Many American viewers may not be familiar with Hamza Haq and his acting skills, but all of that is about to change now that the Canadian series, Transplant, has been picked up by NBC. The series, which is a medical drama featuring a diverse group of doctors, features Hamza in the role of Bashir Hamed. As a refugee and a doctor, Bashir’s character is layered and Hamza does a great job of bringing him to life. Hopefully, the show being brought to American viewers will successfully introduce Hamza to a wider audience and result in him being showered with the international praise he deserves. Continue reading for 10 things you didn’t know about Hamza Haq.
1. He Was Born In Saudi Arabia
Unlike his character on Transplant, Hamza was never a refugee, but he does have his own story about immigrating to Canada. Hamza was born in Saudia Arabia, however, his parents are Pakistani. He and his family immigrated to Ottawa when he was around 9- years-old.
2. He Almost Became A Doctor In Real Life
Becoming an actor wasn’t always something that Hamza saw in the cards for himself. Prior to acting, he was headed down a much different path that would’ve eventually led to him becoming a doctor. At one point during his college career, he studied neuroscience. He told The Globe and Mail, “I wanted to understand degenerative brain disease more. As first-generation immigrants, our parents are living longer than their parents, but as a result they are having to deal with things people in their family never had to deal with – like dementia and Alzheimer’s. And I thought neuroscience gave the correct context to me as to why I would spend my life studying this thing. ”
3. Seeing Aquaman Inspired Him To Learn How To Swim
Swimming is something that many people learn to do when they’re very young. However, that wasn’t the case for Hamza. He didn’t learn how to swim until he was almost 30-years-old. He decided that he wanted to learn how to swim after seeing the movie Aquaman in theaters.
4. He Started His Career As An Extra
No matter what you do for work, you have to start somewhere and acting certainly isn’t any exception. Although Hamza had big dreams at the start of his career, the reality early on was that he was just an extra. After several years of being an extra and landing small roles, he finally started to get bigger opportunities.
5. He Is A Muslim
On Transplant, Dr. Bashir Hamed is a Muslim which is a similarity that he shares with Hamza. He was raised in the Islamic faith which is the most common religion in both Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. His experiences as a Muslim man definitely helped inform his portrayal of Bashir.
6. He’s Done Voice Acting In Video Games
Hamza’s on screen work is what most people are familiar with, but that isn’t the only kind of acting he’s done. He’s also had voice roles in a few video games. Some of the games he’s voiced characters in are Deus Ex: Mankind Divided and Assassin’s Creed: Origins.
7. He Learned Arabic For Transplant
In order to fully prepare for his role on the show, Hamza had to learn Arabic. He told the New York Post, “I had two language and dialect coaches who were both Syrian [like Bashir]. Fortunately, because I learned how to read the Koran in Arabic and recited that when I was young, I know how to make the sounds. I developed the muscles to speak the language.”
8. He’s Excited About The Show Coming To America
Transplant is already a hit in Canada, and the fact that it will not air in the United States is a major opportunity for the series to reach even more people. Hamza is excited about the show coming to America and believes that it will allow American viewers to see things from a different perspective.
9. He’s The Youngest Of Four
Hamza comes from a very close knit family in which he is the youngest of four children. He has two sisters and a brother. One of the stereotypes about youngest children is that they’re more willing to take risks than their older siblings. Judging by Hamza’s career path, that appears to be true in his case.
10. He’s Always Loved To Perform
Even though Hamza didn’t always know that he wanted to be an actor, he’s always known that he loves to perform. He always loved to put on little shows for his family. When he was around 7-years-old, he memorized an dance that he then performed at his cousin’s wedding.
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