Omid Djalili

Omid Djalili was born on September 30, 1965, in Kensington, London, to Iranian Baháʼí parents who had emigrated from Tehran in 1958. His mother was a dressmaker and his father was a liaison officer at the Iranian embassy, also working as a photographer. Djalili pursued his education at Ulster University in Coleraine, Northern Ireland, where he studied English and Theatre Studies. His early career in comedy began at the 1995 Edinburgh Festival Fringe with his show “Short, Fat Kebab Shop Owner’s Son,” followed by “The Arab and the Jew” in 1996 with comedian Ivor Dembina. These initial performances laid the groundwork for a career that would encompass various aspects of entertainment.

Djalili’s acting career spans numerous film and television productions. He appeared in notable films such as “The Mummy” (1999), “Notting Hill” (1999), and the Oscar-winning “Gladiator” (2000), where he played a Slave Trader. Other film credits include “Mean Machine” (2001), “Spy Game” (2001), “Modigliani” (2004) as Pablo Picasso, and “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” (2007). He also contributed voice work to animated films like “Over the Hedge” (2006) and “Shaun the Sheep Movie” (2015). On television, Djalili had a co-starring role in Whoopi Goldberg’s NBC sitcom “Whoopi” (2003-2004) and starred in two series of his own BBC One show, “The Omid Djalili Show” (2007-2009).

Throughout his career, Djalili has received critical recognition, including a Perrier Award nomination in 2002 and an Edinburgh Comedy Award Panel Prize in 2016. He took on the role of Fagin in the West End production of “Oliver!” in 2009 and reprised his voice role as Yusuf Amir in the “Grand Theft Auto” gaming series, notably in “Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony” (2009) and “Grand Theft Auto Online: The Chop Shop” (2023). His commitment to social causes is evident through his support for women’s rights in Iran and his participation in events like the Iran Solidarity Rally in 2023. In 2024, he launched Tiny Speck Productions, a company focused on unscripted and scripted comedies, further expanding his contributions to the entertainment industry.