Person Biography:
Born in Sudan, Siddig was raised in Britain, where he attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts (LAMDA) to study acting and theater. Immediately after leaving LAMDA, Siddig performed in a season of theater in Manchester, in addition to appearing in various shows in pubs and small theaters. He later worked as a director in a small theater in London.
Siddig's early career was marked by financial struggles, during which he was offered the part of Emir Feisal in "A Dangerous Man: Lawrence After Arabia" (1992),starring alongside Ralph Fiennes. His performance in this film brought him to the attention of Rick Berman, who was creating the new series "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" (1993). Initially, Siddig was auditioning for the role of Captain Benjamin Sisko, but Berman decided he was too young for the part and cast him as Dr. Julian Bashir instead.
During his time on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," Siddig and co-star Nana Visitor had a son, Django, and were married in 1997. They divorced in 2001, although they remain friends. After a successful seven-year run on television, Siddig began working in feature films, accumulating roles in movies such as "Vertical Limit" (2000),"Reign of Fire" (2002),"Kingdom of Heaven" (2005),and the critically acclaimed "Syriana" (2005).
Early 2005 saw Siddig return to the stage opposite Kim Cattrall in the West End production of "Whose Life Is It Anyway?" Following a controversial guest turn on "MI-5" (2002),Siddig took on the title role in "Hannibal" (2006) and a recurring role on "24" (2001) in 2007, bringing him back to the small screen.