René Ifrah is an American actor born in Germany and raised in Brooklyn, New York City. He is best known for his role as Bibi Hamed on the Showtime series Homeland, for which he was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award (2016). He is also known for his recurring roles on Showtime's crime drama Sneaky Pete, where he played the character of Wali (2017–2018); the Showtime Drama series The Affair (2017); and the Showtime comedy series Nurse Jackie (2009–2011).
Early life Rene Ifrah was born in Frankfurt, Germany, and raised there and in Sicily until moving to Brooklyn, New York, with his family around the age of 10. He is of German, Sephardic, and Italian descent.
Career Film After his film debut in a small part in the 2002 film Hart's War, starring Bruce Willis and Colin Farrell, Ifrah went on to co-star in the German ensemble film September as Ashraf, a Pakistani pizzeria owner in Hamburg, Germany, at odds with his German wife after the September 11 attacks. He then starred in the German film Grüße aus Kaschmir (2004), for which he won a Grimme-Preis (2005) for best ensemble. He then appeared in Beyond the Sea as well as The Taking of Pelham 123.
Television After guest starring roles on shows including NBC's Law & Order and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and American Broadcasting Company's Life on Mars, Ifrah landed a recurring role in the Showtime comedy series Nurse Jackie.
He had a recurring role as Danny in the Starz miniseries Flesh and Bone before landing the part of Bibi Hamed for season five of the Showtime program Homeland.
Since Homeland, Ifrah has had further recurring parts on Showtime's The Affair and Sneaky Pete as well as additional guest appearances on Netflix's The Punisher and CBS's Blue Bloods and God Friended Me.
Filmography
Film YearTitleRoleNotes2000BerlintaxiYussufShort film2002Hart's WarPvt. T.S. Krasner2003SeptemberAshraf2004Beyond the Sea2nd Assistant Director2005Warum Ulli sich am Weihnachtsabend umbringen wollteHeino2006Fay Grim Cameo2007I'd Like to Die a Thousand TimesCameo2009Dry River Road Akeem MalekiShort film2009The Taking of Pelham 123Cameo2018NancyJake Lee
Television (selected roles) YearTitleRoleNotes2004Altair in StarlandGrizzl (voice)Main cast, nine episodes2004ShareefTV movie2005Was Sie schon immer über Singles wissen wolltenKCTV movie2005Der letzte ZeugeMadan SansawarEpisode: "Das Rad des Lebens"2006ZoresLeo RosenTV movie2006Kommissarin LucasMehmetTwo episodes: "Skizze einer Toten", "Die blaue Blume"2007Law & Order: Criminal IntentGeorge LombardiEpisode: "Amends"2007Email to Bill GatesMr. BrillTV movie2008Die Sache mit dem GlückManoloTV movie2008Die Patin – Kein Weg zurückSandroTV miniseries: (as Rene David Ifrah)2009DamagesUniform Cop #2Episode: "Hey! Mr. Pibb!"2009Life on MarsThe GroomEpisode: "Home Is Where You Hang Your Holster"2007–2009Law & OrderAlex Chambers & Sid MaxwellTwo episodes: "Human Flesh Search Engine", "Fallout"2010SOKO MünchenAntonio MoriEpisode: "Vendetta"2010The Sleeper's WifeZaid Ben YakinTV movie2009–2011Nurse JackieOfficer RyanRecurring, five episodes2012Francesco SabriniTV movie2013Law & Order: Special Victims UnitOfficer BrackenEpisode: "Presumed Guilty"2013Die PastorinDr. Antonio AlvarezTV movie2014BelieveStimsonEpisode: "Together"2014Katie Fforde: Eine Liebe in New YorkAlejandroTV movie2015Franziskas Welt: Hochzeiten und andere Hürden Dr. Antonio AlvarezTV movie2015Flesh and BoneDannyTV miniseries: three episodes2015HomelandBibi HamedRecurring, season 5, seven episodes2014Katie Fforde: Das Schweigen der MännerHoward HarperTV movie2016Shakespeares letzte RundePetruchioTV movie2014Sneaky PeteWaliRecurring, five episodes2016–2017The AffairDetective Romero Recurring, three episodes2017The PunisherOfficer JackEpisode: "Danger Close"2018Get Christie LoveMamounTV movie2018Blue BloodsTariq AliEpisode: "Close Calls"
Voiceover work YearTitleRoleNotes2004Altair in StarlandVoices of Altair and Grizzl9 episodes
Awards and nominations YearAssociationCategoryNominated workResult2005Adolf Grimme AwardBest Ensemble Cast Award (shared with the cast)Grüße aus Kaschmir 2016Screen Actors Guild AwardsBest Ensemble Cast Award (shared with the cast)Homeland: Season 5
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