{"id":269417,"date":"2025-11-07T19:17:13","date_gmt":"2025-11-07T19:17:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/269417\/"},"modified":"2025-11-07T19:17:13","modified_gmt":"2025-11-07T19:17:13","slug":"amir-el-masry-rules-the-ring-in-prince-naz-hamed-giant-biopic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/269417\/","title":{"rendered":"Amir El-Masry Rules The Ring In Prince \u2018Naz\u2019 Hamed \u2018Giant\u2019 Biopic"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tEXCLUSIVE: <a href=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/tag\/amir-el-masry\/\" id=\"auto-tag_amir-el-masry\" data-tag=\"amir-el-masry\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Amir El-Masry<\/a> didn\u2019t let a dislocated finger prevent him from punching his way to success portraying Sheffield-born British-Yemeni featherweight champion Prince Naseem \u2018Naz\u2019 Hamed in Rowan Athale\u2019s movie\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/tag\/giant\/\" id=\"auto-tag_giant\" data-tag=\"giant\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Giant<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tEl-Masry stars with <a href=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/tag\/pierce-brosnan\/\" id=\"auto-tag_pierce-brosnan\" data-tag=\"pierce-brosnan\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Pierce Brosnan<\/a> as Brendan Ingle, the gym owner who discovered Hamed when he was a kid and trained him to be a champ.\u00a0Giant\u00a0has been selected to open Saudi Arabia\u2019s Red Sea International Film Festival which runs December 4 \u2013 13.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tThe\u00a0\u00a0British-Egyptian actor busted a digit on his left hand before he was due to shoot five <a href=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/tag\/boxing\/\" id=\"auto-tag_boxing\" data-tag=\"boxing\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">boxing<\/a> scenes. \u201cI was like,\u201dGuys, I have to see a doctor. This finger isn\u2019t right.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tHe was in despair but with Brosnan and others in his corner he was allowed to continue filming with the help of painkillers, and a warning not to jab with his left fist.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/wp-content\/themes\/pmc-deadline-2019\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.jpg\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/IMG_3627.jpeg\" alt=\"\" data-lazy- data-lazy- height=\"683\" width=\"1024\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t(L\/R) Amir El-Masry and Pierce Brosnan in \u2018Giant.\u2019 True Brit\/Tea Shop Productions<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tEl-Masry is transformed as the prizefighter who boasted\u00a0an exuberant flair for tacky pizazz in and out of the ring.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tWhen I first caught sight of El-Masry on the big screen in full Prince Naz mode, his body bulked up and face all contorted as he\u2019s being pummelled, I wondered was there some CGI trickery going on here?<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tShaking his head, the actor explains that it\u2019s all him in the picture and he achieved the pugilist\u2019s silhouette in record time having been allowed just four and a half weeks to get into shape.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tHowever, he says he\u2019d already started \u201cmentally manifesting it\u201d because he was due to meet with Athale. \u201cIt went really well. And I didn\u2019t hear anything from him, so I was like, \u2018Let\u2019s get myself to the gym,\u2019 and I hired my own trainers out of my own pocket just because I had a good hunch.\u201c<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tA fortnight later, Athale called and ordered him to the no frills Peacock Gym in Canning Town, East London. Heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois and many others trained there.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\t\u201cThey put me through the wringer, get up at six, go to the gym at seven. Running, cardio workouts, jump rope, then a lot of pad work with Ian Streetz,\u201d who looks quite fierce in the photos I\u2019ve seen of him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\t\u00a0\u201cOh, Ian. He looks like a beast, but he\u2019s such a gentle person,\u201d El-Masry says of the sportsman who is also Jason Momoa\u2019s right hand man. \u201cHe does all of the stunts on any film Jason\u2019s on. He\u2019s his personal trainer and he\u2019s the best. He is the\u00a0cr\u00e8me de la cr\u00e8me\u00a0of pad artists,\u201d he declares.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tEl-Masry says Streetz was really patient with him and he \u201calways empowered me to make me feel like, \u2018Mate, you are doing this in four weeks. You don\u2019t owe anybody anything other than just achieving what we need to get on camera.\u2019 And by doing that, it put me into a comfortable sense of security\u2026He knows how to condition the mind and the body as well. He was really paramount to the process.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tDuring the weeks of training, El-Masry says he was in \u201ctunnel vision, deep into the trenches. No social life, just a very rigorous diet. And I love food. I\u2019m a massive foodie. On my last day, I ordered about 10 boxes of donuts for the stunt team, for everybody. And I wolfed down a box to myself because I was craving sugar. I hadn\u2019t had sugar in about a month and a bit, and it was taking its toll.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tThe stunt team would check in on weekends and take him out for a run, then watch a movie before heading back to the gym.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tEl-Masry inhabits the character of Naseem so skilfully that at one point in a scene where he\u2019s being offensive to Brendan Ingle, I wanted to punch him myself.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/wp-content\/themes\/pmc-deadline-2019\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.jpg\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/IMG_3624.jpeg\" alt=\"\" data-lazy- data-lazy- height=\"684\" width=\"1024\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\tAmir El-Masry in \u2018Giant.\u2019 True Brit\/Tea Shop Productions <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tThe actor reasons that \u201cyou have to champion the character that you play and really, really support his ideas, but also give in to the fact that these people are very flawed individuals and that\u2019s what makes them interesting. I think Naz is an interesting character study because he isn\u2019t your out and out Muhammad Ali good boy. He\u2019s the rock star version of that. Whereas Muhammad Ali\u2026you can see how he talks about politics, about life, about love, about\u2026he stood for a lot beyond the ring as well. And Naz had that. He also had it for free. He came out similarly. He lived in a predominantly white area, faced a lot of trials and tribulations off the back of that and overcame them. So in a sense, he doesn\u2019t owe anybody his stance on life because he exerts that anyway.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tAnother key hire on the film was movement director and choreographer Polly Bennett who he\u2019d worked with on\u00a0The Crown\u00a0when he portrayed the younger Mohamed Al-Fayed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tBennett, also worked on\u00a0Bohemian Rhapsody\u00a0with Rami Malik and with Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet on the Bob Dylan movie\u00a0A Complete Unknown.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\t\u201cIt\u2019s essential for an actor, not just to get their accent or the intonations right\u2026movement\u2019s actually a thorough character study into finding what makes him tick, what doesn\u2019t make him tick, how he acts with people that don\u2019t know him versus people that do,\u201d El-Masry says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\t\u201cAnd a lot of our work involves archive footage. So we would watch a lot of videos, be it from Mohamed Al-Fayed, for example. With Al-Fayed, we had archive footage of him in personal spaces and public spaces. And you see differences behind that. And I think it\u2019s essential. It\u2019s another part of your artillery to have a movement director, not just a director on board,\u201d he argues.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tWhat did he learn from Bennett about playing a fighter? \u201cWith Naseem, there were little moments that you see when he enters the ring. Little moments when he\u00a0starts up\u2026how he moves. Polly thinks of an animal, based on what animal is he to you. Does he come across as a snake or more of a crocodile, or is he more like a leopard?,\u201d is the question.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/wp-content\/themes\/pmc-deadline-2019\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.jpg\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/IMG_3623.jpeg\" alt=\"\" data-lazy- data-lazy- height=\"683\" width=\"1024\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\tAmir El-Masry in \u2018Giant\u2019 True Brit\/Tea Shop Productions<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tI suggest a gazelle because Prince Naz moves with lightning speed in the ring.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\t\u201cSo I always thought he was more of a gazelle in the ring because he was unorthodox and unpredictable and gazelles are quite jumpy,\u201d El-Masry explains. \u201cBut outside of that, I saw him like a snake when he\u2019s just around his friends, when he puts on the prince voice, when he puts on the Naz voice, he\u2019s not the Naseem Hamed that his parents know. The bravado, all of that stuff. It\u2019s very smooth and very kind of, what\u2019s the word, swaggery.\u201d As he says this he stretches his neck and moves his shoulders appropriating the stance of a viper.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tThen when Naseem\u2019s with his parents, he goes into little boy mode.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tEl-Masry nods. \u201cI think he\u2019s like a cub. His parents are ultimately the people that he respects. Mum\u2019s the word, so to speak.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tThere\u2019s a scene where his mother Caira Hamed, played by Elika Ashoori (Art Is Dead) does an intervention between Naseem and Brendan. \u201cYou can see him regressing into this child and his mum is like, \u2018You apologize now.\u2019 And he says, \u2019Sorry,\u2019 sheepishly. So he\u2019s still a kid, but he\u2019s been put onto this massive stage where he has to be world champion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tPrince Naz is a fighter \u201cwho sacrifices\u00a0\u00a0his boxing skills for showmanship,\u201d is how the New York Times put it when the champ put on an elaborate show in Madison Square Gardens.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\t\u00a0He still won and the punters screamed for more cabaret.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/wp-content\/themes\/pmc-deadline-2019\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.jpg\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/IMG_3625.jpeg\" alt=\"\" data-lazy- data-lazy- height=\"683\" width=\"1024\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\tAmir El-Masry in \u2018Giant\u2019 True Brit\/Tea Shop Productions<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tEl-Masry\u2019s sanguine about such behaviour because \u201cboxing is entertainment and it\u2019s meant to put bums on seats and how do we draw people in by our entrances and exits and our performance style. I think Brendan taught him a rigorous system and then he riffed off the back of that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tAbout that finger.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tA round of boxers visited the set including former cruiserweight champion Johnny Nelson.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tThe stuntman with El- Masry in the ring, suggested they put on a show. \u201cHe goes, \u2019Let\u2019s give it to them\u2026You can hit me if you want.\u2019 I said, \u2018You sure?\u2019\u00a0\u00a0He goes, \u2018Let\u2019s just do it for this one take.\u2019 Bless him. He had his best intentions at heart. He forgot to put his elbow up. And I whacked his elbow with my left hand and I didn\u2019t have my pads\u201d and the finger just popped out of its socket.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tThe room went silent. El-Masry was in shock. \u201cI couldn\u2019t see my finger at that point\u2026I said, \u2018Guys, I need to see a doctor. This finger isn\u2019t right.\u2019\u00a0\u00a0Johnny Nelson got up, everybody got up. They were like, \u2018Is he okay? Is he okay?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tIan Streetz was in a corner laughing. \u201cAnd he\u2019s like, \u2018This is one for the books. You\u2019ve now entered the big leagues. Every fighter has to break something or dislocate something, so this is great.\u2019 I was like, \u2018No! This isn\u2019t great.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tAfter which, Streetz offered to pop the finger into place. El-Masry rejected the kind offer but there was method in the trainer\u2019s merriment. \u201cBut when he was doing that, he distracted me and the on set doctor just went, pop and it was done. It was a loud pop.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tDid he scream, I ask sympathetically.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\t\u201cOh, yes. I think I screamed from the noise of it more than the actual pain. Oh, it was loud,\u201d he says grimacing at the memory of the calamity.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tEl-Masry says he pleaded with the physician to be allowed to continue. \u201cAnd I got really emotional. I said, \u2018Please, this whole film is resting on this week, please.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tThey reached a compromise when El-Masry showed the doc that he could still move his hand and he was allowed to fight another day. \u201cWell, I hugged him,\u201d El-Masry says smiling.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tEl-Masry recalls that when he injured his finger, Brosnan could see the look of devastation on the younger actor\u2019s face. \u201cHe came over to me, he hugged me, and he was like, \u2018Health is wealth. Be grateful that you are here. Your family love you. In a week\u2019s time doesn\u2019t mean anything.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/wp-content\/themes\/pmc-deadline-2019\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.jpg\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/IMG_3620.jpeg\" alt=\"\" data-lazy- data-lazy- height=\"683\" width=\"1024\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\tPierce Brosnan in \u2018Giant\u2019. True Brit\/Tea Shop Productions<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tThe former\u00a0James Bond, and\u00a0Mamma Mia!\u00a0movie song and dance man has clearly made a deep impression on El-Masry. He talks about them having lunch between takes one day when Brosnan took a call from his agent that left him shaking.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\t\u201cHe was like, \u2018Oh, thank you. Thank you, Jesus,\u2019\u201d El-Masry recalls. Concerned, he asked if Brosnan was okay? \u201cHe goes, \u2019I just found out I\u2019m going to be working with Helen Mirren and I\u2019m going to be working with Ben Kingsley on The\u00a0Thursday Murder Club.\u2019\u00a0\u00a0And I looked at him, I\u2019m like, \u2018They\u2019re going to be working with\u00a0you, Pierce. What are you talking about?\u2019<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\t\u201cAnd he said, \u2018Oh, it\u2019s just to be 70 and to still be working and to be doing things. I\u2019m just so thankful.\u2019<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\t\u201cThat\u2019s what it\u2019s about,\u201d El-Masry marvels. \u201cThis man has played one of the most iconic characters in history, and he\u2019s still grateful to be working.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tBrosnan was also at that time about to shoot the Paramount+\/ 101 Studios hit, MobLand, also with Mirren and Tom Hardy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\t\u201cIt says to me that Pierce has good people around him. And it says to me that he has people that have grounded him throughout the years. He\u2019s always looking at the bigger pictures, but also a man that has also gone through a lot. He\u2019s come out the other side and gone, \u2018No, in the grand scheme of things, this isn\u2019t what life is about.\u2019\u00a0\u00a0And I think when you hold that mantra in your head, you\u2019re going to be happy. You\u2019re going to succeed in all facets of your life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tEl-Masry feels \u201dsuper lucky to have played\u201d Naseem who was \u201cone of my idols growing up.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tThe stakes were high, he insists, because it \u201cwas one of those moments of, \u2018What if we don\u2019t get this right?\u2019 \u2026because he\u2019s such an iconic person, even to this day, for so many people, in so many communities.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tThe star didn\u2019t meet with Prince Naz and the producers advised that he should decline an offer to meet with one of the fighter\u2019s sons in case it might have hindered his interpretation.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tHowever, the former champ has seen the film twice after Athale went over to Dubai to screen it for him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tThen Prince Naz showed the film to his wife and apparently she loved it.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/wp-content\/themes\/pmc-deadline-2019\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.jpg\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/IMG_3626.jpeg\" alt=\"\" data-lazy- data-lazy- height=\"684\" width=\"1024\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\tAmir El-Masry (Left) in \u2018Giant\u2019. True Brit\/ Tea Shop Productions<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tBrendan Ingles family have been associated with the film from the beginning. El-Masry visited Brendan\u2019s son John Ingles at their family-owned gym in Sheffield.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tWhen El-Masry and I met several years ago to discuss Ben Sharrock\u2019s film\u00a0Limbo, where he played a Syrian refugee seeking asylum, we talked about him hankering for roles that aren\u2019t defined by race whether it be a doctor, lawyer or whatever. Even though he now has a string of credits to his name such as The Night Manager, Faithless and the second season of\u00a0The Agency, I\u2019m curious to know if he feels it\u2019s worked out for him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\t\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d he responds. \u201cTo tell you the truth, I think I\u2019m very, very lucky to be in a space where it\u2019s already hard for any actor to be competing in, really. Few productions are being made. The money\u2019s not as smooth. You couldn\u2019t make Limbo\u00a0now, he reasons.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\t\u00a0\u201cI reckon if Ben Sharrock went back to make\u00a0Limbo\u00a0now, they would\u2019ve been like, \u2018Oh yeah, but who\u2019s Amir? Let\u2019s get\u2026And that\u2019s the problem.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tHe says that when he was part of BAFTA\u2019s Breakthrough Brits \u201cthey said, can you name me five people that you would like as your mentor? And I said, well, there\u2019s no one who\u2019s on my track above me, who is British-Middle Eastern. Omar Sharif is. I was blessed to have met him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tSighing, El-Masry says: \u201cI think it\u2019s a mixture of no one owes you anything, honestly. No one owes me anything. And on the flip side, you don\u2019t owe them either. So you can be in those spaces, in those conversations, you go, \u2018Why not? Why not me?\u2019 But you\u2019ll always be a wild card, I think until there are decision makers who will champion diversity, you\u2019ll always have to be not, just the best in the room, in the audition\u2026 you have to be better than the best for them to have a look to see you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tEl-Masry praises Dan Jackson the casting director at Kahleen Crawford Casting, who cast him in\u00a0Limbo. Jackson had contacted him about a BBC drama series called\u00a0Vigil. \u201cDan called me and he was like, \u2018Look, it\u2019s a fun series, but you\u2019ve never played just a normal guy called Daniel who\u2019s an MI5\u00a0intelligence officer. Let me pitch you to the producers for it.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/wp-content\/themes\/pmc-deadline-2019\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.jpg\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/limbo-e1615565845140.jpg\" alt=\"Limbo\" data-lazy- data-lazy- height=\"668\" width=\"1024\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\tAmir El-Masry in \u2018Limbo\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFocus Features<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tJackson came back and explained that the powers that be wanted a \u201cnamed white actor for it,\u201d El-Masry says. \u201cAnd he fought. He was like, \u2018Have you not seen\u00a0Limbo?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tEl-Masry ended up auditioning. \u201cAnd still, it was a conversation, but he fought tooth and nail for me to do it. And then I got it. And then they were like, \u2018Alright, so let\u2019s change the name now to something more ethnic sounding.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tThere was back and forth over whether El-Masry should keep the character\u2019s name of Daniel Ramsay. \u201cIf anything, I want it to be a case where we don\u2019t even have to think about that. And I eventually did it, and they were very happy and they asked me to come back for another season. Sadly, I couldn\u2019t do it. But I think it just takes one person to fight your corner, and then it becomes a domino effect eventually.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/wp-content\/themes\/pmc-deadline-2019\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.jpg\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AEM_OmarSharif2.jpeg\" alt=\"\" data-lazy- data-lazy- height=\"1024\" width=\"478\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t(L\/R) Omar Sharif with Amir El-Masry in Deauville. Courtesy Dr. El-Masry<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\t\u201cSo am I satisfied? I\u2019m very grateful, and I think I have a lot of people championing me,\u201d he states while noting that one of his champions is filmmaker Julia Jackman who cast him in\u00a0100 Nights of Hero\u00a0which was the closing night film at the recent BFI London Film Festival.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\t\u201cEver so slowly it is happening,\u201d he says of the possibility of being cast because he\u2019s right for the role.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\t\u201cI am very positive about everything and it\u2019s also time to take the reins as well, and to not complain,\u201d noting the launch of his own production company Helm World Productions, which is co-producing with Branwen Prestwood Smith and Heather Rabbatts a film called\u00a0Shorelines\u00a0with Hany Abu-Assad (Omar,Huda\u2019s Salon) attached to direct.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tEl-Masry came on it as a producer with Helm World co-founder Alannah Olivia. \u201cI had brought on Hany and I brought on a lot of other pieces so Branwen was like, \u2018Do you want to do this with me? Let\u2019s just do it. Let\u2019s just make it a team effort.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tHe says, \u201cThat\u2019s what it\u2019s about. We\u2019re trying to empower, and champion voices that are maybe unsung, let\u2019s say.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tI ask El-Masry to tell about meeting Omar Sharif on his 18th birthday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tHis father was in Paris on business when he spotted the legendary star of David Lean\u2019s epic classic\u00a0Lawrence of Arabia\u00a0sitting in a hotel lobby. \u201dMy dad has no social inhibitions whatsoever,\u201d he discloses with a broad smile.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tHis father approached Sharif to tell him that his son\u00a0is a big fan. \u201cMy dad says to Omar, \u2018Can my son just talk to you on the phone?\u2019\u00a0\u2018Yes, sure.\u2019\u00a0\u00a0So I\u2019m on the phone from London with Omar Sharif, neither of us know what to say to one another. And he\u2019s like, \u2018Really good to hear from you, Amir. Good luck.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tCut to a couple of hours later and Amir\u2019s on a Eurostar to Paris where his father meets him and whisks him away to an hotel in Deauville where the father persuades Sharif to leave his room to meet them.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\t\u201cMy dad rushes over. He\u2019s like, \u2018Hi, Omar. Look, my son is here now.He would absolutely love to sit with you.\u2019 Omar looked at me. He looked at my dad, and I think in his eyes, he was like, \u2019The lengths of what a father would do.\u2019 And he hugged me and he grabbed me like a grandfather and sat me on his lap. He\u2019s like, \u2019Wow, your dad does love you.\u2019\u2026The way you\u2019re going to get on this industry is by being lucky and you make your luck, so why don\u2019t go to my premiere this evening instead of me?\u201c<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/wp-content\/themes\/pmc-deadline-2019\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.jpg\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AEM_OmarSharif1.jpeg\" alt=\"\" data-lazy- data-lazy- height=\"453\" width=\"604\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t(L\/R) Omar Sharif with 18-year-old Amir El-Masry. Courtesy Dr. El-Masry<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tSharif handed the teen his tickets for the gala of his film\u00a0Hasan wa Murqus.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\t\u201cIt was probably one of the best moments of my life,\u201d he says of that enchanted evening that saw him seated next to the film\u2019s producer Ahmed Mohamed Helmy who ended up offering him an audition for the film\u00a0Ramadan Mabrouk Abu Elalamain Hamouda.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\t\u201cI got the role and next thing I know, a couple of months later, I\u2019m in the on the set in Egypt for my first ever film,\u201d El-Masry says with pride.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tEl-Masry wrote Sharif a letter \u201cand I said, because of you, I landed my first role. And that moment of you saying, \u2018Make your luck,\u2019 that\u2019s stayed with me.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"EXCLUSIVE: Amir El-Masry didn\u2019t let a dislocated finger prevent him from punching his way to success portraying Sheffield-born&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":269418,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[571],"tags":[18642,64,63,802,4205,16855,156838,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-269417","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-boxing","8":"tag-amir-el-masry","9":"tag-au","10":"tag-australia","11":"tag-boxing","12":"tag-giant","13":"tag-pierce-brosnan","14":"tag-prince-naz-hamed","15":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/269417","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=269417"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/269417\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/269418"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=269417"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=269417"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=269417"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}