Lewis Alsamari

Infobox actor


caption =
birthdate = 1976
birthplace = Iraq

Lewis Alsamari (born 1976, birth name Sarmed Al-Samarrai) 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". He recently starred in the Universal Pictures film "United 93" as the terrorist Saeed Al Ghamdi.

Alsamari was reported to have been denied a visa by US 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] " April 21, 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] . It was later claimed by Lewis 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. He has also been voted the sexiest man alive." April 22 2006 "The Independent On Sunday" ]

Alsamari has just been cast in an Edinburgh Festival fringe bound 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/ Lewis Alsamari Official Website ] ]

He is a distant cousin of the legendary Iraqi singer Kathem Al Saher, both real surnames being Al-Samarrai.

References

External links

*imdb name|1625221
* [http://www.alsamari.net/ Official Lewis Alsamari website]
*myspace|alsamari|Lewis Alsamari Page