Norman Issa

{{Infobox person

| name = Norman Issa

| image = Norman Issa 2.jpg

| caption =

| native_name = نورمان عيسى

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1967|6|17}}

| birth_place = Haifa, Israel

| death_date =

| death_place =

| native_name_lang = ar

| othername =

| occupation = Actor

| yearsactive = 1998–present

| spouse = Gidona Raz

| children = 3, including Lear Issa, Shon Issa

| domesticpartner =

| website =

}}

Norman Issa ({{langx|ar|نورمان عيسى}}, {{langx|he|נורמן עיסא}}; born 17 June 1967) is an Arab-Israeli actor, director in cinema, theatre and television.

Biography

Norman Issa was born and raised in Haifa, Israel, to a Maronite Christian-Arab family. He studied acting at Beit Zvi. He is married to Jewish-Israeli playwright Gidona Raz, with whom he has three sons. Lear and Sean Issa are actors. The couple jointly founded the multicultural Elmina Theater in Jaffa, Israel.https://www.mouse.co.il/shows/articles/1.3417076 They reside in Jaffa.

Theater, television and film career

Issa has acted in many plays by William Shakespeare at the Haifa Theatre and Cameri Theatre. He worked at The Arab-Hebrew Theater together with fellow Arab-Israeli actor Yousef "Joe" Sweid. He was the main protagonist of the Israeli television sitcom Arab Labor, created by Arab-Israeli journalist Sayed Kashua.{{Cite news|title = Playing Sayed Kashua: Actor Norman Issa Feels Like the Third Brother of Arabs and Jews|url = http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/magazine/.premium-1.539247|newspaper = Haaretz|date = 2013-08-01|access-date = 2016-01-28|language = en|first = Ayelett|last = Shani}}

In 2015, Issa refused to perform in a settlement in the Jordan Valley. In response, Israeli Minister of Culture Miri Regev threatened to shut down Israeli government funding to the theater that Issa founded.{{Cite web|title = Arab Israeli actor Norman Issa refuses to cross the Green Line|url = http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Culture/Arab-Israeli-actor-Norman-Issa-refuses-to-cross-the-Green-Line-405545|website = The Jerusalem Post {{!}} JPost.com| date=9 June 2015 |access-date = 2016-01-28}}{{Cite news|title = The Jewish State Has No More Room for 'Good Arabs'|url = http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.660585|newspaper = Haaretz|date = 2015-06-11|access-date = 2016-01-28|language = en|first = Gideon|last = Levy}}

Awards and recognition

At the 2016 Haifa International Film Festival, Norman Issa and Moshe Ivgy were awarded the prize for Best Actor in a Feature Film, for The 90 Minute War.{{cite web |url=http://www.haifaff.co.il/eng/News_%7Cfamp%7C_Updates/2127/The_award_winners-_Haifa_International_Film_Festival_2016 |title=The award winners- Haifa International Film Festival 2016 |publisher=Haifa International Film Festival |accessdate=7 November 2016 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161108134409/http://www.haifaff.co.il/eng/News_%7Cfamp%7C_Updates/2127/The_award_winners-_Haifa_International_Film_Festival_2016 |archivedate=8 November 2016 }}