{{Short description|Canadian actor}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Zaib Shaikh | honorific_suffix = | image = Zaib Shaikh.jpg | image_size = | caption = Shaikh in 2012 | office = Consul General of Canada in Los Angeles | term_start = December 3, 2018<ref>{{cite web |title=Get to know our new Consul General, Zaib Shaikh, now on his 2nd day on the job |url=https://www.facebook.com/CanadainLosAngeles/posts/get-to-know-our-new-consul-general-zaib-shaikh-now-on-his-2nd-day-on-the-job/2231078557140697/ |website=Facebook |publisher=Consulate General of Canada in Los Angeles |access-date=December 19, 2018 |language=en}}</ref><!-- Only source so far that gives start date as Consul General. Replace with reliable source on start date once one becomes available --> | term_end = November 14, 2025 | preceded = James Villeneuve | prime_minister = Justin Trudeau<br>Mark Carney | office2 = Toronto Film Commissioner and Director of Entertainment Industries | term_start2 = 2014 | term_end2 = 2018 | preceded2 = ''position established'' | succeeded2 = | pronunciation2 = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1974|05|25}} | birth_place = Toronto, Ontario, Canada | education = {{plainlist| *University of Toronto (MFA) *Sheridan College (BA) *University of British Columbia}} | occupation = Actor, writer, director, diplomat | known_for = Star of ''Little Mosque on the Prairie'' | awards = <!-- For civilian awards - appears as "Awards" if |mawards= is not set --> | spouse = {{marriage|Kirstine Stewart|May 2011}} | blank1 = | data1 = | blank2 = | data2 = | blank3 = | data3 = | blank4 = | data4 = | blank5 = | data5 = | signature = | signature_alt = | website = | footnotes = }}
'''Zaib Shaikh''' (born May 25, 1974) is a Canadian actor, writer, and director. He was named Canada's Consul General in Los Angeles, California in October 2018.<ref>[https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2018/10/12/joe-comartin-zaib-shaikh-consul-general_a_23559086/ "Ex-NDP MP Joe Comartin, Former 'Little Mosque' Star Zaib Shaikh Tapped For Diplomatic Posts"]. Canadian Press, October 12, 2018.</ref>
==Career== Shaikh has appeared in ''Metropia'' and ''Little Mosque on the Prairie'', and as Vancouver city councillor Shakil Khan in ''Da Vinci's City Hall''. He is co-founder of the Whistler Theatre Project, and also writer and director of the CBC adaptation of ''Othello''.<ref>See IMDB</ref> He appeared as Nadir Khan in Deepa Mehta's film adaptation of ''Midnight's Children''. He guest starred as Professor Mahmoud Bahmanyaron in an episode of ''Murdoch Mysteries'' which aired March 18, 2013.
==Personal life== Shaikh was born in Toronto, Ontario, and is of Pakistani descent.<ref>{{cite web|title=My toronto : Zaib Shaikh|work=National Post|url=http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/toronto/archive/2008/02/25/my-toronto-zaib-shaikh.aspx}}{{dead link|date=October 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> He studied theatre at the Mississauga campus of the University of Toronto<ref>{{cite web|title=Zaib Shaikh|work=University of Toronto Magazine|url=http://www.magazine.utoronto.ca/summer-2007/zaib-shaikh-little-mosque-on-prairie-whistler-theatre-project/}}</ref> and has a Bachelor of Arts from Sheridan College.<ref>{{cite web|title=Zaib Shaikh|work=Sheridan Institute Alumni Magazine|url=http://www1.sheridaninstitute.ca/services/alumni2/documents/ovation2009.pdf}}</ref> While at U of T, Shaikh was a copy editor for the Mississauga campus newspaper, ''The Medium''. He has a Master of Fine Arts degree from U of T.<ref name=lavin>{{cite web|title=Zaib Shaikh|work=Lavin Agency|url=http://www.thelavinagency.com/speaker-zaib-shaikh.html}}</ref>
Since 2011, Shaikh has been married to Kirstine Stewart,<ref name="marriage" /> former managing director of Twitter Canada.<ref name="kirstine_twitter" />
On May 29, 2014, Shaikh was named the film commissioner and director of entertainment industries for the City of Toronto.<ref>[https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/toronto-picks-zaib-shaikh-of-little-mosque-fame-as-film-commissioner/article18911457/ "Toronto picks Zaib Shaikh, of Little Mosque fame, as film commissioner"]. ''The Globe and Mail'', May 29, 2014.</ref>
==Filmography== ===Film=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes |- | 1998 || ''Shepherd'' || Cook || |- | 2007 || ''Hello Faye'' || Shiraz || Short film |- | 2012 || ''Midnight's Children'' || Nadir Khan || |}
===Television=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes |- | 2004 || ''Doc'' || Salesman || Episode: "Leader of the Band" |- | 2004–2005 || ''Metropia'' || Jayesh || |- | 2005–2006 || ''Da Vinci's City Hall'' || Councillor Shakil Khan || 7 episodes |- | 2006 || ''The Dead Zone'' || Hit Man || Episode: "Lotto Fever" |- | 2007–2012 || ''Little Mosque on the Prairie'' || Amaar Rashid || 91 episodes |- | 2013 || ''Murdoch Mysteries'' || Professor Mahmoud Bahmanyar || Episode: "Twisted Sisters" |}
==References== <references>
<ref name="marriage"> {{cite web | title = Shinan: CBC chieftess Kirstine Stewart and actor Zaib Shaikh go public with nuptials | first = Shinan | last = Govani | url = https://nationalpost.com/entertainment/shinan-cbc-chieftess-kirstine-stewart-and-actor-zaib-shaikh-go-public | website = National Post | date = 27 August 2011 }} </ref> <ref name="kirstine_twitter"> {{cite web | title = Twitter Hires CBC's Kirstine Stewart As Managing Director (And First Team Member) For Twitter Canada | first = Anthony | last = Ha | url = https://techcrunch.com/2013/04/29/twitter-hires-cbcs-kristine-stewart-as-managing-director-and-first-team-member-for-twitter-canada | website = TechCrunch | date = 29 April 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130803070736/http://techcrunch.com/2013/04/29/twitter-hires-cbcs-kristine-stewart-as-managing-director-and-first-team-member-for-twitter-canada | archive-date = 3 August 2013 | url-status = live }} </ref>
</references>
==External links== *{{IMDb name|1778897}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shaikh, Zaib}} Category:1974 births Category:Living people Category:Canadian male film actors Category:Canadian male television actors Category:Male actors from Toronto Category:Sheridan College alumni Category:University of British Columbia alumni Category:Canadian male actors of Pakistani descent Category:Consuls for Canada Category:University of Toronto Mississauga alumni Category:Canadian television directors Category:Consuls-general in Los Angeles Category:20th-century Canadian male actors Category:21st-century Canadian male actors