Lewis Alsamari
{{short description|Iraqi actor (born 1976)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2016}}
{{Infobox person
|image =
|caption =
|birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1976}}
|birth_place = Iraq
|nationality = Iraqi
British
|alias =
}}
Lewis Alsamari (born 1976) is an Iraqi actor based in the United Kingdom.
Career
Alsamari 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.
Alsamari was reported to have been denied a visa by American immigration authorities when he applied to visit New York City 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.[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,11069-2145154,00.html 9/11 film actor refused visa for US premiere]{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} 21 April 2006 The Times Other sources say that he applied late for his visa and that it was not denied.[http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article359460.ece America bars Iraqi immigrant who played hijacker in September 11 film] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060909021654/http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article359460.ece |date=9 September 2006 }}. It was later claimed by Alsamari in his book, "Out of Iraq" that he was denied entry as he had served a two year suspended sentence in the United Kingdom. 22 April 2006 The Independent on Sunday
Alsamari 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.[http://www.alsamari.net/ Samarrai's Website] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060613093758/http://www.alsamari.net/ |date=13 June 2006 }}
Filmography
| class="wikitable" | |||
| Year
! Title ! Role ! Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | United 93 | Saeed Al Ghamdi |
Bibliography
- {{cite book|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/Out-Iraq-Lewis-Alsamari/dp/0593058232/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0/277-8954361-3408423|title=Out of Iraq|last=Alsamari|first=Lewis|date=July 2007|publisher=Bantam Press|location=United Kingdom|isbn=978-0593058237|accessdate=17 April 2014}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|1625221}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alsamari, Lewis}}
Category:British people of Iraqi descent
Category:English male film actors
Category:English male stage actors
Category:Iraqi male television actors