{{short description|Iraqi actor (born 1976)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Use British English|date=August 2016}} {{Infobox person |image = |caption = |birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1976}} |birth_place = Iraq |alias = }}

'''Lewis Alsamari''' (born 1976) is an Iraqi actor based in the United Kingdom.

==Career== Alsamari has appeared in episodes of television series such as ''Spooks'' and ''Crossroads''. In 2006 he starred in the Universal Pictures film ''United 93'' as the terrorist Saeed al-Ghamdi.

Alsamari was reported to have been denied a visa by American immigration authorities when he applied to visit New York City to attend the premiere of ''United 93''. The reason reportedly given was that he had once been a conscripted member of the Iraqi Army – although this was also the grounds for his refugee status after his desertion in 1993.<ref>''[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,11069-2145154,00.html 9/11 film actor refused visa for US premiere]{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}'' 21 April 2006 ''The Times''</ref> Other sources say that he applied late for his visa and that it was not denied.<ref>''[http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article359460.ece America bars Iraqi immigrant who played hijacker in September 11 film] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060909021654/http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article359460.ece |date=9 September 2006 }}. It was later claimed by Alsamari in his book, "Out of Iraq" that he was denied entry as he had served a two year suspended sentence in the United Kingdom.'' 22 April 2006 ''The Independent on Sunday''</ref>

Alsamari was featured in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe production of "What I Heard About Iraq", based on the Eliot Weinberger article of the same name that originally appeared in the London Review of Books in 2005.<ref>[http://www.alsamari.net/ Samarrai's Website<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060613093758/http://www.alsamari.net/ |date=13 June 2006 }}</ref>

==Filmography== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- |2006|| ''United 93'' || Saeed Al Ghamdi || |}

==Bibliography== *{{cite book|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/Out-Iraq-Lewis-Alsamari/dp/0593058232/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0/277-8954361-3408423|title=Out of Iraq|last=Alsamari|first=Lewis|date=July 2007|publisher=Bantam Press|location=United Kingdom|isbn=978-0593058237|accessdate=17 April 2014}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{IMDb name|1625221}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Samari, Lewis}} Category:1976 births Category:Living people Category:British people of Iraqi descent Category:English male film actors Category:English male stage actors Category:Iraqi male television actors Category:Iraqi refugees Category:Iraqi emigrants to the United Kingdom Category:Iraqi male film actors