey Dash, Clueless actor-turned-Fox News commentator who dismissed as “ludicrous” the outrage over the lack of diversity in this year’s Oscar nominations, who has called for an end to Black History Month (because there isn’t a White History Month) and who has called for the shuttering of BET network, has been cast as the mayor of Chicago in Syfy’s Sharknado: The 4th Awakens.
Yet, in a world in which Donald Trump is now within spitting distance of the White House, Dash makes perfect sense as mayor of a city struggling with racial strife. Syfy says it’s a cameo – but so was her appearance at the Academy Awards, when host Chris Rock introduced her as the director of the Academy’s minority outreach program, and people talked about that one for days.
Meanwhile, Cynthia Bailey (The Real Housewives of Atlanta), Robert Herjavec (Shark Tank), Kym Johnson (Dancing with the Stars), TV host Carrie Keagan, T’Keyah Crystal Keymah (In Living Color) and Baywatch stars Gena Lee Nolin and Alexandra Paul have been cast for cameos – as Astro-X rocket scientists and astrophysicists.
Benjy Bronk (The Howard Stern Show) will show up as a morning show host, and Duane Chapman (Dog the Bounty Hunter) plays a chainsaw dealer in the next iteration of the Sharknado franchise, premiering Sunday, July 31.
Jay DeMarcus of Rascal Flatts is manager of the Shark World hotel, MMA fighter Frank Mir is its head of security, and Corey Taylor of Slipknot is one of the security guards.
David Faustino (Married … with Children) is a Las Vegas gambler, Lori Greiner (Shark Tank) pretends to be a home-shopping guru, Dr. Drew Pinsky (Loveline) is a pastor, and Patti Stanger (Millionaire Matchmaker) a reporter.
Meanwhile, Vince Neil of Motley Crue, Wayne Newton (aka Mr. Las Vegas) and Todd, Savannah and Grayson Chrisley of Chrisley Knows Best? They get to play themselves.
Sharknado: The 4th Awakens takes place five years after the East Coast was ravaged in Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! Fin (Ziering) and his family have been blissfully sharknado-free since. But now the shark-infested tornadoes are back. Tara Reid is set to return as April Wexler to reveal the outcome of the fan-voted campaign to determine whether April lives or dies. David Hasselhoff (as Gil Shepard) and Ryan Newman (as Claudia Shepard) will also reprise their Sharknado 3 roles. New additions to the cast are Gary Busey, Tommy Davidson, Imani Hakim, Cody Linley, Masiela Lusha and Cheryl Tiegs.
Sharknado: The 4th Awakens is a production of The Asylum. Anthony C. Ferrante returns to direct an original screenplay written by Thunder Levin. Here is the new poster:
