Omid Djalili is a British stand-up comedian, actor, television producer and writer.
Djalili was born on 30 September 1965 in St Mary Abbots Hospital in Kensington, London, to Iranian Baháʼí parents Ahmad and Parvaneh Djalili. His parents emigrated from Tehran to London in 1958. He has a brother and sister. His mother was a dressmaker who at one point assisted Iranian singer Googoosh. His father was a liaison officer at the Iranian embassy in which he would provide medical assistance. He was also a photographer whose pictures ended up in the newspaper Kayhan. He attended Holland Park School where he failed A-level exams a record six times and faked his results to gain entry to Ulster University in Coleraine, Northern Ireland, studying English and theatre studies having been turned down by 16 drama schools. Djalili cited Jack Lemmon, Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken and Julia Roberts as influences.
The first significant success of his stand-up comedy career was at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1995 with "Short, Fat Kebab Shop Owner's Son", followed by "The Arab and the Jew" with Jewish comedian Ivor Dembina in 1996.
Djalili has appeared in a number of films, most notably Gladiator, The Mummy, Mean Machine, The World Is Not Enough, Alien Autopsy, Spy Game, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Grow Your Own, Notting Hill, Mr Nice, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Sex and the City 2 and provides his voice in Over the Hedge. He has observed that he usually appears as a generic Middle Eastern background character in many of these films, often commenting that he appears in the James Bond film as the "Second Azerbaijani oil pipe attendant". He appeared as Nasim in 22 episodes of the U.S. sitcom Whoopi, starring Whoopi Goldberg, and picked up an international film award for Best Supporting Actor in Casanova, starring alongside Heath Ledger and Jeremy Irons.
Djalili has won awards for his comedy. These include the EMMA Award, Time Out Award, and LWT Comedy Award for Best Stand-up Comedian, Spirit of the Fringe Award as well as the One World Media Award for his Channel 4 documentary, Bloody Foreigners. He has also been nominated for awards, such as the Perrier Award for Best Comedian, the Gemini Award for Best Comedy Performance of 2003, the South Bank Award for Best Comedy of 2003, the Royal Television Society Award for Best Stand-up, and the European TV Award for his Bloody Foreigners.
Known For
Deep Cover
Sagar
2025
Journey to Bethlehem
Melchior
2023
Love Again
Mohsen
2023
Christmas Comedy Club with Lost Voice Guy
2021
Les Dawson Lost Tapes
Self
2021
The Way Out
Guide
2020
We Are Most Amused and Amazed
Self
2018
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms
Cavalier
2018
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
Greek Official
2018
Dying Laughing
Self
2017
The Comedian's Guide to Survival
Himself
2016
A Grand Night In: The Story of Aardman
Self - Voice of Trumper
2015
Molly Moon and the Incredible Book of Hypnotism
Barry Rix
2015
Shaun the Sheep Movie
Trumper (voice)
2015
Retrospective
Nabil Sr
2014
Omid Djalili: Tour of Duty
Omid Djalili
2012
Big Fat Gypsy Gangster
Jik Jickkles
2011
The Egyptian Job
Himself (Narrator)
2011
Just Like Us
Self
2011
Mr. Nice
Saleem Malik
2010
Sex and the City 2
Mr. Safir, Hotel Manager
2010
The Infidel
Mahmud Nasir
2010
Omid Djalili: Live in London
Omid Djalili
2009
New Town
Walter
2009
Dead Man Running
Fat Bald Man
2009
We Are Most Amused
Self
2008
The Love Guru
Guru Satchabigknoba
2008
Omid Djalili: No Agenda
Omid Djalili
2007
Grow Your Own
Ali
2007
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Askay / Pusasn
2007
The Secret Policeman's Ball: The Ball in the Hall
Self
2006
Over the Hedge
Tiger (voice)
2006
Alien Autopsy
Melik
2006
My Family and Other Animals
Spiro
2005
Casanova
Lupo
2005
Chopratown
Ali Ergun
2005
One-Night Stand: Omid Djalili
Himself
2005
Deadlines
Abdul Sayyaf
2005
Comic Aid
2005
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
Kaji
2004
Modigliani
Pablo Picasso
2004
The Calcium Kid
Herbie Bush
2004
Dinotopia 6: The Exit
Zipeau (voice)
2003
Dinotopia 5: The Virus
Zipeau (voice)
2003
Dinotopia 4: New Horizons
Zipeau (voice)
2003
Dinotopia 3: The Election
Zipeau (voice)
2002
Dinotopia 2: The Temptation
Zipeau (voice)
2002
Anita and Me
Uncle Amman
2002
Mean Machine
Raj
2001
Spy Game
Doumet
2001
Gladiator
Slave Trader
2000
The World Is Not Enough
Foreman
1999
Mad Cows
George
1999
Notting Hill
Coffee Shop Cashier (uncredited)
1999
The Mummy
Gad Hassan
1999
Performance Live: The Way Out
Guide
In Your Dreams
Sandman (voice)
2025
The Change
Steve · (9 episodes)
2023
Tomorrow Morning
2022
Britney
Dr. Pellis · (1 episode)
2021
Blankety Blank
Self - Panellist · (1 episode)
2021
Michael McIntyre's The Wheel
Self - Expert · (1 episode)
2020
Cold War Steve Meets the Outside World
Self
2020
Winning Combination
Self - Presenter · (6 episodes)
2020
Beat the Chasers
Self · (1 episode)
2020
His Dark Materials
Dr. Martin Lanselius · (2 episodes)
2019
Going Forward
Dave Wilde · (3 episodes)
2016
Insert Name Here
Self - Panelist · (1 episode)
2016
Dickensian
Mr Venus · (20 episodes)
2015
Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled
Self · (1 episode)
2014
Comedy World Cup
Team Captain · (2 episodes)
2012
The Great Sport Relief Bake Off
Self - Host · (1 episode)
2012
The Paul Reiser Show
Habib · (4 episodes)
2011
The Michael Ball Show
Self · (1 episode)
2010
Let's Dance for Sport Relief
Himself - Contestant · (2 episodes)
2010
All the Queen's Horses with Alan Titchmarsh
Self · (1 episode)
2009
Kate Garraway's Life Stories
(1 episode)
2009
Headcases
(8 episodes)
2008
The Omid Djalili Show
(12 episodes)
2007
Would I Lie to You?
Self · (1 episode)
2007
The Graham Norton Show
Self · (1 episode)
2007
The One Show
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
2006
The One Show
Self · (2 episodes)
2006
Rob Brydon's Annually Retentive
(1 episode)
2006
World's Greatest Stand Up: Volume One
self
2006
TV Heaven, Telly Hell
(12 episodes)
2006
Cinema Iran
Self - Presenter
2005
Live at the Apollo
(1 episode)
2004
Celebrity Mastermind
(1 episode)
2003
Whoopi
Nasim Khatenjami · (22 episodes)
2003
Dinotopia
Zipeau · (13 episodes)
2002
Top Gear
Self · (1 episode)
2002
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
Self · (1 episode)
2001
Black Books
Trebor · (1 episode)
2000
Lock, Stock...
Ali Gadaffi · (1 episode)
2000
Jason and the Argonauts
Castor · (2 episodes)
2000
Relic Hunter
Sayid Ahmed Habris · (1 episode)
1999
Coming Soon
(3 episodes)
1999
Alexei Sayle's Merry-Go-Round
(1 episode)
1998
Midsomer Murders
Othello Khan · (1 episode)
1997
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Self - Team Captain · (1 episode)
1996
Room 101
Self · (1 episode)
1994
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
1993
GMTV
Self · (1 episode)
1993
Have I Got News for You
Self - Host · (1 episode)
1990
One Night Stand
(1 episode)
1989
The Ruth Rendell Mysteries
Mr Kaiafas · (1 episode)
1987
Question Time
Himself - Panellist · (1 episode)
1979
Have I Got a Bit More News for You
Self - Presenter · (1 episode)