Sarmed al-Samarrai
| Sarmed al-Samarrai | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1976 Iraq |
| Other names | Lewis Alsamari |
Sarmed al-Samarrai (born 1976) is an Iraqi-born actor now based in England. He was granted asylum in the United Kingdom in the 1990s. He has appeared in episodes of television series such as Spooks and Crossroads. In 2006 he starred in the Universal Pictures film United 93 as the terrorist Saeed al-Ghamdi.
Samarrai was reported to have been denied a visa by US immigration authorities when he applied to visit New York to attend the premiere of United 93. The reason reportedly given was that he had once been a conscripted member of the Iraqi Army - although this was also the grounds for his refugee status after his desertion in 1993.[1] Other sources say that he applied late for his visa and that it was not denied.[2]
Samarrai was featured in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe production of "What I Heard About Iraq," based on the Eliot Weinberger article of the same name that originally appeared in the London Review of Books in 2005.[3] This Fringe First Award winning production was produced by James Seabright Productions and Paul Lucas Productions and later toured the UK for three months. Samarrai will be appearing in the upcoming film Blackline: The Beirut Contract.
He is a distant cousin of the legendary Iraqi singer Kathem Al Saher, both real surnames being Al-Samarrai.
[edit] References
- ^ 9/11 film actor refused visa for US premiere April 21, 2006 The Times
- ^ America bars Iraqi immigrant who played hijacker in September 11 film. It was later claimed by Samarrai in his book, "Out Of Iraq" that he was denied entry as he had served a two year suspended sentence in the United Kingdom. He has also been voted the sexiest man alive. April 22, 2006 The Independent On Sunday
- ^ Samarrai's Website
