East-West Man

Alexander Siddig:
Living Without Borders

By Amanda Broadfoot

“Prior to 9/11,” says actor Alexander Siddig, “I was happily going along, doing my own business and not too concerned about my ethnicity. I’m someone who didn’t even discover that I was Muslim until I was in my late-thirties.” The nephew of English movie star Malcolm McDowell, 39-year-old Siddig is probably best known for his seven-year stint as Dr. Julian Bashir on the popular TV series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

But that is changing. Siddig has appeared in such films as Kingdom of Heaven, alongside Orlando Bloom, as well as the forthcoming George Clooney feature Syriana. With those film credits to his name, as well as roles in A Dangerous Man: Lawrence After Arabia, Vertical Limit, and The Hamburg Cell, Siddig is increasingly becoming one of the most recognizable Arab faces on the big and small screen.

A Tale of Two Cultures
Born Siddig El Tahir El Fadil to an English mother and Sudanese father in the Sudan, Siddig – he goes by “Sid” – has felt the pull of eastern and western cultures his entire life. “Now,” he says of his acting career, “I see myself as a diplomat first and foremost; I see myself as someone who is an interlocutor between these two cultures.”

Sadiq Al Mahdi, Sid’s paternal uncle, ruled the Sudan in 1965 but was deposed, creating an untenable situation for his family. “Until fairly recently,” Siddig says, “it was pretty dangerous for me to go back there.” Even the hospital where Siddig was born was tear-gassed while his mother was giving birth. The increasing unrest prompted his mother to immigrate with her young son to England around 1969. There he enjoyed a privileged upbringing, far away from the political turmoil that would continue to rip apart the Sudan for decades.

Blessed with an infectious laugh and disarmingly English wry wit, Siddig speaks without bitterness of the racism he encountered in English private schools. “Kids, when they are racists to one another, aren’t full of the venom that adults are,” he says, commenting that the worst he encountered were epithets like “Paki,” which were more ignorant than hateful. “Maybe I had a particularly privileged or unusually cushy environment, but I never took major offense,” he says. “I just thought, ‘They’re also talking about the fat kid and the red-headed kid – whatever makes you stand out.’”

Role-playing
After a brief stint studying anthropology and geography at the University College of London, Siddig tried his hand at everything from bartending to insurance sales. The influence of his maternal uncle, Malcolm McDowell, eventually helped steer him towards the London Academy of Dramatic Arts and a career in acting.

Despite a couple of early roles as “baddies” in “Sinbad-type” children’s programs, Siddig says he never felt stereotyped. “I’ve got to be realistic,” he says. “I don’t look English, and I don’t look Midwest American. I’m not going to play someone with Dutch ancestry or a white American. But then, most actors can’t be many things, even if they’re the most average-looking, white, blue-eyed blonde guy. There are a million jobs they can’t do as well.”

After struggling as the unpaid director of a small local theater, Siddig received a breakthrough role as Emir Feisal, in A Dangerous Man: Lawrence After Arabia, a televised sequel to Lawrence of Arabia, co-starring Ralph Fiennes. Siddig’s subtle but powerful performance as the complicated king caught the eye of Star Trek executive producer Rick Berman who was, in 1991, casting a brand new television series of his own, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

A Long Trek
“The timing was a wonderful opportunity,” Siddig says of his experience on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. “I was a young man, and it was really terrific, like winning the lottery.” The premise of the show placed an eclectic group of explorers, soldiers, and yes, aliens, aboard a station on the “frontier” of known space. He played affable Julian Bashir, a genetically enhanced Starfleet doctor, for seven years, and directed several episodes of the series as well.

While filming the series, Siddig and co-star Nana Visitor fell in love and married, and in 1996 had a son, Django El Tahir El Siddig. Between the third and fourth seasons of the show, Siddig – who was still going by “Siddig El Fadil” – changed his name to “Alexander Siddig,” a name he felt more accurately reflected his merged cultural heritage.

“It was something my mother always wanted,” he says, “to name me something that was both English and Sudanese.” He admits that the name is certainly also easier for western casting agents and directors to remember. “I considered naming myself ‘uh,’” he laughs, “because people would recognize me and say, ‘Let’s see. You’re uh, uh . . .’”

A Turning Point
His run with Star Trek ended in 1999, and Siddig says that the separation from the cast, with whom he had spent the better part of his career, was an almost traumatic one. Like any actor on a long-running TV series, he wondered whether he would continue to work.

“Sometimes,” he jokes, “I still wonder if I’ll ever completely escape Star Trek.” More seriously, he goes on, “I have lost jobs because of it. But then again, I lose jobs for many different reasons. As far as typecasting is concerned, that’s my problem. If I can act well enough, I’ll get the jobs.”

But as difficult as that transition was, 2001 was even more challenging for Siddig. He and Visitor divorced, and then on September 11, the world turned upside down. “9/11 was a wake-up call for me,” he says. “Other people’s perceptions dragged me into the politics of it all.” For the first time in his life, he was stopped and searched on the streets. “And that’s totally cool,” he says. “I completely understand why that happens in sensitive parts of London.”

Most importantly, Siddig began a spiritual journey that he believes is still ongoing. “I didn’t know that I was Muslim by default because my father was Muslim. I’d read books – religion, philosophy, psychology – and those two small wires never connected in my brain. And then it dawned on me that I was.”

Making a Difference
Siddig needn’t have worried about his career. Almost immediately, he found himself cast in a controversial episode of the English TV series Spooks, as well as landing a role in the Matthew McConaughey – Christian Bale sci-fi film Reign of Fire.

And his Star Trek fans – a predominantly female group – have certainly never abandoned Siddig, following his career and forming SidCity.net to share information about their favorite actor. Siddig is proud of the fundraising his fans have done in his honor to benefit Doctors Without Borders’ work in the Sudan.

The Shape of Things to Come
If his role as actor is also that of diplomat, then his next feature will allow him to participate in one of the most ambitious feats of soft diplomacy yet. Syriana, starring George Clooney, and loosely based on See No Evil, the memoir of former CIA operative Robert Baer, is a story of “petrol politics,” says Siddig.

“That’s a scary phrase,” he admits. “The classic American corporate hegemony right now is in the process of extracting as much oil out of the Middle East as possible. And this film explores how terrible that can be for the Middle East. It’s a message to the Middle East, to at least let them know that there are Americans who know what’s happening.”

Syriana has already finished filming, and Siddig is preparing for his next project – an installment in popular 1930s detective series Poirot. After that, he will join Colin Firth on the set of a “sword and sandals” epic titled The Last Legion, before hopefully joining his uncle, Malcolm McDowell, on a film noir project this fall, in which he plays “a psychotic Moroccan cop.”

But politics is practically impossible to escape these days, especially for an Arab Muslim living in London. Siddig is quiet, and there is no hint of laughter in his voice when he speaks: “It’s becoming a pandemic, I’m afraid to say. I’m really not quite sure where to look with regard to this. It’s such a tiny, tiny minority of people with an axe to grind, and I guess they’ve been kind of ‘conned’ by this message. And now it’s as though the planet has collided in some bizarre way – the most horrifying of the West meets the most horrifying of the East.”

It seems fitting then, that Siddig played Imad, General Saladin’s right-hand man, in Kingdom of Heaven. “He was also an urger of peace to Saladin,” says Siddig. “I found that role so attractive. It’s really me that I’m expressing. Above anything else, I am a product of twin cultures. If I can bring them together, if I can do anything to help, then that is wonderful.”

before hopefully joining his uncle, Malcolm McDowell, on a film noir project this fall, in which he plays “a psychotic Moroccan cop.”

I mean, Sid as a "psychotic Moroccon cop"? Who wouldn't want to see THAT?

I'm surprised no one has picked up on the mention the author gave Sid City. I was tickled pink when I first saw it.

Here is the text of Sid's interview in East-West Woman; scans are forthcoming (as soon as my copy gets here). Enjoy!

even though he is half white-caucasian

It's a small matter, but Sid is 100% Caucasian. Caucasoid: one of the major groups of mankind that includes the native peoples of Europe, North Africa, the Near East, India, etc.

When I was in elementary school, my science book showed a bearded Arab man as an example of a Caucasian. I thought that was odd. Why not the more typical blue-eyed Scandinavian? Now I know better. The Arab IS the typical Caucasian. Caucasians in India may have black skin and Northern Europe is simply the opposite end of the spectrum.

Sid considers himself bi-racial, but from a scientific perspective, he is not. Of course, science has nothing to do with racial prejudice! Caucasians have killed millions of other Caucasians for belonging to an inferior race!

On the subject of being searched, I was physically searched three times when attempting to fly from Minneapolis to Philadelphia a few years ago. The first one had to do with a small, sharp object in my purse and the next two happened because my original flight was cancelled and from then on I lacked a seat assignment and was therefore considered a terrorist risk. I only mention this to point out that non-whites are not the only ones inconvenienced by airport security stupidity.

Carol

I can remember a Time article a few years back that said it is impossible to group people by simple physical characterestics. Each time you do it for one simple thing- widith of nose, eye shape, skin tone, etc- you get a changing group. Each group of people would pop up in multiple "races".

It's too bad Sid has to go through the trouble of being searched and scrutinized, even though he is half white-caucasian. If you really look at him, especially when he has no facial hair(like in Star Trek), he resembles his white uncle Malcolm McDowell. It's the shape of his face really, especially the forehead. Try watching the movie Star Trek: Generations which Mr. McDowell stars in, and you'll see the resemblance.

Gotta say though...I like the facial hair.
Lany

If you really look at him, especially when he has no facial hair(like in Star Trek), he resembles his white uncle Malcolm McDowell. It's the shape of his face really, especially the forehead. Try watching the movie Star Trek: Generations which Mr. McDowell stars in, and you'll see the resemblance.

It's a small matter, but Sid is 100% Caucasian. Caucasoid: one of the major groups of mankind that includes the native peoples of Europe, North Africa, the Near East, India, etc.

When I was in elementary school, my science book showed a bearded Arab man as an example of a Caucasian. I thought that was odd. Why not the more typical blue-eyed Scandinavian? Now I know better. The Arab IS the typical Caucasian. Caucasians in India may have black skin and Northern Europe is simply the opposite end of the spectrum.

Sid considers himself bi-racial, but from a scientific perspective, he is not.

I can remember a Time article a few years back that said it is impossible to group people by simple physical characterestics. Each time you do it for one simple thing- widith of nose, eye shape, skin tone, etc- you get a changing group. Each group of people would pop up in multiple "races".

I didn't know that includes also the whole of Europe. North Africa, yes, because they look similar.
Maybe he can do it if he considers himself as being of two different cultures.

Ulli

So in that way, Sid is bi-racial (or "bi-cultural").

It's a small matter, but Sid is 100% Caucasian. Caucasoid: one of the major groups of mankind that includes the native peoples of Europe, North Africa, the Near East, India, etc.

When I was in elementary school, my science book showed a bearded Arab man as an example of a Caucasian. I thought that was odd. Why not the more typical blue-eyed Scandinavian? Now I know better. The Arab IS the typical Caucasian. Caucasians in India may have black skin and Northern Europe is simply the opposite end of the spectrum.

He was talking about white and non-white. He is from two different cultures certainly, but when he spoke of race, I had the impression what he really meant was color.

Oh...well, I was more writing about my own conclusion, anyway.
I always thought when someone is talking of being bi-racial it's about having parents from two different countries. (very simplified)
But when it's only about being "black" or "white" then he is definitely "bi-racial".
I just thought there is more behind it than color.

Ulli

I wonder how difficult it was for Sid growing up.

I always thought the term "white" odd.

it doesn't make any difference

Multiple sclerosis strikes Caucasians almost exclusively, for example, and cycle cell anemia strikes African Americans.

But what I actually meant was that for "normal" diseases it isn't necessary to know which skin color you have.

To be frank, people really shouldn't categorize anybody by race, ethnicity, or even where they are born. We are all born, we all live, and we all die! The truth is that, there is only one true "race", and that's the Human-Race.

The truth is that, there is only one true "race", and that's the Human-Race.

Well, yes, but as a former teacher I can't imagine trying to teach history and never once mention race. How does one explain slavery in America without ever mentioning race? Even a totally bogus race like "Aryan" becomes a part of history once eight million people have been executed because they don't belong to it!

Do you really think there is no such thing as race? Do you believe the movie Crash was a fantasy?

No, the solution is not to pretend race doesn't exist. It is a part of who we are. It's racism that's the enemy -- not race. I have a book on my shelf by Michael Moore entitled Stupid White Men. If anyone ever tries to tell you that white people are smarter than others, just hand them Moore's book.

Carol

Ulli, I studied Clash of Civilisations in first year at university. We spent ages and ages dissecting the definitions of culture and civilisation. Like weeks. I can't remember the exact specifics, (wow, I am such a dedicated student) but I believe a civilisation is made up of similar cultures, and culture is defined by characteristics such as religion, social systems and beliefs and values. (I think! Please don't quote me on this). I don't know if that helps make any meanings clearer for you. But the book is fascinating. I recommend it for sure to anyone.