Said Faraj - Biography

As a young boy in war torn Lebanon, Award winning Actor Said Faraj became infatuated with acting after watching the adaptation of the play Les Miserables. Fast forward to Oct 1983. Said (pronounced SA-EED) found himself in the United States after fleeing his native country with little more than the clothes on his back. To support himself, Said would accept menial jobs in the fast food industry. But in time he would enroll in several acting classes and workshops, perfecting his craft for the time when he would embark on his lifelong goal of becoming a full-time actor. The gamble paid off. To date, Said has appeared in some of the most memorable films in American diaspora. These include: Green Zone (Matt Damon, Amy Ryan, Greg Kinnear); Ghost (Patrick Swayze, Whoopi Goldberg, Demi Moore); Bad Influence (Rob Lowe, James Spader); True Romance (Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, Dennis Hopper); The Siege (Denzel Washington, Annette Bening, Bruce Willis); and more, working alongside a virtual Who's Who Among Talented Hollywood Directors, including Curtis Hanson, Sam Raimi, Tony Scott, Jerry Zucker, and Ed Zwick, among others. Television appearances include such hits as Intelligence; 24; Bones; ER; NCIS: L.A; The Shield; The Unit; and more. In 2012, Said reached another milestone when his production company, Cedar Films LLC, produced the short film The American Failure, which premiered at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. The film marked Said's Producing, writing and directorial debut (he shares directing credit with Ameenah Kaplan) and would go on to win several awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Director at various film festivals across the United States. Said serves as producer in the upcoming films Permanent Ink, The Resolve, Cross Purpose.