Bashar Rahal facts for kids

Bashar Rahal is a well-known actor from Bulgaria. He was born on October 20, 1974. He has acted in many movies and TV shows. He is also a producer.

Bashar Rahal's Life and Career

His Early Life

Bashar Rahal was born in Dubai, UAE. His father, Mounzer Rahal, was from Lebanon. His mother, Mariana Rahal, was from Bulgaria. Bashar has a sister named Carla Rahal. She is also an actress and a singer. Carla is famous for her roles in the National Theater of Bulgaria. She is also known for her popular songs "Lie to Me" and "I Wish U".

When Bashar was six years old, his family moved from the UAE to Bulgaria. He started acting in TV shows when he was 12. At 13, he joined a professional theater group called Tears and Laughs. With this group, he performed in more than 15 plays. He also went to many international film and theater festivals. These included festivals in Avignon, France and Thun, Switzerland.

His first big movie role was in 1989. It was in a film called Ivan and Alexandra. This movie was about two students in love during the time of communism in Bulgaria. The film won an award at the 1989 Golden Rose Film Festival in Varna. After this, he acted in the 1992 movie Bad Boy.

Starting His Acting Career

Bashar's professional acting career began in 1992. He was accepted into the Krastyo Sarafov National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts. There, he earned a master's degree in Performing Arts. During his studies, he appeared in many TV and film projects. He also did several commercials. After graduating, he became a permanent member of the National Youth Theater.

Becoming a Popular Actor

For the next few years, Bashar was in over 25 different TV comedy shows. He became very popular with the TV show It Can't Be. This show was created and directed by Nellie Andreeva. It Can't Be ran for seven seasons. It became one of the most watched comedy shows in Bulgaria. Bashar was one of the creators of the show. He was also the main actor, writer, producer, and sometimes a director.

Bashar Rahal is also known for creating the first ever night show in Bulgaria. On this show, he met his co-host and future wife, Kalina Rahal. In 1997, when he was 22, he joined the award-winning team of It Has Began. This was the highest-rated morning show in Bulgaria. In the same year, Bashar Rahal also appeared in two Italian productions. These were the 1997 TV movie In Fondo Al Cuore and the miniseries Racket.

Moving to the United States

Bashar Rahal with his former wife Kalina and daughter Chloe in 2007

In 1999, Bashar decided to follow his dream. He moved to the United States and settled in California to continue his acting career. Kalina and Bashar lived in San Diego for six years. During this time, Rahal appeared in several US movies. These included the 1999 movie Bridge of Dragons, where he acted alongside Dolph Lundgren. In 2001, he played Dmitri Minkov in Operation Delta Force 4: Deep Fault. His next movie was City of Fear, where he acted with Gary Daniels.

In 2006, Bashar and his family moved to Los Angeles. Soon after, Bashar took part in some major film and TV shows. He had a guest role in the TV series Arrested Development. He also gained more attention for his role in the 2006 BBC Drama/Documentary Hannibal. In this show, he played Hasdrubal, who was the brother of Hannibal.

Bashar Rahal also acted in the 2008 movie War, Inc.. This movie had many famous actors, including three Academy Award winners: Ben Kingsley, Marisa Tomei, and Joan Cusack. The main roles were played by John Cusack and Hilary Duff.

In 2017, Bashar was a contestant in the fifth season of the Bulgarian TV show Kato Dve Kapki Voda.

Bashar Rahal's Personal Life

In 1997, Bashar met Kalina, his co-host, on the set of Late Night Show. They later became husband and wife. After moving to San Diego in 1999, Kalina started working as a news producer for KUSI-TV.

In 2002, Bashar and Kalina got married in La Jolla, California. They later moved to Los Angeles in 2006. Kalina became a producer for the KTLA Morning Show.

Bashar and Kalina have two daughters, Chloe and India Rahal. Bashar also has a son named Andy Rahal, who was born on May 25, 2025.

Movies and TV Shows