This is the first BAFTA nomination for the Oscar-nominated film producer.
US-Palestinian actor Waleed Zuaiter has been nominated for a 2021 British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) award.
Zuaiter, who was born in the US and raised in Kuwait, was nominated in the Best Leading Actor category for his role in the thriller series Baghdad Central, which premiered in 2020.
Nominated in the same category are John Boyega (Small Axe), Josh O’Connor (The Crown), Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You), Paul Mescal (Normal People) and Shaun Parkes (Small Axe).
Based on the debut crime novel by Elliott Colla, Baghdad Central follows the story of Muhsin Khafaji, played by Zuaiter.
Set in 2003, when Baghdad was occupied by US-led coalition forces for six months, the thriller follows Iraqi ex-policeman Muhsin Al-Khafaji, who finds himself embarking on a wider quest for justice in a society that has become lawless.
Al-Khafaji, who was fired after the US invasion, worked under former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein’s regime. The show, which was shot in Morocco, revolves around Al-Khafaji and his two daughters after he loses his wife and son.
The show is produced by Euston Films and has been released on the UK’s Channel 4.
Bafta TV Awards will be held on Sunday, June 6 while the Bafta TV Craft Awards will be on Monday, May 24. Both will take place in a studio format.
