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I was born in Hobbs, New Mexico, grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and
graduated
high school in Evans, Georgia. When I graduated from high school, my
family moved
back to Baton Rouge (where they still live) and I moved to New York
City. Both my
parents are originally from Kabul, Afghanistan so I grew up speaking
Farsi and English.
I really believe that growing up in a bilingual household made my
mind receptive to
picking up multiple languages fairly easily. I spoke French fluently
by the time I was a
senior in high school and have since picked up Italian and Spanish.
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Age 11. Playing Forward for the Dragons Soccer Team |
Growing up, I played soccer and I was on a few teams that actually
competed at the state
level. At one point, I even had dreams of playing soccer
professionally in Europe. That never
materialized because I was very prone to injury (dislocated knee,
torn ligaments in
both knees, separated shoulders, and sprains, bumps and bruises) and
I realized that
contact sports were probably not the best choice for me. When I was
on a first name
basis with the Emergency Room staff, I knew that I should probably
find something else
to do for fun.
I had an early interest in music but didn’t have any formal music
training until high
school. When I was about 5 years old, I would sing “Rhinestone
Cowboy” or “Feelings”
for anybody who would listen. This was in the days before Karaoke
(which actually
means “tone deaf” in Japanese…seriously, I am not making this up) so
I must have
seemed like this odd little brown kid who sang a lot. It got to the
point where my dentist
wouldn’t clean my teeth until I sang him a song. Oddly enough, he
still makes me do that
today. Looking back, it should have been no surprise that I would
end up pursing a
career in the performing arts. I studied violin in 5th and 6th
grade, but gave it up because
every time I practiced, the neighborhood tomcats would show up
thinking that there was
a female cat in heat. I picked up the piano pretty easily, but I
really wanted to be a
drummer. After much begging, and against their better judgment, my
parents bought me
a drum set.
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Junior in High School. This was the Marching Band Uniform as
one of the LHS Panthers Drum Line. |
In high school, I joined the concert and
marching bands. I marched on the snare line during football season,
and was the timpanist during the concert season. I also played drum
set with the jazz combo. I was a bit of a geek in high school, so
when I wasn’t at band camp, I was usually being stuffed into a
locker by the Lakeside High defensive line. GO PANTHERS! My senior
year of high school, I decided to join the drama club as an excuse
to meet girls and (hopefully) kiss them. Of course I met many girls,
but none of them actually kissed me (a trend that continues to this
day). Shortly after performing in the class play, I decided that I
was going to pursue acting as a career.
Of course my parents weren’t to thrilled when I announced that I was
moving to New York City. They have always been 100% supportive of
everything I have done, but it did shock them to hear that I was
running away to “join the circus.” If they could have, I am sure
that (like the Lakeside defensive line) they would have stuffed me
into a locker. I enrolled at the American Musical and Dramatic
Academy in New York City and started my formal training. I was also
taking class at the Manhattan School of Music and the Julliard Drama
program. I started auditioning and within two weeks of graduation, I
was cast in a production of JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR
DREAMCOAT. I have been lucky enough to be a part of productions of
MISS SAIGON, SHOWBOAT, SHE LOVES ME, Disney’s BEAUTY AND THE BEAST,
STATE FAIR, and FOREVER PLAID, among others. I also started to do a
little bit of film and television work, but nothing that was really
in the “Big Time.” In fact, on the few T.V. spots I have done, if
you blink, you’ll miss me. My varied and vast film career consists
of movies most people have never heard of. In the summers of 1997
and 1998 I had the good fortune of being a company member at The
Ohio Light Opera in Wooster, Ohio. Several of the shows from those
seasons were recorded, so I got to be on my first cast recordings.
The highlight of the summer was getting to create the role of Louis
la- Philippe de la Tourette in the American Premier of Emmerich
Kahlman’s THE BAYADERE. It was an intense season as all the shows
are from the Operetta fare, so you had to keep your voice in good
form. Another exciting fact was that we did 9 shows in repertory. So
on Monday you would do The Yeoman of the Guard and on Tuesday you
did The New Moon. Then on Wednesday and Saturday, you did one show
for the matinee and a different show for the evening performance. I
got dressed for the wrong show on more than one occasion (at which
point the cast of the Ohio Light Opera would stuff me into a
locker.)
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Right before my certification check ride and first solo
flight. |
While touring with the National Company
of SHOWBOAT, I started fulfilling another dream in learning how to
fly. The tour would sit down in cities long enough for me to seek
out the local flight school and take my ground school and airtime
lessons. I soon certified in a Cessna 172 and began to move further
in my training. I got as far as my multi-engine and instrument
certifications before the events of September 11, 2001 got in the
way. In order to remain current on your license, you have to do 3
takeoff and touchdown cycles in a given 90-day period. Being that my
family is of Middle Eastern origin, and I fit a lot of the criteria
in the profile that the government was now looking for (traveling in
and out of the United States frequently, late 20’s – 30’s male of
Middle Eastern heritage, flight school, etc), I was placed on the
United States Terrorist Watch List. I was told by authorities that
it would probably not be in my best interest to continue with my
training unless I planned on getting a one-way ticket to Cuba via
Guantanimo Bay. Needless to say, the idea of me getting further
pilot training was not going to fly. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist the
pun.) The authorities did, however, offer me a job as a translator
since I spoke so many languages. The fact that Farsi was one of the
languages I spoke was of special interest to them. When I turned
them down, they stuffed me into a locker.
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Rondell Sheridan and I on board the Grand Princess. |
During this time, I also began to work as a
Guest Entertainer Headliner for Princess Cruise Lines. I still go
out a few times a year as my schedule allows, and I have started
working a few other cruise lines as well. My one-man cabaret show,
THE BUCK HUJABRE
EXPERIENCE has since been recorded on DVD and is one of the
accomplishments that I am most proud of. Because of the ships, I
have had the opportunity to visit most of the world. I have been
able to see Mediterranean Europe, the Caribbean, Alaska, Hawaii,
Canada and New England, the Mexican Rivera, and several
trans-Atlantic routes. More recently, I have served as an opening
act at many Las Vegas and Atlantic City casinos and resorts.
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Eddie Izzard and I backstage. |
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Marty Allen and I after his show. |
The solo show has afforded me the
opportunity to meet and work with some of my favorite entertainers,
including Eddie Izzard, Rondell Sheridan, Jimmy Walker, Harry
Connick Jr., and Marty Allen.
Behind every man, there is a great
woman… rolling her eyes. On June 2nd, 2006, I married the love of my
life, Mary Luty. She is the most amazing woman I have ever met. She
is my support system and makes sure I stay in check. I honestly
don’t know how I got through life so far without her. There is
definitely “Something About Mary.” She is originally from Blackpool
in the northern part of England, which (in it’s heyday) was like
their version of Atlantic City. There are rumors floating around
that it is about to get a make over, so hopefully I will get the
chance to work there soon. Her accent is the coolest, and I hope
that when we have kids, they sound like her.
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Wedding Day with my beautiful wife Mary. |
We got engaged in Venice, Italy near the
Bridge of Sighs. The name of the bridge actually has an interesting
history. The Bridge of Sighs connects the Doges Palace to the
prison. Rumor has it that years ago, prisoners were marched to their
incarceration over this bridge. As they got their last view of
freedom, people below the bridge could hear the prisoners sighing.
Hence the name, “The Bridge of Sighs” or Ponte de Sospiri in
Italian. It is considered one of the most romantic sights in the
world. Even the gondoliers have couples kiss as they pass under the
bridge. I can’t help but see the humor in the fact that we got
engaged in front of a symbol for men losing their freedom.
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Me doing my very first Elvis "uh-huh". Take a closer look at
the photo, you can see that I was actually doing the Elvis lip
curl. Not bad for a 5 month old! |
I love anything and everything related to
entertainment. One of my favorite things to do is watch yesterday’s
entertainers in their prime. The reason for this is so I can try and
learn how the best-of- the-best “worked a room.” This being
so, I have become a HUGE Elvis fan. I don’t think we will ever see
anyone with that kind of charm, star-quality, and bravado. His
contributions to entertainment as we know it (film, concert, etc)
have forever changed the industry. He died 30 years ago, and still
has staying power…simply amazing. My nieces and nephew (who are 9,
7, and 6 years-old) even know who he is. How about that for legacy!
Ever since I was a kid, I have been drawn to massive amounts of
automotive horsepower. (I know, I know…you can take the boy out of
the south….) If I wasn’t in the entertainment industry, I would
probably be driving a Top Fuel Funny Car in the NHRA Drag Racing
Circuit or crushing cars with a Monster Truck. Life is far too
important to take seriously… As a side note, I did finally end up
getting a “real” degree. I graduated with a B.S. in Finance/Business
Administration, and I am sure my Mom and Dad sleep a little bit
better at night knowing that I have “something to fall back on.”
Thanks for reading.
Buck and Pomai on location in Honolulu
(from the Adam Sandler film 50 FIRST DATES)
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