Osamah Sami (born 10 March 1983 in Qom, Iran) is an Australian stage and screen actor, writer, spoken-word artist, and stand-up comedian of Iraqi origin. His critically acclaimed book ''Good Muslim Boy'', was the winner of the 2016 NSW Premier's Literary Award. It was also Highly Commended at the

Victorian Premier's Literary Awards The Victorian Premier's Literary Awards were created by the Victorian Government with the aim of raising the profile of contemporary creative writing and Australia's publishing industry. As of 2013, it is reportedly Australia's richest literary p ...

that same year. Sami also co wrote and starred in ''

Ali's Wedding ''Ali's Wedding'' is a 2017 Cinema of Australia, Australian romantic comedy feature film from Matchbox Pictures. It is directed by Jeffrey Walker (actor), Jeffrey Walker and written by Osamah Sami and stars Sami, Helana Sawires, Don Hany and Rya ...

'', which earned him an Australian Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay as well as a nomination for Best Lead Actor. This was mirrored at the 2018

Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards The Film Critics Circle of Australia (FCCA) is an association of cinema critics and reviewers. It includes journalists in "media, television, major national and state papers, radio, national and state, online and freelance writers, Australian ...

in 2018, where he won for Best Script, and was nominated for Best Male Lead. His script also received an Australian Writers Guild Award in the Best Original Film category. The film won the Audience Award for Best Feature Film at the 2017

Sydney Film Festival The Sydney Film Festival is an annual competitive film festival held in Sydney, Australia, usually over 12 days in June. A number of awards are given, the top one being the Sydney Film Prize. the festival's director is Nashen Moodley. Histo ...

, and was the winner of The Age Critics Prize at Melbourne International Film Festival. Osamah has also been nominated for a

Green Room Award The Green Room Awards are peer awards which recognise excellence in cabaret, dance, drama, fringe theatre, musical theatre and opera in Melbourne. The awards were started in 1982 when Blair Edgar and Steven Tandy formed the Green Room Awards A ...

for Best Male Performer in a Lead Role for Melbourne Theatre Company's ''I Call My Brothers''.

Biography

Sami was born in

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...

i parents and was cast in several roles on stage in his childhood hometown of Qom. After immigrating to Australia, he began working with a local theatre group and starred in many productions from then on. His performance in '' Trial of Saddam'', where he played

Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein ( ; ar, صدام حسين, Ṣaddām Ḥusayn; 28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003. A leading member of the revolutio ...

, was very successful amongst the Iraqi community in Australia. The play was written by his father. In 2005 he was part of a theatre group that was prevented from entering the United States of America to perform the play. He has since gone on to work regularly in film, theatre and television. He has been cast in several leading roles; one opposite

Claudia Karvan Claudia Karvan (born 19 May 1972) is an Australian actress, producer and scriptwriter. As a child actor, she first appeared in the film, '' Molly'' (1983) and followed with an adolescent role in ''High Tide'' (1987). She portrayed a teacher in ...

in the telemovie '' Saved'', directed by

Tony Ayres Tony Ayres (born 16 July 1961) is an Australian showrunner, screenwriter, director in television and feature film. He is most notable for his films '' Walking on Water'' and '' The Home Song Stories'', as well his work in television, includi ...

. He also played the lead role in the award-winning

Dee McLachlan Dee McLachlan (born Duncan McLachlan; 4 March 1951) is a film director, producer and writer from Middle Park, Victoria. Under her assigned name, McLachlan directed such films as ''Scavengers'', ''The Double 0 Kid'', '' Running Wild'', '' Deadly ...

comedy feature, ''10 Terrorists!'' His guest roles include TV shows including ''

East West 101 ''East West 101'' was a drama series airing on the SBS network. The series was produced and created by Steven Knapman and Kris Wyld, the team behind other drama series such as '' Wildside'' and ''White Collar Blue''. It ran from 2007–2011, ...

'', ''Rush'', ''

Sea Patrol ''Sea Patrol'' is an Australian television drama that ran from 2007 to 2011, set on board HMAS ''Hammersley'', a fictional patrol boat of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). The series focused on the ship and the lives of its crew members. Despi ...

'', '' City Homicide'', ''

Jack Irish ''Jack Irish'' is an Australian television drama series first broadcast on ABC TV on 14 October 2012. The series stars Guy Pearce as the title character, a former criminal lawyer turned private investigator and debt collector. Much of the acti ...

'' and a regular role in the TV series ''

Kick A kick is a physical Strike (attack), strike using the leg, in unison usually with an area of the knee or lower using the foot, heel, tibia (shin), ball of the foot, blade of the foot, toes or knee (the latter is also known as a knee (strike), ...

''. His theatre appearances include Belvoir St. Theatre Company,

Melbourne Theatre Company The Melbourne Theatre Company is a theatre company based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1953 as the Union Theatre Repertory Company at the Union Theatre at the University of Melbourne, it is the oldest professional theatre com ...

Queensland Theatre Company Queensland Theatre, formerly the Queensland Theatre Company and Royal Queensland Theatre Company, is a professional theatre company based in Brisbane, Australia. It regularly performs in its own Bille Browne Theatre and the Queensland Performi ...

, Malthouse Theatre Company, and

La Mama La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club (La MaMa E.T.C.) is an Off-Off-Broadway theatre founded in 1961 by Ellen Stewart, African-American theatre director, producer, and fashion designer. Located in Manhattan's East Village, the theatre began in the ...

. Osamah writes a poetry blog, with four main categories of: Love, Social Justice, For Dad and War. In November 2022, it was revealed Sami had co-created and co-written a new drama called ''House of Gods'' which will air on ABC TV in 2023. The drama centres around an imam and his family as well as the Australian Arab / Iraqi community he leads, with Sami using his own real life experiences to tell the story of the community of which is a part.

Awards

*2018 – Nominated, Australian Film Critics Association, Best Screenplay *2018 – Nominated, Australian Film Critics Association, Best Actor *2018 – Winner,

Film Critics Circle of Australia The Film Critics Circle of Australia (FCCA) is an association of cinema critics and reviewers. It includes journalists in "media, television, major national and state papers, radio, national and state, online and freelance writers, Australian ...

, Best Screenplay *2018 – Nominated,

, Best Actor *2017 – Nominated,

AACTA Awards The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, known as the AACTA Awards, are presented annually by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA). The awards recognise excellence in the film and television industr ...

, Best Lead Actor in a Feature Film *2017 – Winner,

, Best Original Screenplay *2017 – Winner, Australian Muslim Achievement Awards, Creative Artist of the Year *2017 – Winner, Los Angeles Independent Film Festival Award, Best Web Series *2016 – Winner,

AWGIE Award The AWGIE Awards is an annual awards ceremony conducted by the Australian Writers' Guild, for excellence in screen, television, stage and radio writing. The awards began in 1967. The awards are judged by over 50 writers, most of whom are previou ...

, Best Original Screenplay *2016 – Winner, NSW Premier's Literary Award, Non-Fiction Writing *2016 – Highly Commended,

Victorian Premier's Literary Award The Victorian Premier's Literary Awards were created by the Victorian Government with the aim of raising the profile of contemporary creative writing and Australia's publishing industry. As of 2013, it is reportedly Australia's richest literary p ...

, Non-Fiction Writing *2016 – Nominated,

, Best Lead Actor *2016 – Nominated, L.A Web Fest Outstanding Comedy Series

Filmography

Actor

Feature films

* TBA – '' Shayda'' * 2021 –
Tennessine
' * 2020 – '' The Furnace'' * 2017 – ''

'' * 2016 – ''Journey'' * 2012 – ''

10 Terrorists 10 Terrorists is a 2012 Australian black comedy film, directed by Dee McLachlan. Dee is best known for her direction in the award-winning 2007 film '' The Jammed''. Plot Originally titled ''Who Wants To Be a Terrorist'', the film follows 10 wa ...

'' * 2009 – '' Saved'' * 2007 – ''

Lucky Miles ''Lucky Miles'' is a 2007 Australian drama feature film based on several true stories involving people entering Western Australia by boat in order to seek asylum. Its director was Michael James Rowland and its producers were Jo Dyer and Lesley D ...

TV work

* 2016 – ''

as Hadji Adhib'' * 2015 – ''Two Refugees and a Blonde'' as Sami * 2011 – ''

'' as Salem Shokor * 2010 – '' City Homicide'' as Hanif Durrani * 2010 – '' Rush'' as Hazrat * 2009 – ''

'' as Latif * 2008 – '' Canal Road'' as Michael Young * 2007 – '' City Homicide'' as Kasim Al-Basri * 2007 – ''

'' as Sharif Doumani

Stage

* 2021 – ''Them'' (Arts Centre Melbourne) * 2020 – ''The Seagull'' (La Mama Theatre) * 2019/20 – ''Anthem'' (Melbourne Arts Festival/ Perth International Arts Festival/ Sydney Arts Festival) * 2019 – ''Gilgamesh'' (Arts House) * 2018 – ''Good Muslim Boy'' (Malthouse Theatre/ Queensland Theatre) * 2017 – ''The Sound of Waiting'' (Brown's Mart Theatre, Darwin) * 2016 – ''Tales of a City by the Sea'' (La Mama Theatre) – remount/ tour * 2015 – ''I Call My Brothers'' (Melbourne Theatre Company) * 2014 – ''Tales of a City by the Sea'' (La Mama Theatre) * 2014 – ''The Container'' (Big West Festival) * 2013 – ''The Two Executioners'' (La Mama Theatre) * 2012 – ''Transit.Origin.Destination'' (A.P.E Sydney) * 2011 – ''

Black Box 149 ''Black Box 149'' is a play by Australian playwright Rosemary Johns. Plot An account of the grounding of British Airways Flight 149 at Kuwait International Airport during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990. First production ''Black Box 149'' ...

'' (La Mama Theatre) * 2010 – ''Long Day's Dying'' (La Mama Theatre) * 2009 – ''Baghdad Wedding'' (Belvoir St. Theatre Company) * 2007 – ''Hombody/ Kabul'' (Theatre @ Risk) * 2007 – ''Sinners'' (La Mamma Theatre) * 2006 – ''Trial of Saddam'' (A.A.G)

Writer

* ''Good Muslim Boy'' ''(Stage)'' * ''Ali's Wedding'' ''(Feature Film)'' * ''2 Refugees & A Blonde'' ''(Web Series)'' * ''The Bus Stop'' ''(Stage)'' * ''From Baghdad to the Burbs'' ''(TV Series)''

Books

* ''Good Muslim Boy'' A memoir, published by Hardie Grant

References

External links

Official Site & Blog
*
Osamah Sami
on Instagram {{DEFAULTSORT:Sami, Osamah Living people 1983 births Iranian emigrants to Australia Iraqi refugees Australian male television actors Iranian male actors Iraqi male film actors People from Qom Australian Shia Muslims Iranian people of Iraqi descent Australian male film actors Australian Muslims Australian people of Iraqi descent Australian writers Iraqi writers Muslim poets Iraqi male stage actors Iraqi male television actors