Khalid Abdalla

Infobox actor


imagesize = 150px
birthdate = 1980
birthplace = Glasgow, Scotland

Khalid Abdalla (born 1980) is an English actor of Egyptian descent. He came to international prominence after starring in the 2006 Academy Award-nominated and BAFTA Award-winning "United 93". Written and directed by Paul Greengrass, it chronicles events aboard United Airlines Flight 93, which was hijacked during the September 11, 2001 attacks. Abdalla plays Ziad Jarrah, the leader of the four hijackers on board the flight.

Abdalla was born in Glasgow, Scotland of Egyptian heritage, and raised in London. [ [http://www.nypost.com/entertainment/movies/news/n14095.htm New Movies | Upcoming Movies | Ratings ] ] [ [http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/news/celebrity/ny-fffast5498328dec16,0,2784921.story Fast Chat: Khalid Abdalla - Newsday.com ] ] Abdalla was educated at King's College School (in the same year group as actor Ben Barnes and comedian Tom Basden) and Cambridge University. He came to acting through his school's thriving drama scene, where his performances included the title role in Macbeth. In 1998, he directed a production of "Someone Who'll Watch Over Me" by Frank McGuinness, which ended up having a successful run at the Edinburgh Festival and earned five stars in The Scotsman newspaper, [ [http://www.philipswan.homestead.com/Island.html#anchor_1379 Island ] ] making him the youngest director to receive this accolade.

Abdalla read English at Queens' College, Cambridge. He was a fixture on the student drama scene, with performances including the main roles in "Othello", "Britannicus", and "Equus". He was a joint winner with Cressida Trew of the Judges' Award for Acting at the National Student Drama Festival for his performance in "Bedbound" by Enda Walsh. He played the title role in Christopher Marlowe's Tamburlaine the Great on the site of the Rose Theatre in 2003. Abdalla's first screen role was in an episode of "Spooks", entitled "Infiltration of a New Threat".

Abdalla next appeared in the lead role of the film "The Kite Runner". In preparation for that he spent a month in Kabul to learn Dari Persian and to learn to fly kites. [ [http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/film-cinema/thirty-years-of-kites-weddings-and-funerals-in-afghanistan-1253147.html Thirty years of kites, weddings and funerals in Afghanistan - Film & Cinema, Entertainment - Independent.ie ] ] In 2008, he appeared as Guy Pringle in the Radio 4 adaptation of "Fortunes of War". He is currently filming "Green Zone" with Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass. [ [http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/film-and-tv/features/khalid-abdalla-my-acts-of-defiance-770490.html Khalid Abdalla: My acts of defiance - Features, Film & TV - The Independent ] ]

Filmography

*"United 93" - Ziad Jarrah, the leader of the four hijackers on board the flight.
*"The Kite Runner" - Amir as adult. Amir struggles to gain the love of his father while trying to cleanse himself of the guilt surrounding his treatment of a childhood friend, Hassan.
* "Green Zone" [ [http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/film-and-tv/features/khalid-abdalla-my-acts-of-defiance-770490.html Khalid Abdalla: My acts of defiance - Features, Film & TV - The Independent ] ]

References

External links

*imdb name|id=2043234|name=Khalid Abdalla
* [http://www.indielondon.co.uk/Film-Review/united-93-khalid-abdalla-interview Interview with Khalid Abdalla on IndieLondon]
* [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2090-2218292,00.html My unwilling role in 9/11 hijack]
* [http://myspace.com/khalidabdalla Khalid Abdalla Official Site]
* [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/30/fashion/30nite.html "Night Out With" Interview, NY Times, 12/30/07.]
* [http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/film-and-tv/features/khalid-abdalla-my-acts-of-defiance-770490.html 'My Acts of Defiance': 1/16/08 Interview about Imperial Life in the Emerald City (film) (aka "Green Zone"), The Kite Runner (film) and being a British-Egyptian actor]
* [http://www.thinktalk.com/show/khalid_abdalla Interview with Khalid Abdalla on ThinkTalk]