Samer Ismail

Samer Ismail (Arabic: سامر إسماعيل; born 8 July 1985 in Homs, Syria)^[1] is a Syrian actor known for portraying the ancient character of Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second caliph of Islam in the pan-Arab television series Omar (TV series) directed by Hatem Ali.^[2] The series was produced and broadcast by MBC. Some questioned his portrayal of the character of Omar, demanding to know Ismail's religious origin.^[3] Ismail refused to reveal his religious denomination saying that this was a personal matter and was irrelevant to his role.^[4] He also played the role of Azzam in the TV series Minbar al Mawta^[5] directed by Rasha Sharbatji.^[6] He also appeared in the film Cello, directed by Darren Lynn Bousman.^[7]