Skip to content
EN — Language: English
Sayed Badreya

Acting

Sayed Badreya

Sayed Badreya is an actor born on May 1, 1957 in Port Said, Egypt. He is known for The Dictator, Rise of the Conqueror and Cargo. GloboWatch shows where to watch one of his movies and TV shows, country by country.

Known for
Acting
Born
May 1, 1957
Place of birth
Port Said, Egypt
Also known as
سيد بدرية

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.

Filmography

  1. 2026Rise of the Conqueroras Kay Khusrau
  2. 2025Hello Beautiful
  3. 2024WondLaas Bartender (voice) · 2 episodes
  4. 2023Jellyfish and Lobsteras Mido
  5. 2020Witness to a Rapeas himself · Director · Producer
  6. 2020Vanguardas Abati
  7. 2019I Am That Manas Harry
  8. 2018Apple & Onionas Falafel (voice) · 76 episodes
  9. 2015Boiling Potas Anwar Seif
  10. 2013Just Like a Womanas Tarek
  11. 2013Movie 43as Large Man (segment "Truth or Dare")
  12. 2012The Dictatoras Omar
  13. 2012The Three Stoogesas Orderly
  14. 2011This Narrow Placeas Aziz
  15. 2011Cargoas Sayed
  16. 2011The Space Betweenas Imam
  17. 2010Family Prayersas Hussein
  18. 2009Backyardas El Sultán
  19. 2008AmericanEastas Mustafa Marzouke · Writer
  20. 2008You Don't Mess with the Zohanas Hamdi
  21. 2008Iron Manas Abu Bakaar
  22. 2006The Unitas Afghan Commander · 1 episode
  23. 2005Numb3rsas Sayed Malik · 1 episode
  24. 2004Lostas Mr. Jarrah · 1 episode
  25. 2004Soul Planeas Middle Eastern Passenger
  26. 2003Stuck on Youas Assisting Surgeon
  27. 2001Shallow Halas Doctor Sayed
  28. 2001Aliasas Vendor · 1 episode
  29. 2001The Princess & the Marineas Chauffeur
  30. 1999The Insideras Hezbollah Head Gunman
  31. 1999Three Kingsas Iraqi Tank Major
  32. 1999The West Wingas Fatah Official · 1 episode
  33. 1997The Practiceas Adman Fajiz · 1 episode
  34. 1996Kingpinas Fatima
  35. 1996Independence Dayas Arab Pilot
  36. 1995Mirageas Sayed
  37. 1994Stargateas Arabic Interpreter
  38. 1994True Liesas Arab Terrorist (uncredited)
  39. 1993The Nannyas Guard · 1 episode
  40. 1991Intimate Strangeras Clerk
  41. 1989Seinfeldas Foreign Man · 1 episode
  42. 1988The Taking of Flight 847: The Uli Derickson Storyas Skull & Crossbones
  43. 1987Hotshotas Mohamed