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Biography

Egyptian-born film-maker and actor Sayed Badreya realized a childhood dream by winning roles in major Hollywood films such as The Insider, Three Kings, and Independence Day. Growing up in poverty in Port Said, Sayed Badreya's dreams of movie stardom looked as bleak as the prospect of peace in the Middle East. From the Six Day War in '67 through the Yom Kippur War in '73, his only escape from the world he knew was the movie theater, where films transported him to a magical land. But it was here that he determined he was destined to be a part of that magic. After attending New York University film school, and then moving to Hollywood, Sayed first worked in the film industry as an assistant to actor/director Anthony Perkins, and then with director James Cameron on True Lies. His mission - to make movies that told the Arabic- American story, since it had yet to be told - led to the creation of his own production company, Zoom In Focus. Under this banner, he directed and produced the documentary, Saving Egyptian Film Classics as well as The Interrogation, which won Best Creative Short Film at New York International Film Festival. He also produced and starred in Hesham Issawi's short, T for Terrorist, which was awarded Best Short Film at the Boston International Film Festival and the San Francisco World Film Festival. In 2007, he played his first leading role in the English language motion picture American East, a film that he also co-wrote. 2008 was Sayed Badreya's breakout year. He captivated audiences as Abu Bakaar, the villainous arms dealer who kidnaps Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) in the summer's blockbuster Iron Man. Also that year, Sayed played the comedic Palestinian cab driver opposite Adam Sandler in You Don't Mess with the Zohan. This summer, Sayed can be seen in Paramount Pictures' feature film El traspatio aka Backyard, directed by Oscar-nominated Carlos Carrera in which he plays a serial killer opposite Ana de la Reguera. Sayed can also be seen this summer in Movie 43, where he plays opposite Halle Berry. Additional forthcoming films include The Three Stooges, his fifth film with the Farrelly brothers; The Dictator, playing Sascha Baron Cohen's father as the original Dictator, and Just Like a Woman, with Oscar nominated director Rachid Bouchareb. Also, Sayed is going to a new frontier in the new video game Uncharted 3, playing Ramses the Great Pirate Captain. Most recently he completed his second leading role in the New York independent feature, Cargo, about human traffickers, directed by Yan Vizinberg. And he just finished co-starring opposite Oscar-nominated actress Melissa Leo in film The Space Between, directed by Travis Fine. Sayed has also worked as an actor, Arabic dialect coach, and Islamic technical advisor on Path to 9/11, a $40 million mini-series about the events leading up to 9/11 produced by ABC/Touchstone. Sayed's efforts to bring attention to Arab-Americans in the motion picture industry have received much coverage over the years on radio, television, and in major publications around the world, such as The New York Times, GQ, NPR, ABC's "Politically Incorrect" with Bill Maher, BBC's "Panorama," CNN, "Fox Report with Shepard Smith", The Hollywood Reporter and Egypt Today.

The Dictator ( 2012) | IMDb: 6.4

Comedy

The heroic story of a dictator who risks his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed.

Starring:

Sacha Baron Cohen , Ben Kingsley , Anna Faris , Jason Mantzoukas , Sayed Badreya , Adeel Akhtar

Directed by:

John Silvestri , Eva Z. Cabrera , Larry Charles

Produced by:

Todd Schulman , Bradford Eaves , Mari-Jo Winkler

The Three Stooges ( 2012) | IMDb: 5.1

Comedy

While trying to save their childhood orphanage, Moe, Larry and Curly inadvertently stumble into a murder plot and wind up starring in a reality TV show.

Starring:

Sean Hayes , Will Sasso , Chris Diamantopoulos , Jane Lynch , Sofía Vergara , Jennifer Hudson

Directed by:

Dawn Massaro , J.B. Rogers , Bobby Farrelly

Produced by:

Kris Meyer , Charles B. Wessler , Nicky Cotton

You Don't Mess with the Zohan ( 2008) | IMDb: 5.6

Action , Comedy

An Israeli counterterrorism soldier with a secretly fabulous ambition to become a Manhattan hairstylist. Zohan's desire runs so deep that he'll do anything -- including faking his own death and going head-to-head with an Arab cab driver -- to make his dreams come true.

Starring:

Adam Sandler , Emmanuelle Chriqui , John Turturro , Nick Swardson , Lainie Kazan , Rob Schneider

Directed by:

Joe Roddey , Ronit Ravich-Boss , Aldric La'Auli Porter

Produced by:

Tom Carson , Daryl Kass , Rita Smith

Iron Man ( 2008) | IMDb: 7.9

Action , Adventure , Science fiction

After being held captive in an Afghan cave, billionaire engineer Tony Stark creates a unique weaponized suit of armor to fight evil.

Starring:

Robert Downey Jr. , Terrence Howard , Jeff Bridges , Gwyneth Paltrow , Leslie Bibb , Bill Smitrovich

Directed by:

Rebecca Robertson , Phil Neilson , Jon Favreau

Produced by:

David J. Grant , Randi Hiller , Ari Arad

Stuck on You ( 2003) | IMDb: 5.8

Comedy

In Martha's Vineyard, Mass., conjoined twins Walt and Bob Tenor make the best of their handicap by being the fastest grill cooks in town. While outgoing Walt hopes to one day become a famous actor, shy Bob prefers to stay out of the spotlight. When a fading Hollywood actress, Cher, decides to get her show "Honey and the Beaze" cancelled, she hires Walt -- and his brotherly appendage -- as her costars. But their addition surprisingly achieves the opposite.

Starring:

Matt Damon , Greg Kinnear , Eva Mendes , Cher , Seymour Cassel , Griffin Dunne

Directed by:

Bobby Farrelly , Peter Farrelly

Produced by:

Charles B. Wessler , Peter Farrelly , Rick Montgomery

Shallow Hal ( 2001) | IMDb: 6

Comedy , Romance

After taking his dying father's advice, Hal dates only the embodiments of female physical perfection. But that all changes after Hal has an unexpected run-in with self-help guru Tony Robbins. Intrigued by Hal's shallowness, Robbins hypnotizes him into seeing the beauty that exists even in the least physically appealing women. Hal soon falls for Rosemary, but he doesn't realize that his gorgeous girlfriend is actually a 300-pound-not-so-hottie.

Starring:

Gwyneth Paltrow , Jack Black , Jason Alexander , Joe Viterelli , Rene Kirby , Bruce McGill

Directed by:

Greg Guzik , Steve Gehrke , Josh Klausner

Produced by:

Sarah S. Lopez , Mark Charpentier , Robert West

The Insider ( 1999) | IMDb: 7.8

Drama , Thriller

A research chemist comes under personal and professional attack when he decides to appear in a 60 Minutes exposé on Big Tobacco.

Starring:

Al Pacino , Russell Crowe , Christopher Plummer , Diane Venora , Philip Baker Hall , Lindsay Crouse

Directed by:

Patrick Mangan , Jody Spilkoman , Louis Guerra

Produced by:

Chanel Salzer , Monica Levinson , Andrew Storms

Three Kings ( 1999) | IMDb: 7.1

Action , Comedy , War

A group of American soldiers stationed in Iraq at the end of the Gulf War find a map they believe will take them to a huge cache of stolen Kuwaiti gold hidden near their base, and they embark on a secret mission that's destined to change everything.

Starring:

George Clooney , Mark Wahlberg , Ice Cube , Spike Jonze , Cliff Curtis , Nora Dunn

Directed by:

Dan Bradley , David O. Russell , Haley McLane

Produced by:

Freddy Luis , Edward McDonnell , Mary Vernieu

Kingpin ( 1996) | IMDb: 6.9

Comedy

After bowler Roy Munson swindles the wrong crowd and is left with a hook for a hand, he settles into impoverished obscurity. That is, until he uncovers the next big thing: an Amish kid named Ishmael. So, the corrupt and the hopelessly naive hit the circuit intent on settling an old score with Big Ern.

Starring:

Woody Harrelson , Randy Quaid , Vanessa Angel , Bill Murray , Chris Elliott , William Jordan

Directed by:

Bobby Farrelly , Peter Farrelly , Steve Gehrke

Produced by:

Steven Stabler , Bradley Thomas , John Bertolli

Independence Day ( 1996) | IMDb: 7

Action , Adventure , Science fiction

Strange phenomena surface around the globe. The skies ignite. Terror races through the world's major cities. As these extraordinary events unfold, it becomes increasingly clear that a force of incredible magnitude has arrived. Its mission: total annihilation over the Fourth of July weekend. The last hope to stop the destruction is an unlikely group of people united by fate and unimaginable circumstances.

Starring:

Will Smith , Bill Pullman , Jeff Goldblum , Mary McDonnell , Judd Hirsch , Robert Loggia

Directed by:

Kevin LaRosa , Glen Trotiner , Dean Garvin

Produced by:

Bernard Telsey , Wendy Kurtzman , Jacob F. Conrad

Stargate ( 1994) | IMDb: 7

Action , Adventure , Science fiction

An interstellar teleportation device, found in Egypt, leads to a planet with humans resembling ancient Egyptians who worship the god Ra.

Starring:

Kurt Russell , James Spader , Jaye Davidson , Viveca Lindfors , Alexis Cruz , Mili Avital

Directed by:

Roland Emmerich , Kay Sweeney

Produced by:

Charlie Messenger , Trish Stuckey , Dean Devlin

True Lies ( 1994) | IMDb: 7.3

Action , Thriller

A fearless, globe-trotting, terrorist-battling secret agent has his life turned upside down when he discovers his wife might be having an affair with a used car salesman while terrorists smuggle nuclear war heads into the United States.

Starring:

Arnold Schwarzenegger , Jamie Lee Curtis , Tom Arnold , Bill Paxton , Tia Carrere , Art Malik

Directed by:

David Ticotin , Sharron Reynolds-Enriquez , E. J. Foerster

Produced by:

Pamela Easley , Emily Schweber , Nancy Townsend

Sayed Badreya Movies: Top 12 Performances by a Successful Actor

Biography