Haaz Sleiman (; ; born 1 July 1976) is a Lebanese actor. He most notably played the role of Tarek in the 2007 film The Visitor for which he was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male and the role of Jesus in the American TV mini-series Killing Jesus, in addition to a number of American TV series.
Early life Sleiman was born in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and raised in Beirut, Lebanon. He immigrated to the United States when he was twenty-one years old.
Career In 2006, Sleiman portrayed an American soldier in Iraq on the NBC series ER and, that same year, had a recurring role as an Arab billionaire in the CBS series Company Town. He portrayed the terrorist suspect Heydar in three 2007 episodes of the FOX series 24 and appeared on both NCIS and Veronica Mars in 2007.
He co-starred as Tarek, an undocumented Syrian immigrant in the critically acclaimed 2007 independent film The Visitor, a drama directed by Tom McCarthy. The film was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award and an Academy Award. Sleiman also had small roles in the 2006 film American Dreamz and the 2007 film AmericanEast.
Sleiman played nurse Mohammed "Mo-Mo" De La Cruz in the first season of the Showtime dark comedy series Nurse Jackie, which premiered in June 2009.
In 2011, Sleiman played the role of Omar, a Palestinian activist, in the Channel 4 mini-series The Promise.
Sleiman also played the role of Kasim Tariq in the CW Network TV show Nikita; he appeared in two episodes.
Sleiman played Dr Rabia, a Syrian doctor in Channel 4's The State.
In 2013, Sleiman started as the titular character in the short lived Off-Broadway musical Venice.
Personal life In an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network, Sleiman said that he is Muslim, Christian, and Jewish. On 22 August 2017, he came out as gay via a Facebook video.
Filmography Film YearTitleRoleNotes2004The Ski TripTyson2006American DreamzMujeheddin CaptainThe Fourth EstateShort film2007The VisitorTarekFutbaal: The Price of DreamsAce2008AmericanEastSlick Ali2011Dorfman in LoveCookie2012Highland ParkAli RasheedVideo on demand2015Those PeopleTimIdealPhotographerShort film2016Offer and CompromiseScott2019Love & DebtScott20193022Thomas Dahan2020Breaking FastMo2021EternalsBen2022Moving OnGun Shop Salesman
Television YearTitleRoleNotes2006Company TownUnsold television pilotERHodgkinsEpisode: "The Gallant Hero and the Tragic Victor" 200724Heydar3 episodes (season 6)NCISEpisode: "Grace Period"Veronica MarsEpisode: "Un-American Graffiti"2009Nurse JackieMain role (season 1; 12 episodes)2010, 2011Nikita2 episodes2011The PromiseMiniseriesCSI: MiamiEpisode: "Mayday"RicochetTelevision filmMeet JaneTelevision film2012Beauty & the BeastEpisode: "All In"2012, 2015Covert Affairs3 episodes (season 3), 1 episode (season 5)2013Blue BloodsEpisode: "Drawing Dead"The Good WifeEpisode: "Whack-a-Mole"2014Person of InterestEpisode: "Allegiance"RecklessEpisode: "Fifty-One Percent"2015Allegiance2 episodesKilling JesusJesus of NazarethTelevision film2015The PlayerFaridEpisode: "Pilot"2016Of Kings and ProphetsJonathanMain cast2017The StateMinisiries (3 episodes)2018Tommy in La La LandHimselfDocumentary (3 episodes)Jack Ryan Ali bin SuleimanRecurring role; 6 episodes2020Little AmericaRafiqEpisode "The Son"
Video game YearTitleVoice roleNotes2007Assassin's CreedMalik al-Sayf2011Assassin's Creed: RevelationsSuleiman I2012Diablo IIIAdditional voices2014Diablo III: Reaper of Souls Additional voices2024Call of Duty: Black Ops 6Additional voices
Awards and nominations +YearAssociationCategoryProjectResultRef. 2008Boston Society of Film Critics AwardsBest Ensemble Cast The VisitorIndependent Spirit AwardsBest Supporting ActorGotham AwardsBest Ensemble CastOnline Film & Television Association AwardsBest Breakthrough Performance – Male
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