Adam Bakri
Native nameآدم بكري
Birth placeJaffa, Israel
Alma mater
OccupationActor
Years active2011–present
SpouseCynthia Samuel (m. 2022)
FatherMohammad Bakri
Relatives

Adam Bakri (Arabic: آدم بكري) is a Palestinian actor. He made his feature film debut by starring in Oscar-nominated film Omar (2013), directed by Hany Abu-Assad.

Early life and education

Adam Bakri was born in Jaffa to a Palestinian family[1][2] and grew up in the village of Bi'ina.[3] He is the son of actor and director Mohammad Bakri, with his brothers Saleh Bakri and Ziad Bakri also being actors.[4]

After completing a bachelor's degree in English literature and Theater arts at Tel Aviv University, he trained at New York's Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute.[5]

Career

Bakri began his acting career in theater at the age of 13, when he first took the stage performing in Ululation of the Land at the Al-Midan Theater in Haifa and Nazareth.[6] Shortly after his graduation, he landed the lead role in Hany Abu-Assad's drama thriller Omar.

In 2014, he was cast as the male lead in Asif Kapadia's adaptation of Ali and Nino, the Azerbaijan's national novel placed during the first Azerbaijan Democratic Republic.[7]

In 2018, Bakri played the male lead in an Australian feature film titled Slam, written and directed by Partho Sen-Gupta, shot in Sydney, Australia.[8] In England, he joined the main cast of Gavin Hood's political thriller Official Secrets in the role of Katharine Gun's husband.[9]

Personal life

In September 2022, Bakri married Lebanese-Canadian model and actress Cynthia Samuel, having met while filming Hell's Gate. Their wedding took place in Cyprus.[10][11]

Filmography

YearTitleRoleDirector(s)Notes
2012UnfoldElias SohnounIngrid ChikhaouiShort film
2013OmarOmarHany Abu-Assad
2014A little bit of badKennethPatrick von BarkenbergShort film
2016Ali and NinoAli Khan ShirvanshirAsif Kapadia
2018SlamRicky NasserPartho Sen-Gupta
2019Official SecretsYasar GunGavin Hood
Amsterdam to AnatoliaMarwanSusan YoussefShort film
2022A Gaza WeekendWaleedBasil Khalil
2024If You See SomethingAliOday Rasheed
2025All That's Left of YouSharifCherien Dabis
2026Sohab El ArdMajdPeter Mimiminiseries

Awards and nominations

YearOrganizationAwardWorkResultRef.
2013Asia Pacific Screen AwardsBest Performance by an ActorOmar[12]
2014Malmö Arab Film FestivalBest actor[13][14]
2015Chlotrudis AwardsBest actor[15]
2018Tallinn Black Nights Film FestivalBest actorSlam
2019Women Film Critics CircleBest screen couple (shared with Keira Knightley)Official Secrets[16]

References

  1. ^ Nagy, Andrew (December 8, 2021). "Adam Bakri is Our Breakthrough Actor of the Year". GQ. Archived 12 December 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  2. ^ "Discovery: Adam Bakri". Interview Magazine. 24 February 2014. Archived 10 November 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 10 November 2022. I’m a Palestinian Israeli.
  3. ^ Priest, Matthew (5 September 2023). "How Adam Bakri came to his senses". Esquire. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  4. ^ Rothe, Nina (May 21, 2013). "Believing: Hany Abu-Assad's Omar Gets Standing Ovation in Cannes". HuffPost. Archived March 20, 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  5. ^ "Cheers for Palestinian film of love and betrayal". Al Arabiya. May 20, 2013. Archived December 7, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  6. ^ "APSA academy members: Adam Bakri". Asia Pacific Screen Awards. Archived December 7, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
  7. ^ Kay, Jeremy (May 19, 2014). "Adam Bakri joins Asif Kapadia's Ali and Nino". Screen International. Archived December 7, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
  8. ^ "Partho Sen-Gupta's 'Slam' to be French-Australian co-pro". If magazine. May 23, 2017. Archived December 7, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  9. ^ Bentley, Rick (August 29, 2019). "Katharine Gun speaks out for 'Official Secrets'". Chicago Tribune. Archived November 7, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  10. ^ Lustre, Mikaella (13 September 2022). "The Perfect Cynthia Samuel Photo Album". Everything Weddings. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  11. ^ "Cynthia Samuel Gets Married!!". Al Bawaba. Archived 11 September 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  12. ^ Bodey, Michael (December 13, 2013). "Omar named best film at Asia Pacific awards". The Australian. Archived December 14, 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 30, 2013.
  13. ^ Lundgren, Fredrik (October 3, 2014). "Malmö Arab Film Festival 2014 – Recensioner och vinnare" (in Swedish). Konstpretton. Archived from the original on January 20, 2018. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  14. ^ "MAFF 2014: Archive". Malmö Arab Film Festival. 20 July 2016. Archived 14 August 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  15. ^ "21st Annual Awards". Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film. March 22, 2015. Archived from the original on July 23, 2019. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  16. ^ "The 2019 Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC) Winners". Next Best Picture. December 9, 2019. Archived December 11, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 16, 2019.