Hrant Alianak (born September 15, 1950"Confronting memories of genocide" by Richard Ouzounian at www.thestar.com), also billed as Harant Alianak or Grant Aljanak, is a Sudanese-born Canadian actor and playwright."Playing against type" by Michael Posner at www.theglobeandmail.com He gained notoriety as Dr. Jon Mendez in Pontypool.

Early life Alianak was born on September 15, 1950, in Khartoum, Sudan to an Armenian family. At age fifteen, he enrolled in a university in Khartoum, where he studied economics. He moved to Canada when he was 17, and moved to Montreal, Quebec, where he studied business administration. Alianak said he started to write in 1972, and spent most of the 1970s writing plays "nonstop" before entering acting in the 1980s.

Career In 1988, he was nominated for the Genie Award "Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role" for the 1987 film Family Viewing."Stars hard to find at pre-Genie lunch" by Rita Zekas, The Toronto Star (22 March, 1988) [ONT Edition] Retrieved from He played Pete in the 1995 Adam Sandler movie Billy Madison. He portrayed Dr. Mendez in the 2009 Canadian horror film Pontypool."Bruce McDonald's new film asks what happens when English eats you alive" by Jennie Punter at www.theglobeandmail.com"Pontypool: Frightfully Canadian" by Peter Howell at www.thestar.com He also played Dr. Marek in "Stay Out of the Basement", a 1996 episode of the TV series Goosebumps.

Alianak's plays include Lucky Strike, The Walls of Africa, and The Blues."Passe Muraille unveils upcoming season" at www.theglobeandmail.com Alianak made his debut as a writer in 1972 at Theatre Passe Muraille, with Tantrums.

The Walls of Africa was the 2001 winner of three Dora Awards,"Repressed emotion extends to audience" by Kate Taylor at www.theglobeandmail.com including Best New Play, and was published by Scirocco Drama in 2002. Scirocco has also published The Blues (2003).

In 2010, Alianak portrayed Principal Hicks in the movie My Babysitter's a Vampire. In 2011, he reprised the role in the TV series based on the movie. His other television credits include being a member of the repertory cast of the A&E TV series A Nero Wolfe Mystery (2002).

Filmography

Film +YearTitleRoleNotes1983Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden ZoneChemist1984Best RevengeElliah1984One Night OnlyWenko1985Head OfficePresident Sanchez1987Family ViewingAdministrator1989Destiny to OrderMarlay1993Life with MikeyCereal Commercial Director1995Billy MadisonPete1998 The Secret Life of AlgernonMahir Sulleyman1998Dirty WorkKirkpatrick2001Full DisclosureHosni2008 The EchoMax2008PontypoolDr. Mendez2012InescapableAli Homs2014 A Trip to the IslandHarry2017Becoming BurlesqueWaleed Aziz2019Guest of HonourGaro2020PossessorLead Technician

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes1981Escape from Iran: The Canadian CaperIranian Minister Television film1983 The Sins of Dorian GrayNightclub Manager Television film1985 The UndergradsZook Television film1985Tucker and the Horse ThiefJonah Television film1986Seeing ThingsOmar BaheshtiEpisode: "The Eyes of Ra"1986CourageEddie Cuba Television film1986Sword of GideonWael Zwaiter Television film1986, 1987AdderlyDictator / Grant 2 episodes1987, 1988Night HeatVarga / Ramos' Associate 2 episodes1988Mount RoyalGomesEpisode: "Royal Wedding"1988Inside StoriesEpisode "Looking for Nothing"1988Friday the 13th: The SeriesSandyEpisode: "Master of Disguise"1988Spies, Lies & Naked ThighsOmarTelevision film1988 The Twilight ZoneDr. GreenburgEpisode: "The Trance"1989T. and T.CarnaEpisode: "Hunted"1991CounterstrikeJemalEpisode: "The Millerton Papers"1991CounterstrikeLopezEpisode: "Fall From Grace"1992Street LegalDet. HassonEpisode: "The Phoenix"1992CounterstrikeDr. Stanley LadnerEpisode: "D.O.A."1993RaptureChief GalatiTelevision film1993MatrixJoseph HaddadEpisode: "Collateral Damage"1993Kung Fu: The Legend ContinuesSidekick #2Episode: "Illusion"1993 The Hidden RoomMurdockEpisode: "Stark in Love"1994TekWar: TekJusticeJudge TsurudaTelevision film1994RoboCopStitch Molotov4 episodes1996GoosebumpsDr. Marek2 episodes1997Psi FactorHran JamalEpisode: "The Curse/Angel on a Plane"1997Earth: Final ConflictDr. KaplanEpisode: "Avatar"1997GhostwriterStanley FergusonEpisode: "Broken Window"1998More TearsShaffik1 episode1998Thanks of a Grateful NationDr. Sid BeriaTelevision film1999Total Recall 2070Dr. Karl Gish 2 episodes1999La Femme NikitaSalla Vacek 2 episodes1999Ultimate DeceptionDr. Amos Television film1999Love SongsDoctor Television film1999Foolish HeartJudgeEpisode: "The Trial"2000Relic HunterMoustaffaEpisode: "Afterlife and Death"2000 The Golden Spiders: A Nero Wolfe MysteryGerstner Television film2000 The Deadly Look of LoveDr. Dunning Television film2000 The Royal Diaries: Cleopatra - Daughter of the NilePharaoh Television film2000Code Name: EternityAmbassador DumantEpisode: "Not a Bite to Eat"2001WW 3Abdus HamdoonTelevision film2001–2002Nero WolfeVarious roles9 episodes2002MonkJudge Hackman2 episodes2004Call Me: The Rise and Fall of Heidi FleissPrince HassanTelevision film2004This Is WonderlandMr. BarsumianEpisode #1.132004 The GridYemeni Colonel5 episodes2004H2ODr. Rafsamjhanni 2 episodes2004 The Eleventh HourKamal's father / Ahmad 2 episodes2005–2007Jeff Ltd.Uncle Kazem12 episodes2005–2013MaydayVarious roles3 episodes2006Covert One: The Hades FactorAl-Fulani2 episodes2006At the HotelZlawko5 episodes2006Angela's EyesHrant TosbathEpisode: "Open Your Eyes"2006 The Wives He ForgotDr. BajariaTelevision film2007–2010Little Mosque on the PrairieMr. Rashid3 episodes2008XIII: The ConspiracyDr. Kimmler 2 episodes2008, 2009 The BorderGeneral Zaki / Sharif Assad 2 episodes2009ZOS: Zone of SeparationColonel AliEpisode: "Hour One: Welcome"2009–2010Cra$h & BurnYaro Massout5 episodes2010My Babysitter's a VampirePrincipal HicksTelevision film2010Lost GirlKouyoumijianEpisode: "Food for Thought"2011InSecurityArkady BrautmanEpisode: "Spy Bites Dog"2011–2012My Babysitter's a VampirePrincipal Hicks26 episodes2012KingSalim AtassiEpisode: "Jamilla Karan"2012XIII: The SeriesDr. KleinbergEpisode: "Breakout"2013CrackedDr. Karl KarzikEpisode: "No Traveller Returns"2014DarknetPlastic SurgeonEpisode: "Darknet 4"2015Riftworld ChroniclesJeweller8 episodes2016Private EyesOmar TorkiaEpisode: "Disappearing Act"2016Designated SurvivorSaudi AmbassadorEpisode: "The Traitor"2016–2017Kim's ConvenienceBaran / Garlic Customer4 episodes2018Murdoch MysteriesMr. MorrisseyEpisode: "Mary Wept"2018 The DetailJudge SafaryanEpisode: "The Long Walk"2019Frankie Drake MysteriesButlerEpisode: "A Sunshine State of Mind"2019V WarsDoctorEpisode: "The Junkie Run of the Predator Gene"2021Sex/LifeMr. Mann2 episodes2021 The Lost SymbolArio FazeliEpisode: "L'Enfant Orientation"

References

External links Official site