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Before Lee Majdoub would accept a role on Fox鈥檚 Prison Break: Sequel, he had to talk it over with his family.
The event series was poised to be huge from the word go. It marked the return of the juggernaut Prison Break, which ran on Fox from 2005 to 2009 and centered on a wrongfully convicted man (Dominic Purcell) and his brother (Wentworth Miller) in the aftermath of their escape from Death Row. The original series was wildly popular, and a role on the nine-episode Prison Break: Sequel 鈥� which ultimately premiered on April 4 to solid ratings 鈥� would be a huge score for a 麻豆传媒映画actor like Majdoub.
The miniseries is set in Yemen. Majdoub had auditioned for several characters, but he was surprised when word came down that he鈥檇 been offered a recurring role for which he hadn鈥檛 auditioned: that of Yasser, an ISIS lieutenant. He hadn鈥檛 auditioned to play any terrorists.
At first, Majdoub didn鈥檛 know whether he should accept the role. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want to come off as supporting that stereotype, that Middle Eastern people are all terrorists 鈥� which the story itself wasn鈥檛 saying,鈥� says Majdoub.
But Majdoub鈥檚 family and friends encouraged him to take the role, and he鈥檚 glad he did, for numerous reasons: he got to film in Morocco, he got to converse with Miller (鈥淚 really admired his Facebook post about dealing with depression and overeating, and we spoke about it鈥�), and he got to inhabit a flawed character who was more than a one-note caricature.
鈥淭hey gave me opportunities to give Yasser dimension,鈥� says Majdoub. Yasser 鈥渄idn鈥檛 have anything to live for, and here comes a group like ISIS, which is basically a huge, worldwide gang that鈥檚 offering him money, shelter, food, and a reason to live. To Yasser, that sounds really attractive, and then he just really wants to excel at the job that he鈥檚 given to prove his place and feel like he belongs. That sense of belonging that a lot of people look for, he finds in that group.鈥�
Majdoub was born in Lebanon, living in Italy and Switzerland before moving to Canada (first Ottawa, then Montreal) when he was nine years old, finally settling in 麻豆传媒映画in 2007. He was performing long before he鈥檇 articulated the idea that he wanted to be an actor. He was the hyperactive kid who鈥檇 ham it up whenever his dad brought out the camcorder. 鈥淚 watch family videos now, and I get embarrassed because I was always ruining a shot,鈥� he says, chuckling. 鈥淚 was always a performer.鈥�
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He pursued a degree in mechanical engineering even though he didn鈥檛 enjoy it (鈥淚t was kind of one of those things where the parents are like, 鈥楪o pursue something in the sciences, because then life might be simpler鈥欌��), and found his bliss in an L.A. acting school, at age 20, after winning a free class in a contest. 鈥淸That class] was the first time I was happy in a really long time,鈥� he recalls. 鈥淭here was no judgment. It definitely felt like, whatever I needed to do in order to continue to do this, I wanted to do.鈥�
Early on in Majdoub鈥檚 career, the main challenge was taming a negative inner voice. 鈥淚 put a lot of pressure on myself,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I really enjoyed a lot of the early bookings that I had. I don鈥檛 think I enjoyed the process. It was all about, 鈥業 have to make it or I鈥檓 not good enough,鈥� and what would that mean?鈥�
But heart-to-hearts with acting friends (including Aleks Paunovic, Richard Harmon, Michael Eklund and Patrick Sabongui) have anchored him, as has self-care. 鈥淚 started to work a lot on myself spiritually, mentally and physically, and was able to start to look at the industry differently, and be more patient and settle in, rather than try to strangle it and mold it into what I thought it should be.鈥�
Majdoub鈥檚 ever-growing filmography includes plum roles on Supernatural, Arrow, Zoo, and Lisa Ovies鈥檚 upcoming horror flick, Puppet Killer, which also stars Paunovic, Harmon, Lisa Durupt and Kyle Cassie, and follows an adorable puppet named Simon as he embarks on a murder spree.听
In February, Majdoub filmed a starring role in Kyra Zagorsky鈥檚 The Prince. The short was created as part of the Crazy 8s film competition and premiered at a sold-out gala at the Centre for the Performing Arts. In it, Majdoub portrays Amir, an actor of Middle Eastern ancestry who struggles with the decision to accept an offensive terrorist role in a blockbuster film. Majdoub hasn鈥檛 been in Amir鈥檚 shoes too often, largely because of the decision that he and his agent, Deb Dillistone, made early in his career. 鈥淚鈥檝e been fortunate enough not to go out for many stereotypical roles for Middle Eastern actors, and I think it鈥檚 because of a conversation that I had with Deb early on,鈥� says Majdoub. 鈥淪he told me, 鈥榃e鈥檙e in it for the long game.鈥欌��
Prison Break听airs Tuesdays at 9pm on Fox.
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Web exclusive: More from our interview with听Lee Majdoub
On lessons learned while filming Prison Break in Morocco
鈥淚n a sense, the trip to Morocco was about learning about Morocco, and the cherry on top was that I got to work there. I had a conversation with someone there that really opened my eyes in a different way. I was talking to him about charity, and I used the word 鈥榩oor,鈥� and he was like, 鈥榃e don鈥檛 use that word here.鈥� I was like, 鈥榃hat do you mean?鈥� And he said, 鈥榃e don鈥檛 like to use the word poor, and the only time we use the word鈥� is when we see someone that鈥檚 dressed in nice clothing begging for money. That鈥檚 someone that is poor. The rest of us work hard, so we don鈥檛 consider ourselves poor. It鈥檚 not about material possessions. We all go out to work hard to earn as much as we can, and we don鈥檛 deem that being poor.鈥� I was like, 鈥榃ow. Okay. I don鈥檛 think I鈥檓 going to use that word again.鈥� Those were the moments that I think I was really hoping to have there. It鈥檚 something I鈥檒l never forget.鈥�
On his first time on set
鈥淚t was a really, really low-budget passion-project thing from some guy I met via email. We had a couple of conversations, and I went in and auditioned. I didn鈥檛 really know what to expect from an audition and I don鈥檛 think I did very well, but then I got a one-line part in his short film, and I remember the lights being really hot. That was a good learning moment: Don鈥檛 layer up so much when you鈥檙e indoors. I was sweating. It was a mix of nerves and heat. I always thought I was better than I was back then. I thought I knew what to expect, and was always surprised.鈥�
On support from his parents
鈥淎t the beginning of my career, [my parents] weren鈥檛 ecstatic about it. Now they鈥檙e some of the most supportive people in my life. It鈥檚 funny: Now I鈥檒l run into a challenge on set, or I won鈥檛 know how to process what happened, or I might be a little bit too hard on myself, and I鈥檒l call my dad [who isn鈥檛 in the film industry] up and I鈥檒l say, Hey, this is what happened. How do you deal with something like that in your work, or Have you dealt with anything like that, where maybe you don鈥檛 perform the way that you thought you should? We鈥檙e able to have these very real conversations. My mom and I have always had a strong relationship. My dad and I, I think, have continually grown within our relationship, which I really appreciate.鈥�
On advice he would give to his younger self
鈥淚 think I would tell myself, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e going to be okay. Breathe. Be patient. Learn as much about yourself as you can. Don鈥檛 make it about you.鈥欌��
