Muslim Celebrities in Hollywood

They may not be major Hollywood players just yet, but Muslim actors, writers, producers, directors, and other artistic professionals have been on the rise over the past decade. You may recognize some on our list as frequent character actors who have gone beyond playing the typical "terrorist" or immigrant roles. Others are less known to the public, though they help shape some of our most popular TV shows and movies.
Drawing on their faith to fuel their work (or help make fun of life), some of these Hollywood folks have been working the scene for years, while others are just starting to make their mark. From shows like "Sleeper Cell" and "The Daily Show" to movies like "The House of Sand and Fog" and "Independence Day," these Muslims have steadily and quietly produced a stellar body of Hollywood work...

Dave Chappel

Comedian and actor Dave Chappelle knows how to get a laugh. He parlayed his groundbreaking brand of sketch comedy into the wildly popular Comedy Central program, "The Dave Chappelle Show," which debuted in 2003. Then Chappelle, whose comedic star was on a meteoric rise, took a sudden hiatus in 2005 from Season Three of the show. He disappeared and then turned up in South Africa. Why would the comedian walk away from a $50 million contract and retreat to relative seclusion with an old friend named Salim? To reflect on his Muslim faith, to be "well balanced" and to "check my intentions," Chappelle told Time Magazine in 2005.

On a recent episode of Jon Stewart's "The Daily Show," (earlier this year) the faux anchorman reported on the story of Bollywood film legend Shah Rukh Khan, who had been detained and questioned for two hours at Newark Liberty (N.J.) International Airport before being released by immigration authorities. After a small riff on the story, Stewart moved on to other news. But "Daily Show" correspondent Aasif Mandvi popped up in mock outrage that he hadn't been called on to cover the story. "I'm, Indian, I'm Muslim," he complained. "I should've been all over this!"


Learn more on Muslims in the media on Belief Net.