Director’s Biography

Hesham Issawi

Hesham Issawi was born in Egypt where he grew up with an insatiable appetite for American movies. He moved to the States in 1990 to study anthropology, but after taking classes in photography he changed his major in order to study filmmaking. He attended film school at Columbia College, Chicago, where he graduated in 1996, and began his career working at a local TV station. His initial forays into independent filmmaking were in the documentary world where he eventually directed a few short subjects of his own. In 1997 he co-produced the documentary, “Saving the Sphinx,” for the Learning Channel.

Hesham Issawi’s love of film noir was the inspiration for his first short fictional film, “The Interrogation,” which he wrote and directed in 2002. It won Best Creative Short Film at New York Film Festival. In 2003, he co-wrote and directed the short film, “T For Terrorist,” which was the winner of the Best Short Film awards at both the Boston and San Francisco film festivals. In 2006, he directed his feature debut, “AmericanEast,” a film that explores the plight of Middle Eastern people in post 9/11 America. He is currently at work on a new project which he plans to shoot in 2007.

Producers’ Biographies

Anant Singh

Anant Singh is recognized as South Africa’s pre-eminent film producer, having produced fifty-eight films since 1984. He is responsible for many of the greatest anti-apartheid films made in South Africa, including “Place Of Weeping,” “Sarafina!” and “Cry, the Beloved Country.” Nelson Mandela called him “a producer I respect very much…a man of tremendous ability” when he granted him the film rights to his autobiography, “Long Walk To Freedom,” which Singh is set to film next year.

Singh is the producer of “Yesterday” (from director Darrell James Roodt), which received South Africa’s first Academy Award Nomination in the Best Foreign Language Picture category in 2005.

Born and raised in Durban, South Africa, Singh began his film career at age 18 when he left his studio at the University of Durban-Westville to purchase a 16mm movie rental store. From there, he moved into video distribution, forming Videovision Enterprises (now Videovision Entertainment). He moved into film production in 1984 with Darrell James Roodt’s acclaimed “Place of Weeping,” the first anti-apartheid film to be made entirely in South Africa.

A selection of his subsequent feature films includes “Sarafina!” with Whoopi Goldberg, Leleti Khumalo and Miriam Makeba; “The Road to Mecca,” with Kathy Bates; “Father Hood,” with Patrick Swayze and Halle Berry; “Captives,” with Julia Ormond and Tim Roth; Tobe Hooper’s “The Mangler,” with Robert Englund and based on a Stephen King short story; “Cry, the Beloved Country,” from Alan Paton’s revered novel, with James Earl Jones and Richard Harris; “Paljas” (shot in Afrikaans, the first South African film to be selected for Oscar Consideration in the Best Foreign Language film category); “Face,” with Robert Carlyle; “The Theory of Flight,” with Kenneth Branagh and Helena Bonham Carter; “Bravo Two Zero,” with Sean Bean; “The Long Run,” with Armin Mueller-Stahl; Tsui Hark’s remake of “The Legend of Zu,” with Zhang Ziyi; “I Capture the Castle,” with Tara Fitzgerald and Henry Thomas; and “Red Dust,” with Hilary Swank and Chiwetel Ejiofor, a drama centering on South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Singh most recently completed Darrell James Roodt’s “Faith’s Corner” starring Leleti Khumalo with a score by multi-award winner Philip Glass, and “Prey,” also directed by Darrell James Roodt and co-written by Roodt and the writers of “Cry Wolf,” Beau Bauman and Jeff Wadlow. The film stars Peter Weller of “RoboCop” fame, Bridget Moynahan (“I, Robot,” “The Sum Of All Fears,” “The Recruit”) and Carly Schroeder (“Firewall,” “Mean Creek”).

Anant Singh has also been involved in the production of many important documentaries, including “Countdown to Freedom,” about the first free election in South Africa, and “Prisoners of Hope,” about a reunion on Robben Island of 1250 of its former political prisoners led by Nelson Mandela.

Singh is a board member of the International Marketing Council Of South Africa, the Board of Governors for Media and Entertainment of the World Economic Forum, the Los Angeles-based Artists For A New South Africa and the Mandela 46664 Concert with Richard Branson, Dave Stewart and Jim Beach. He is also the only South African member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and was appointed by President Thabo Mbeki to the Creative Collective, the body responsible for the organization of South Africa’s Ten Years Of Freedom Celebrations in 2004.

Singh is a recipient of the Crystal Award of the World Economic Forum and the Lifetime Founder Member Award of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund. Both the University of Durban-Westville and the University Of Port Elizabeth have conferred honorary doctorates on him.

Brian Cox

Brian Cox was a book editor and freelance writer in the New York publishing industry before film classes at Columbia University brought him into the world of moving images. He began his film career as a screenwriter, selling several spec scripts and writing music clip concepts for Bob Giraldi Productions, as well as working as a part-time script analyst for Dustin Hoffman’s Punch Productions. In the early 90s he broadened his involvement into the production arena and began what would become an almost 15-year association with international film production and financing company Distant Horizon. His initial work as a producer with that company resulted in Distant Horizon’s first North American productions – among them “Deadly Obsession” (starring Darnell Martin prior to her work as a director), “Terminal Bliss” (with then-TV-heartthrob Luke Perry) and “Chain of Desire” (starring Linda Fiorentino, Malcolm McDowell and Seymour Cassel).

Much of Cox’s work with Distant Horizon has been focused on Asian cinema, leading to associations with some of the most renowned directors in that part of the world, including Hideo Nakata, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Tsui Hark and Ryuhei Kitamura. Starting with “Black Mask,” the first Jet Li film to be theatrically released in the U.S., Jackie Chan titles “Police Story 1 & 2” and “Twin Dragons,” and perennial cult favorite “Versus,” Cox and Distant Horizon have established a place at the forefront of producers and distributors bringing Asian films to North America.

Cox was a producer on Tsui Hark’s Hong Kong cgi fantasy, “Zu Warriors,” starring Zhang Zi Yi; executive producer of the MTV release of Kim Tae-Gyun’s “Volcano High;’ and executive producer on the Taiwanese martial arts puppets series “Wu Lin Warriors,” which had its initial airdate on The Cartoon Network and will soon be available on-line on Kid’s AOL. Most recently, Cox and Anant Singh produced “Pulse” for Dimension Films, a remake of the Japanese horror film “Joyurei” by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, which was released this past summer starring Kristen Bell.

Cox is producer of a number of other Asian remake projects currently in development, including a live action adaptation of the Japanese anime cult film “Kite,” to which Rob Cohen (“XXX”) is attached; a remake of “Ring” director Hideo Nakata’s “Joyurei” (“Don’t Look Up”), which is to be directed by Xavier Gens (“Frontier”); and a remake of Japanese horror film “Neighbor No. 13,” based on the popular manga by Santa Inoue. Cox and Distant Horizon are also at work on an updated and revamped “Fu Manchu” vehicle.

Cox is also a writer/director. His first film, “The Obit Writer,” a short starring Norman Mailer, Mira Sorvino and Tim Guinee, premiered at the Venice Film Festival and sold nearly universally for television broadcast. His first feature film, “Scorpion Spring,” starred Alfred Molina, Ruben Blades, Esai Morales and Matthew McConaughey. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was distributed by New Line and cablecast on HBO. His second feature, “Keepin’ It Real,” starring Platinum-selling rap artist Kurupt, and shot in less than two weeks for under $100,000, was nominated for two DVD Premiere Awards – best script and best lead actress – and won in the actress category.

Most recently, Cox wrote and directed “El Muerto,” based on Javier Hernandez’s comic book, and featuring Wilmer Valderrama, Tony Plana, Maria Conchita Alonso, and Angie Cepeda, upcoming star of “Love in the Time of Cholera.” He will also write and direct “Canaries” in 2007 for Peninsula Films, producers of “Dahmer.”

As a writer, he has had projects accepted for inclusion in the IFP Screenwriters Lab and the IFP No Borders program.

Ahmad Zahra

Ahmad Zahra was born in Damascus, Syria and raised in both Syria and the United Kingdom. This combination of both Western and Eastern upbringing influences all aspects of his life, including his interests as a filmmaker. After acquiring a medical degree from Damascus University, Ahmad went on to study film, his first passion, at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). His film experience ranges from development and production to distribution.

After several years with 20th Century Fox, Ahmad went on to found Zahra Pictures in response to a need for media that can bridge the gap between different cultures, especially between the West and Islam. His first production through Zahra Pictures, “On Common Grounds,” premiered on the Hallmark Channel and continues to screen around the country at universities, libraries and other venues. Currently, Ahmad has several new films including the documentary, “Saudis in America,” and the feature film “American East,” both to be released in 2007.

Ahmad lives and works in Orange County, California.

Cast Biographies (right-click on photos to download)

Sayed Badreya – “Mustafa Marzoke”



Egyptian-born filmmaker and actor Sayed Badreya realized a childhood dream by winning roles in major Hollywood films such as “The Insider,” “Three Kings,” and “Independence Day.” But with “AmericanEast,” he has surpassed all of those goals by taking on his first leading role in an English language motion picture and working as co-writer of the film.

Growing up in poverty in Port Said, however, Sayed Badreya’s dreams of movie stardom at first looked as bleak as the prospect of peace in the Middle East. From the Six Day War in ’67 through the Yom Kippur War in ’73, his only escape from the world he knew was the movie theater, where films transported him to a magical land. But it was here that he determined he was destined to be a part of that magic.

After attending New York University film school, and then moving to Hollywood, Sayed first worked in the film industry as an assistant to actor/director Anthony Perkins, and then with director James Cameron on “True Lies.” His mission -- to make movies that told the Arabic-American story, since it had yet to be told – lead to the creation of his own production company, Zoom In Focus. Under this banner, he directed and produced a documentary, "Saving Egyptian Film Classics,” and produced "The Interrogation,” directed by Hesham Issawi, which won Best Creative Short Film at New York International Film Festival. He also produced and starred in Hesham Issawi’s short, “T for Terrorist," which was awarded Best Short Film at the Boston International Film Festival and the San Francisco World Film Festival.

Sayed’s efforts to bring attention to Arab-Americans in the motion picture business have received much coverage over the years on radio, television and in major publications around the world, such as The New York Times, GQ, NPR, Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher (ABC), BBC Panorama, CNN, Fox News with Shepard Smith, The Hollywood Reporter and Egypt Today.

Sayed has also worked as an actor, Arabic dialect coach, and Islamic technical advisor on “Path to 9/11,” a $40 million mini-series about the events leading up to 9/11 produced by ABC/Touchstone.

Most recently he completed his second leading role in the New York indie feature, “The Spring in Her Step,” which was directed by Michael Bergman and co-stars Mario Van Peebles.

Sarah Shahi – “Salwah Marzoke”



In 2000, as a member of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, Sarah Shahi became the youngest cheerleader to grace the cover of the team’s infamous “Cowboys Cheerleader Calendar”, and embarked upon a USO tour which took her throughout the Balkans and Italy to entertain the troops. A year later, a chance meeting with late director Robert Altman, who was in Texas shooting “Dr. T. and the Women,” changed the course of her life when he encouraged her to move to Los Angeles to pursue acting.

In a short time, Sarah found herself landing recurring roles on television shows such as “Dawson’s Creek,” and on “Alias,`” where she played the assistant and sometime love interest to the character played by Bradley Cooper.

Sarah developed a near cult following as a result of her two-year stint on Showtime’s critically acclaimed series, “The L Word,” which resulted in more work on shows such as NBC’s half-hour comedy, “Teachers,” and on “Sleeper Cell”, also for Showtime.

On the big screen, Sarah can currently be seen in Christopher Guest’s “For Your Consideration,” and in the soon-to-be-released “The Dog Problem,” directed by Scott Caan. This coming season, fans of “The Sopranos” will see Sarah in a spicy role which has her romantically involved with James Gandolfini’s Tony.

Up next, Sarah has just won the coveted female lead in Rand Ravich’s gritty NBC one-hour pilot, “Life,” and she has just completed a leading role in the independent film, “Shades of Ray,” a romantic comedy about culture clash and true love in which Sarah plays Sana, a woman of mixed ethnicity who makes the eponymous Ray question his pending marriage to his white, American fiancée.

Kais Nashif – “Omar”



Kais Nashif burst upon the international film scene in his searing portrayal of a Palestinian suicide bomber in the Academy Award nominated and Golden Globe winning film “Paradise Now.” The young Israeli Arab actor literally stepped out of acting school and into worldwide celebrity for his portrayal of the martyr Said. It was Kais’ first feature film and he was cast in the role while working as a barman in Tel Aviv. Festival appearances all over the globe and numerous awards – Independent Spirit Award, Best Foreign Film; Blue Angel Award, Berlin; Amnesty International Film Prize; National Board of Review winner, Golden Calf Award, Netherlands, among many others -- have led to a demand for Kais’ work.

His upcoming appearances since “Paradise Now” include the role of Benjamin in Catherine Hardwicke’s “The Nativity Story” for New Line, and an appearance in the Israeli TV series "Parashat Ha-Shavua."

He can also be seen in the independent features “Albeni Romance” and “Different Sky.” His stage work began with a one-man show at the Acco Theatre in Israel entitled “Creeze.”
Kais studied at the Beit Zvi school for stage arts in Israel and speaks English, Arabic, Hebrew and German.

Tony Shalhoub – “Sam”



Golden Globe, SAG Award, and three-time Emmy winner Tony Shalhoub has gained international recognition for his popular portrayal of Adrian Monk in the hit USA Network series “Monk,” which is now in its fifth season and for which he also serves as executive producer.

A “triple threat” as an actor-director-producer, Tony has established himself as one of the most versatile actors working today. His television credits include telefilm re-makes of “Gypsy” and “That Championship Season,” the latter directed by Paul Sorvino, and he was a series regular on the sitcoms “Stark Raving Mad” and the long-running hit series “Wings.”
His numerous feature film roles include “Spy Kids,” “Galaxy Quest,” “The Siege,” “A Civil Action,” “Searching for Bobby Fischer,” “The Impostors,” “Primary Colors,” “Gattaca,” “Men in Black,” “Big Night,” “Barton Fink,” “Honeymoon in Vegas,” “Quick Change,” “Longtime Companion,” “Thir13en Ghosts” and “Life or Something Like It.” He reprised his roles in the sequels for “Men in Black II,” “Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams,” and “Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over.” Shalhoub also appeared in USA Films’ “The Man Who Wasn't There” (Winner for Best Director-2001 Cannes International Film Festival) by Joel and Ethan Coen and starring Billy Bob Thornton and Frances McDormand.

Most recently, he completed the features “The Last Shot,” with Matthew Broderick and Alec Baldwin, and “The Great New Wonderful” with Maggie Gyllenhaal, Edie Falco and Olympia Dukakis. He was also the voice of the beloved Luigi in the Pixar hit, “Cars.”
Shalhoub made his feature directorial debut with the independent film “Made Up,” in which he co-starred with his wife Brooke Adams and Gary Sinise.

An accomplished stage actor, Shalhoub’s New York theater work includes “Waiting for Godot,” “Conversations with My Father,” “The Heidi Chronicles,” “The Odd Couple,” and the New York Shakespeare Festival productions of “Henry IV Part 1” and “Richard III.” Beginning in December, 2006, in New York City, Shalhoub appears in Theresa Rebeck's “The Scene,” along with Patricia Heaton, a comedy about the empty narcissism of American pop culture.
In addition to portraying the role of Sam in “AmericanEast,” Tony is also an executive producer of the film. Previously, he appeared in Hesham Issawi’s short film “T for Terrorist” with Sayed Badreya, which contained the germ of the idea for the Omar story in “AmericanEast.” It was the initial meeting of these three, and their work together on that short, that led to the development of “AmericanEast” as a feature length concept.

Anthony Azizi – “Murad”



Anthony Azizi is proud to be a member of the stellar cast of ABC’s highly praised new drama series, “Commander in Chief,” on which he plays the role of Vince Taylor, Chief Aide to the President of the United States (as played by Geena Davis). Recent episodes revealing that Taylor is both gay and HIV- positive have given Anthony an opportunity to broaden an already complex Palestinian/American character.

Previously, Anthony co-starred in ABC’s “Threat Matrix” as a courageous Egyptian-American former CIA agent, and his performance in Fox’s first season of “24” was so well-received that he was asked to come back in season three as an entirely different character. He has also held recurring roles on CBS’ “JAG,” and has guest starring roles on ABC’s “Dragnet,” TNT’s “Breaking News,” Lifetime’s “Strong Medicine,” CBS’ “The Agency,” “Malcolm & Eddie” on UPN, and “War Stories” with Jeff Goldblum for NBC. He considers his big break “The Lost Battalion,” a TV movie in which he portrayed a tough young American soldier alongside a brilliant British cast.

Anthony’s film credits include “Three Kings” with George Clooney, “McHale’s Navy” with Tom Arnold and Debra Messing, and “Tomcats” with Jerry O’Connell.

Anthony attended Muhlenberg College on a soccer/scholastic scholarship, where he graduated with a BFA in theatre. Upon returning to his home in New York, he co-founded his own theater company, The Clandestine Group. He now resides in Los Angeles.

Erick Avari – “Fikry”



It's no surprise that Erick Avari has adapted himself to roles that span a range of more that two dozen ethnicities -- that is, if you call Bajoran and Klingon "ethnicities." His childhood in Darjeeling, a mystically beautiful Himalayan town in northern Indian, uniquely prepared him for a career that has taken him from the cricket field to outer space and back several times, for the town of his birth is a crossroads for people from Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan and other exotic locales, as well as a favorite vacation spot for aristocratic Europeans – especially in the ‘60s and '70s as a required stop on the “hippie trail.” It was here that Erick learned English, Nepali, Bengali, Hindi and Gujerati as a child.

His childhood also introduced him to the joys of the cinema. Both his parents came from families that owned movie theaters throughout India and other parts of Asia. His maternal great-grandfather was a theatrical producer during the Victorian era, known for introducing women to the Indian stage. During his childhood, Erick saw at least two films in English each week at his father's theatres, and also Hindi and Bengali movies as well.
A small part in legendary film director Satyajit Ray's "Kachenjunga," and an encounter with the Kendall family (several generations of English actors on a tour of India who were documented in the Merchant-Ivory film "Shakespeare- Wallah"), gave shape to Avari's dreams of becoming a professional actor.

After several years of college in India, Erick won a scholarship to the College of Charleston, in South Carolina, and in America he began a career that would include Broadway plays, major motion pictures and hit TV series. His credits include leading roles in Kevin Reynold's cult classic “The Beast Of War” and in such mega-hits as “Planet of the Apes,” “Stargate,” “Independence Day,” and “The Mummy.” His comedic skills have landed him starring roles in “For Love or Money” and Woody Allen's only TV film, “Don’t Drink the Water.”

An extensive theatrical background led to critical acclaim for roles at the Joseph Papp Public Theater in New York City, including his portrayal of Vasquez in “'Tis Pity She’s A Whore,” and on Broadway in the hit, “The King and I.” He has had the pleasure of performing in some of the most prestigious regional theaters in the country including The Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Chicago's Goodman Theater and The Cleveland Playhouse, playing roles such as the King in “King Lear” and Joseph Smith in the Mabou Mines production of “The Mormon Project.”

On television, in addition to his recurring role as Kasuf on “Stargate SG1,” and his recurring role in “Heroes,” Erick has played notable roles on “West Wing,” “Law and Order,” “Deep Space 9,” “Family Law,” and “NYPD Blue.”

Most recently, Erick has completed roles in “Mr. Deeds,” Adam Sandler's take on the classic Gary Cooper film; “Three Days of Rain,” which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, “Master Of Disguise,” Dana Carvey's return to the big screen; and “Daredevil,” in which he played Jennifer Garner’s father. He will also be seen in the upcoming films “Dark Matter,” alongside Meryl Streep, and “Charlie Wilson’s War,” with Tom Hanks.

Al Faris – “Saber”



Al Faris’ credits include a recurring guest role on “24” and roles on “The Shield,” “Sleeper Cell,” “JAG,” “NYPD Blue,” and “Malcolm in the Middle.” He has also been seen in “Saving Jessica Lynch” and “Homeland Security.” His film credits include David Mamet’s “Spartan,” Vadim Perelman’s “House of Sand and Fog,” “Jarhead” directed by Sam Mendes, and “Ocean’s Twelve” directed by Steven Soderbergh.

Prior to “AmericanEast,” Al previously worked with director Hesham Issawi on the short film “The Interrogation,” which was produced by co-star Sayed Badreya, and which won Best Creative Short Film at the New York International Film Festival.

Recently, Al performed the role of Akhmed in the Moscow Arts Theatre production of the “The Shelter,” which was nominated for five Ovation Awards, including Best Ensemble.

Tay Blessey – “Leila Marzoke”



Tay Blessey has become a very visible presence in a short time. The 16-year-old actress, who has studied with Margie Haber, John Kirby, and at the famous Groundlings Theatre, has become a recognizable face on such hit TV series as CBS’ “Cold Case,” NBC’s “Crossing Jordan,” the FX Channel’s “The Shield,” and in the “Trees Made of Glass” episode on “Threshold,” directed by Peter Hyams.

Lately she has broadened her work with a number of appearances in independent films, including “Stopover” and “The Cleats of Imminent Doom.” She has also appeared on stage at the Equity production of “HONK!,” the AFI production of “Young Lincoln,” the ASCAP/Disney production of “Edna Klemperer’s New Fangled Frock,” directed by the world-renowned Stephen Schwartz, and in the Manhattan Beach Amphitheatre in “Much Ado About Nothing.”

Richard Chagoury – “Mohammed Marzoke”



A native Los Angelino, Richard Chagoury spent most of his first eight years growing up in Africa. Soon after his return to the States, he discovered acting, and became a student of the Meisner/Stanislavski method. In his first film, “Cuba, No America,” he portrayed an orphan from Afghanistan imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay. The role required him to speak only Farsi, a language he had never spoken, but because of last minute casting he successfully prepared for the role in less than a week. The film went on to win an audience award at the American Film Institute Film Festival.

For “AmericanEast,” Richard felt immediate compassion for his character, Mohammed, and believed it was important to take part in the project. It’s Richard’s hope that the film will create dialogue between cultures to help prevent the hypocrisy that is the result of misunderstood religious differences.

In the spring of 2007, he will also be seen in the upcoming film, “Schooled.“
When he isn’t acting, Richard is a starring catcher for his baseball team and was awarded “Best Team Mate” for the past four years in a row. For the past two years, he has also won “Player of the Year” honors in basketball.

Sammy Sheik – “Abdullah”



Sammy was born in Alexandria, Egypt and began his acting career at the age of eight on the Egyptian soap "Gawayesh."

His mother was a diplomat, which resulted in numerous residences between Alexandria, Paris and New York where in each locale he studied everything from computer science to architecture and engineering. It wasn't until the age of was 21 that Sammy decided to pursue his dream of acting. In New York, he appeared in several Off-Broadway plays before moving in 2004 to Los Angeles for more opportunities in film and television.

Among Sammy's credits are "Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World" and the recurring role of Masheer in the Emmy-winning series "24.”

Haaz Sleiman – “Angry Customer”



Originally from Lebanon and now living in Los Angeles, Haaz Sleiman has been seen on “ER” as an American solider in Iraq; in the recurring role of an influential Arab billionaire being sought by the government on CBS’ “Company Town;” as a slave to the Persian king in the Discovery Channel special “Battle Ground: Alexander” about Alexander the Great; and in a three-episode arc as a terrorist suspect on the Emmy-winning show “24” for Fox. Off-Broadway, he appeared in “Joys of Lipstick,” about an Iranian family that moves to the States and battles to hold on to its own culture and way of life.

On the big screen, Haaz’s credits include “Offside: The Price of Dreams,” directed by Erik Laibe, in which he played a hit man; “The Ski Trip” directed by Maurice Jamal; and “What Goes Around,” directed by Korna Stonz, in which he appeared as an ethnically-mixed drug dealer from Brooklyn. Haaz co-stars alongside Hugh Grant, Dennis Quaid, Marcia Gay Harden and Willem Dafoe in the Universal feature “American Dreamz” by Director Paul Weitz (“American Pie,” “In Good Company”).

Most recently, he completed a performance as the second lead in the indie feature “The Visitor,” with Tom McCarthy at the helm (director of Sundance winner “The Station Agent”), in which he played a professional djembe drummer.

Mike Batayeh – “YaYa”



Mike Batayeh is an actor/comedian and writer who has appeared in movies such as "Gas" (20th Century Fox) "Urban Jungle" and "American Dreamz," starring Hugh Grant, Dennis Quaid and Willem Defoe (Universal). He has also guest starred on several television shows, including “The Shield,” “JAG,” “Everybody Loves Raymond,” and “CSI Miami,” and has just completed his second season as a recurring character on Showtimes' “The Sleeper Cell.”

Mike co-wrote the award-winning, one-person show "Machomen and The Women Who Love Them,” and as a comedian regularly performs at such hot spots as The Icehouse, The Comedy Store, The Improv and The Laugh Factory, where he often channels his comedy character creation, “Sodomy Hussein,” the world’s biggest porn star.

Ray Wise – “Agent Stevens”



In the critically hailed Warner Independent Film “Good Night, And Good Luck,” written, directed and starring George Clooney, Ray Wise gave a memorable performance as troubled newsman Don Hollenbeck. Chronicling the story of how famed broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow worked to bring down Senator Joseph McCarthy, the film garnered acclaim from critics and audiences alike. Ray Wise and his co-stars shared “Best Ensemble Cast” nominations at both the 2006 Critic’s Choice Awards and Screen Actor’s Guild Awards.

Ray Wise’s impressive acting resume includes more than 30 feature films including starring roles in “Jeepers Creepers 2;” “Two Can Play That Game,” with Vivica A. Fox; “Bob Roberts,” starring Tim Robbins; “Rising Sun,” with Wesley Snipes; “The Chase,” with Charlie Sheen; “Robocop;” “Powder,” co-starring Mary Steenburgen and Jeff Goldblum; and “The Rainmakers.” One of his favorite roles was playing Sol Gann, a Depression-era father in Disney’s classic family drama “The Journey of Natty Gann.”

On the small screen, Ray starred in Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s made-for-TV movie, “The Battle of Shaker Heights” for Project Greenlight on HBO. This season, Wise recurs as Vice-President Hal Gardner on the popular Fox TV series “24” starring Keifer Sutherland.

Other recurring and guest roles on TV include “The West Wing,” “Resurrection Blvd.” “Second Chances,” “Savannah,” “The Larry Sanders Show,” “Knots Landing,” “The Colbys,” “Dallas” and “Twin Peaks.” It was his role on the latter that Wise credits for catapulting him into international stardom.

To date, Ray Wise has also starred in 85 stage productions, including Broadway performances of “Romeo and Juliet” and “Tartuffe.” His role as Yank Smith in O’Neill’s “The Hairy Ape” garnered wide critical acclaim, and in 1983, he received an OBIE Award for his work in Sam Shepard’s “The Tooth of Crime.”

This year, Ray Wise was also seen in the Lionsgate release, “Peaceful Warrior” with Nick Nolte and Amy Smart, and in spring of 2007 he stars alongside Richard Gere and Claire Danes in “The Flock,” as well as in “The Substance of Things Hoped For” with Vanessa Lengies and Arlen Escarpeta.

Amanda Detmer – “Kate”



Classically trained actress Amanda Detmer currently stars on the hit ABC series “What About Brian.” In her role as Deena Greco, she was heralded by U.S. Weekly as half of “TV’s most compelling new two-some.” She can soon be seen co-starring in the independent ensemble dramas “American Crude” and “Jam,” and starring in the Lifetime telefilm, “Proof of Lies.”

Amanda’s inspiration for choosing an acting career stems from her older brother, who was active in community theatre. Her first on-stage role was at Chico State, where she forgot two of her five lines, but, undeterred, she moved to New York, where she received a Master of Fine Arts degree from NYU.

After graduation, Amanda worked at the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, starring in productions of “Amadeus” and “The Importance of Being Earnest.” On a leap of faith, she decided to move to Los Angeles. Her first major role was starring as a cop opposite Craig T. Nelson and Richard Krenna in the 1999 NBC mini-series “To Serve and Protect,” the story of three generations of Dallas police officers.

Amanda’s film credits include “You, Me and Dupree,” “Saving Silverman,” “Final Destination,” “The Majestic” and “Drop Dead Gorgeous.” She has appeared on “CSI Miami” and “Miss Match,” and starred in the telefilms “Picking Up and Dropping Off” and “Stolen Innocence.”

Tony Plana – “Dez”



Tony Plana was educated at Loyola-Marymount University where he earned a bachelor’s degree through the honors program in literature and theatre arts, graduating magna cum laude. He received professional training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.

Plana starred as Roberto Santiago in Showtime’s groundbreaking series, “Resurrection Boulevard,” for which he received 2001 and 2002 ALMA Award nominations for Best Actor.
Having co-directed and co-produced the film “A Million to Juan” with Paul Rodriguez, Plana celebrated his solo directorial debut with “The Princess and the Barrio Boy,” the first Latino family film to be produced by Showtime. The film received two 2001 ALMA Award nominations and won the 2001 IMAGEN Award for Best Made-for-Television Movie. His episodic television directorial debut was the “Resurrection Boulevard” episode “Saliendo,” which received a GLAAD Award for Best Dramatic Episode of the Year. He has directed several episodes of Nickelodeon’s hit series “The Brothers Garcia,” receiving a Humanitas Award nomination and winning the IMAGEN Award for its third season finale.

Plana is also the co-founder and executive artistic director of the East L.A. Classic Theatre, a group comprised primarily of Hispanic American theatre professionals. The East L.A. Classic Theatre has been dedicated to serving the Latino community through educational outreach programs to primary and secondary schools and through bilingual productions of traditional and contemporary classics. Through the East L.A. Classic Theatre, Plana has developed a unique and innovative literacy program called Beyond Borders: Literacy Through Performing Arts, designed to enable students to expand their educational horizons and academic achievements by moving beyond their personal, cultural and vocational borders. His distinct talent lies in his provocative adaptations of classic Shakespearean plays, specifically conceived for minority communities with little or no theatre-going experience.

As an actor Plana has starred in more than 60 feature films, including “JFK,” “Nixon,” “Salvador,” “An Officer and a Gentleman,” “Lone Star,” “Three Amigos,” “Born in East L.A.,” “El Norte,” “187,” “Primal Fear,” “Romero,” “One Good Cop,” “Havana,” “The Rookie,” “Silver Strand” and “Picking Up the Pieces” (with Woody Allen). Most recently he appeared in “Goal! The Dream Begins” and in “Half Past Dead.” He will also be appearing in the soon to be released “El Muerto,” directed by Brian Cox, as well as in “Towards Darkness” with “Ugly Betty” co-star America Ferrara.

On television, Plana currently plays Ignacio Suarez in the new hit series “Ugly Betty.” He also recently starred in a multi-episode arc on “Commander In Chief,” on “24” as the terrorist Omar in season four, as well as on “The West Wing” and “John Doe.” In addition he starred in the Showtime mini-series “Fidel,” as the notorious Cuban dictator, Batista, and in Showtime’s “Noriega: God’s Favorite.” He has portrayed leading roles in four critically acclaimed television series -- “Veronica Claire,” “Bakersfield P.D.,” Steven Bochco’s “Total Security,” and “City of Angels.”

Plana has been very active in live theatre. On Broadway his credits include “Zoot Suit” and “The Boys of Winter.” He has performed in leading roles at the Mark Taper Forum in “Zoot Suit,” “Richard III,” “Widows” and “The Reader.” He has appeared in a wide variety of productions in many other venues, including “Figaro Gets a Divorce” at the La Jolla Playhouse; “Rum and Coke,” “Cuba,” “His Teddy Bear” and “Bang Bang Blues” at the New York Public Theatre; “Rum and Coke” and “Charlie Bacon and His Family” at the South Coast Repertory Theatre; “The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit (The Musical)” at the Pasadena Playhouse; “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “Hamlet” at the California Shakespearean Festival; “Fugue” at Syracuse Stage Company; in Ariel Dorfmann’s “Mascara” at the Arizona Theatre Company; and most recently he received high critical acclaim for his portrayal of Santiago in Nilo Cruz’ “Anna in the Tropics” at South Coast Repertory, the first Latino play to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

He is the recipient of two Nosotros Golden Eagle Awards for outstanding work in film and television, as well as five Los Angeles Dramalogue Awards for Theatre.

Constance Zimmer – “The TV Director”



Born in Seattle and raised in Newport Beach, California, Constance Zimmer studied at the prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles and later with renowned teachers Stella Adler and Arthur Mendoza.

She made her television debut in the comedy series “Ellen” and earned a Best Actress Dramalogue Award in the Los Angeles play “Catholic School Girls.” More television roles followed with guest-starring appearances on “Seinfeld,” “King of Queens,” “X- Files,” “Philly,” “Providence,” and “Gideon’s Crossing.” Zimmer also had recurring roles on “Joan of Arcadia”, “The Wayans Brothers,” “Hyperion Bay,” “The Trouble with Normal,” and “The Fighting Fitzgeralds.” She also appeared in the Hallmark Channel movie, “Mystery Woman” opposite Kellie Martin and Robert Wagner.

The NBC hit comedy “Good Morning Miami,” by the creators of “Will & Grace” marked the actress’ first series regular role. Zimmer portrayed Penny, the witty and burned-out office assistant to Mark Feuerstein’s character.

Recently, Zimmer was added as a series regular on David Kelly’s acclaimed drama, “Boston Legal,” playing sharp-tongued attorney, Claire Simms. She also continues in her recurring role on HBO’s “Entourage” in which she plays Jeremy Piven’s ex-girlfriend and studio executive on the rise, Dana Gordon. Last season, Zimmer played a lawyer from a privileged background who must fight to earn the respect of her peers in the ABC drama, “In Justice.”
Her feature credits include the independent films “Warm Blooded Killers,” “Senseless,” “Home Room,” “Spin Cycle” and the upcoming “The Hammer” opposite Adam Carolla.

Tim Guinee – “Dr. Westerman”



Tim Guinee’s films include Rebecca Miller’s Sundance Festival winner “Personal Velocity;” “Heaven and Earth,” directed by Oliver Stone; “How to Make an American Quilt;” Lasse Hallstrom’s “Once Around;” previous Distant Horizon production, “Chain of Desire;” “Ladder 49;” Horton Foote’s “Lily Dale;” “Beavis and Butthead Do America;” “The Shovel,” co-starring David Straithairn; ”Griffin Dunne’s Oscar-nominated “The Duke of Groove;” and “The Obit Writer,” directed by Brian Cox.

On TV, he has been appeared in the BBC’s “Moby Dick,” HBO’s “Vietnam War Stories,” PBS’ “The Suitor, Channel 4’s “Comics,” and the Australian Broadcast Company’s “The Road from Coorain.” He has also been seen the made-for-TV movie “Elvis,” in which he played Sam Phillips, and on episodes of “The West Wing,” “Law and Order,” “Vinegar Hill,” “CSI,” “Ghost Whisperer,” and numerous other series.

Most recently, he completed the indie feature “Broken English” for director Zoe Cassavetes, and appeared in audience and critical favorite “Sweetland,” which was directed by Ali Selim and nominated for two Independent Spirit Awards. He will also be seen in the upcoming mini-series “The Lost Room.”

Tim was named as one of the top 100 Irish-Americans by Irish American Magazine.

Alfre Woodard – “Angela Jensen”



Four-time Emmy Award winner, two-time SAG Award winner, Golden Globe winner and Academy Award nominee, Alfre Woodard’s credits read like an honor roll of hit series television – “Desperate Housewives,” “Hill Street Blues,” “St. Elsewhere,” “L.A. Law,” “The Practice,” “Homicide,” “Star Trek: First Contact,” and “Frasier,” among others. She has also appeared in many noteworthy long-form productions made for television, including John Sayles’ telefilm “Unnatural Causes;” “Miss Evers’ Boys” for HBO; the PBS production of “Words by Heart;” Disney’s “A Mother’s Courage: The Mary Thomas Story;” “The Member of the Wedding” for USA Cable; August Wilson’s “The Piano Lesson” for Hallmark Hall of Fame; NBC’s adaptation of “Gulliver’s Travels;” and numerous other TV movies and specials, resulting in a total of 14 Emmy nominations.

A graduate of dramatic studies at Boston University, she made her feature film debut in Alan Rudolph’s “Remember My Name,” and went on to appear on the big screen in a long list of films that include “Beauty Shop,” with Queen Latifah; “Miss Firecracker,” opposite Tim Robbins and Holly Hunter; Maya Angelou’s “Down in the Delta;” Robert Altman’s “Health;” “Bopha!,” directed by Morgan Freeman; “K-Pax,” with Kevin Spacey; “Spike Lee’s “Crooklyn;” “The Forgotten,” opposite Julianne Moore; “Love ‘n Basketball,” with Dennis Haysbert; “Passion Fish,” directed by John Sayles; “How to Make an American Quilt,” co-starring Winona Ryder, Anne Bancroft and Ellen Burstyn; Gurinder Chadha’s “What’s Cooking;” “Radio,” with Cuba Gooding, Ed Harris and Deborah Winger; Lawrence Kasden’s “Grand Canyon;” “Primal Fear,” with Richard Gere; and “The Singing Detective,” co-starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Mel Gibson. She won a CableACE Award for her portrayal of Winnie Mandela in the HBO production of “Mandela,” which also starred Danny Glover, and has lent her voice to animation films such as “The Wild Thornberrys Movie,” and “Dinosaur,” in which she voiced the role of Plio, the lemur. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in Martin Ritt’s “Cross Creek.”

On stage, she has appeared in David Hare’s “Map of the World,” for the New York Shakespeare Festival; in “Drowning Crow” and “Me and Bessie” on Broadway; for the Mark Taper Forum in “A Christmas Carol” and “Leander Stillwell;” and at the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. in “Horatio” and “Saved.” Alfre also executive produced “East Texas Hot Links” for the Met Theatre.

Most recently, Alfre won her fourth Emmy for the recurring role of Betty Applewhite on “Desperate Housewives.” She has just completed roles in “Take the Lead” with Antonio Banderas, and NBC’s upcoming drama “Inconceivable.”