LOS ANGELES — Said Faraj, an accomplished actor with more than 20 years in the industry, delivers a dynamic, breakthrough performance in the highly-anticipated film Green Zone, co-starring Matt Damon, Amy Ryan and Greg Kinnear. Directed by Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum, United 93) this electrifying thriller is set in the chaotic early days of the Iraqi War when no one could be trusted and every decision could detonate unforeseen consequences. Green Zone opens nationwide March 12.

Said Faraj has appeared in many well-know films and TV shows.

Set during the U.S.-led occupation of Baghdad in 2003, in Green Zone Chief Warrant Officer Roy Miller (Damon) and his team of Army inspectors were dispatched to find weapons of mass destruction believed to be stockpiled in the Iraqi desert. Rocketing from one booby-trapped and treacherous site to the next, the men search for deadly chemical agents but stumble instead upon an elaborate cover-up that inverts the purpose of their mission.
In the film, Faraj portrays Seyyed Hamza, a high-ranking Iraqi Army officer who holds very important information that Miller is seeking. In a series of intense, action-filled sequences, Faraj shows his tremendous acting ability while helping to unravel a series of significant plot twists spun by operatives with intersecting agendas. Miller must hunt through covert and faulty intelligence hidden on foreign soil for answers that will either clear a rogue regime or escalate a war in an unstable region. Faraj’s character Hamza holds the key to the puzzle that Miller is struggling to solve.

A seasoned actor with an intensity that always makes an impact onscreen, Faraj’s performance in Green Zone is bringing the sort of recognition that he’s worked toward his entire career. And, that is making Hollywood sit up and take notice.

“Said Faraj delivers a brilliant performance in Green Zone,” said Rajiv Chandrasekaran, author of Imperial Life in the Emerald City, the award-winning book that inspired the film. “He brings his character to life with compelling authenticity. I’ve spent a lot of time with former Iraqi army officers. Said’s portrayal of Hamza is spot-on.”

Faraj has been cast in some of the most monumental films of our generation — his credits include Ghost, Bad Influence, True Romance and The Siege among many others. He has also starred in recurring roles on television’s top-rated shows such as 24 and The Shield. Most recently, Faraj appeared as a guest star on Bones and The Unit. He has also worked with a virtual who’s who of talented directors, including Tony Scott, Ed Zwick, Curtis Hanson, Sam Raimi and Jerry Zucker.

Similarly, like a scene from one of his movies, Faraj’s back story paints a riveting portrait of a survivor, including a life-threatening situation that forced him to flee his homeland Lebanon to the United States at the age of 17. With sheer determination and persistence, he tirelessly pursued his passion to become an actor, built a successful career and started a family — ultimately living the “American dream.”