Biography

Waleed Elgadi was born on November 18, 1978 in Khartoum, Sudan. He is an actor, known for Alexander: The Making of a God (2024), Mosul (2019) and A Hologram for the King (2016).

Born in Khartoum, Sudan to Sudanese-Egyptain parents with Turkish and Iraqi ancestry, he moved to the UK aged 11 with broken Americanised English.

After a two year sabbatical away from acting in 2010 back to his native Sudan, where he had been a stranger for 22 years; Elgadi decided to revert to his real name of Waleed, rather than the previous stage name of William Elgardi.

He completed a BA (Hons) degree in English Literature and Philosophy from The University of Liverpool, prior to attending The Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in 2001. His first major lead role was in the BBC/HBO co-production 'Dirty War', dealing with the west's ability or inability in dealing with dirty bomb terror attacks. It screened at the White House during the Bush administration. Other career highlights have included working with Oscar-winning director Suzanne Bier on 'Brodre' and with Chris Morris on 'Four Lions'.

More recent highlights included working on 'Hologram for The King' alongside Tom Hanks, directed by Tom Tykwer, playing the recurring Walid Rashid in the FOX hit show 'Tyrant', being part of the RSC Rome Season, playing Colonel Asfahani in the Russo Brothers 'Mosul' and playing Yassine in '355' alongside Jessica Chastain, Diane Kruger, Penelope Cruz, Lupita Nyong'o, Edgar Ramirez and Sebastian Stan directed by Simon Kinberg.

Gained a scholarship aged 16 to the drama six form college Hurtwood House School in Surrey, England, whose alumni has included Hans Zimmer and Emily Blunt.