Osamah Sami facts for kids

Osamah Sami is an Australian actor, writer, and comedian. He was born in Iran to Iraqi parents. He is well-known for his book Good Muslim Boy and the movie Ali's Wedding.

His book, Good Muslim Boy, won the New South Wales Premier's Literary Award in 2016. It was also praised at the Victorian Premier's Literary Awards that same year.

Osamah Sami helped write and starred in the movie Ali's Wedding. This film was later bought by Netflix. For his work on Ali's Wedding, he won an Australian Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. He was also nominated for Best Lead Actor. The film also won Best Script at the 2018 Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards. Sami was nominated for Best Male Lead there too. His script also received an Australian Writers' Guild Award. This was in the Best Original Film category.

Ali's Wedding won the Audience Award for Best Feature Film at the 2017 Sydney Film Festival. It also won The Age Critics Prize at the Melbourne International Film Festival. In 2017, Ali's Wedding was awarded the $100,000 CinefestOz film prize.

Osamah has also been nominated for a Green Room Award. This was for Best Male Performer in a Lead Role. It was for the Melbourne Theatre Company play I Call My Brothers.

Early Life and Learning

Osamah Sami was born in Qom, Iran. His parents were from Iraq. As a child, he acted in several plays in his hometown.

His Career

After moving to Australia, Osamah started working with a local theatre group. He has been acting in plays ever since. One play, which was written by his father, was about a historical figure. In 2005, his theatre group was stopped from entering the United States to perform this play.

Since then, he has worked in movies, theatre, and television. He has played many main characters. In 2009, he acted alongside Claudia Karvan in the TV movie Saved. This movie was directed by Tony Ayres.

In 2023, Sami starred with Zar Amir Ebrahimi in the movie Shayda. Shayda won the Audience Award for Best Film. It first showed as the opening night film at Sundance in 2023. It was also the opening night film at the Melbourne International Film Festival. Later, it won the 2023 CinefestOZ $100,000 film prize.

Sami also helped create and write a TV drama series called House of Gods. This show started on ABC TV and ABC iview on February 25, 2024. The drama is about an imam (a Muslim religious leader) and his family. It also shows the Australian Arab/Iraqi community he leads. Sami used his own real-life experiences to tell the story of his community.

Writing Poetry

Osamah Sami writes a poetry blog. His poems are grouped into four main topics: Love, Social Justice, For Dad, and War.

Awards and Nominations

• 2016 – Winner, AWGIE Award, Best Original Screenplay
• 2016 – Winner, New South Wales Premier's Literary Award, Non-Fiction Writing
• 2016 – Highly Commended, Victorian Premier's Literary Award, Non-Fiction Writing
• 2016 – Nominated, Green Room Award, Best Lead Actor
• 2016 – Nominated, L.A Web Fest Outstanding Comedy Series
• 2017 – Nominated, AACTA Awards, Best Lead Actor in a Feature Film
• 2017 – Winner, AACTA Awards, Best Original Screenplay
• 2017 – Winner, Australian Muslim Achievement Awards, Creative Artist of the Year
• 2017 – Winner, Los Angeles Independent Film Festival Award, Best Web Series
• 2018 – Nominated, Australian Film Critics Association, Best Screenplay
• 2018 – Nominated, Australian Film Critics Association, Best Actor
• 2018 – Winner, Film Critics Circle of Australia, Best Screenplay
• 2018 – Nominated, Film Critics Circle of Australia, Best Actor

Film and TV Work

As an Actor

Movies

• 2023 – Shayda
• 2023 – Tennessine
• 2020 – The Furnace
• 2017 – Ali's Wedding
• 2016 – Journey
• 2012 – 10 Terrorists
• 2009 – Saved
• 2007 – Lucky Miles

TV Shows

• 2024 - House of Gods as Isa
• 2022 – Savage River as Salim
• 2016 – Jack Irish as Hadji Adhib
• 2015 – Two Refugees and a Blonde as Sami
• 2011 – Sea Patrol as Salem Shokor
• 2010 – City Homicide as Hanif Durrani
• 2010 – Rush as Hazrat
• 2009 – East West 101 as Latif
• 2008 – Canal Road as Michael Young
• 2007 – City Homicide as Kasim Al-Basri
• 2007 – Kick as Sharif Doumani

Stage Plays

• 2021 – Them (Arts Centre Melbourne)
• 2020 – The Seagull (La Mama Theatre)
• 2019/20 – Anthem (Melbourne Arts Festival/ Perth International Arts Festival/ Sydney Arts Festival)
• 2019 – Gilgamesh (Arts House)
• 2018 – Good Muslim Boy (Malthouse Theatre/ Queensland Theatre)
• 2017 – The Sound of Waiting (Brown's Mart Theatre, Darwin)
• 2016 – Tales of a City by the Sea (La Mama Theatre) – remount/ tour
• 2015 – I Call My Brothers (Melbourne Theatre Company)
• 2014 – Tales of a City by the Sea (La Mama Theatre)
• 2014 – The Container (Big West Festival)
• 2013 – The Two Executioners (La Mama Theatre)
• 2012 – Transit.Origin.Destination (A.P.E Sydney)
• 2011 – Black Box 149 (La Mama Theatre)
• 2010 – Long Day's Dying (La Mama Theatre)
• 2009 – Baghdad Wedding (Belvoir St. Theatre Company)
• 2007 – Hombody/ Kabul (Theatre @ Risk)
• 2007 – Sinners (La Mamma Theatre)
• 2006 – A Play About a Historical Figure (A.A.G)

As a Writer

• Tennessine (Feature Film)
• The Clearing (TV Series)
• Good Muslim Boy (Stage)
• Ali's Wedding (Feature Film)

Books

Osamah Sami has written the book Good Muslim Boy.