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Nadim Sawalha

Nadim Sawalha

Actor · Born January 1, 1935 (91) · Madaba, Jordan

Nadim Joakim Sawalha was born in Madaba, Jordan, one of two brothers (the other is comedian Nabil Sawalha) to a family of Christian Bedouins. He studied at an English school, where he first developed an interest in acting. Arriving in London in the early 50s, Sawalha attended drama classes, but, for several years, was unable to find suitable employment due to lack of a work permit. He was eventually hired by the BBC Arabic Service, obtained his work permit and worked his way up the ladder to drama producer. After five years, he resigned his position to take up stage acting, later explaining "I was aspiring to learn the craft of an actor, not just aiming for film." In due course, Sawalha became one of the first actors of Arabic background to work with the RSC, the Royal Court Theatre and the National Theatre in London. On screen, he has been typecast as Middle Easterners, often in serial television: Sexton Blake (1967), The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes (1971), The Sweeney (1975), The Professionals (1977), Murphy's Law (2003), among many others. When not playing Arabs, he portrayed Indians, saying "In the 1960s and 1970s the industry was doing very little on the Middle East. There were a lot of Indian roles though, so I went and taught myself how to speak with a South Asian accent. People started to think I actually was Indian!" Sawalha received his first motion picture assignment in A Touch of Class (1973), courtesy of writer/director Melvin Frank, who gave him the part after a Greek actor, originally earmarked for the role, had walked out. This opened the door for subsequent appearances in popular films like The Return of the Pink Panther (1975), The Wind and the Lion (1975), Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977), Young Sherlock Holmes (1985) and Pascali's Island (1988). Sawalha also featured in two James Bond capers: The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) (as the unfortunate Egyptian arms dealer Aziz Fekkesh) and The Living Daylights (1987) (as Tangier Chief of Security). He has portrayed the billionaire businessman Mohammed Al-Fayed in the TV movies Justice in Wonderland (2000) and Diana: Last Days of a Princess (2007), as well as King Hussein of Jordan in the docu-drama miniseries House of Saddam (2008). Sawalha has retained close ties to his homeland and visits Jordan frequently to reconnect with relatives and friends. In 2007, he starred on the big screen as a simple airport janitor, who, after discovering a Royal Jordanian captain's hat in the trash, poses as an airline pilot in Captain Abu Raed (2007). The first motion picture produced in Jordan in half a century, it won several awards, including two for Sawalha as Best Actor, at the Newport and Dubai Film Festivals. Nadim Sawalha has three daughters from his 1961 marriage to Roberta Mary Lane: Dina Sawalha and actresses Julia Sawalha and Nadia Sawalha.

Read more

Biography from IMDb.

Born
January 1, 1935 (91)
From
Madaba, Jordan
Works as
Actor
Titles
44 on MovieCove · 86 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 25% in 30 days

What are Nadim Sawalha's films like?

Across their 18 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Action4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 43rd percentile
: browse their Action movies
Adventure4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 24th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Drama4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 68th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 67th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
33%
Morality
15%
Society
14%
Power
13%
Self
13%
Ideas
8%
Survival
4%
Romantic love5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal2 titles, browse their movies with this themeHope2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFaith2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 17 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 10 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 2

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 4 · Charged 12 · Intense 1

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 8 · Shifting 9 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 11 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 1

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 6 · Even-paced 11 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 13 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 0

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 9 · Affecting 4 · Heavy 4

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 15 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

3 analyzed roles

Usually the Mentor: 2 of 3 analyzed roles.

Mentor
2 of 3
Shadow
1 of 3

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
10
Thrilling
6
Romantic
6
Melancholic
5
Hopeful
4
Other
16

How their films linger

Bittersweet8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy5
  • Bittersweet7
  • Tragic4
  • Ambiguous2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Nadim Sawalha's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 30 of their 44 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (13).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Nadim Sawalha's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

86 credits, 44 with a MovieCove page; 3 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Tel Aviv on Fire(2018)

    as Bassam

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • The Rendezvous(2016)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Histoires de l'âge d'or islamique (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Storyteller

  • Postcode (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    as Sidney

  • West Is West (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Actor

  • Journey to Mecca (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as Ibn Mustapha

  • House of Saddam(2008)

    Show 1 episode · as King Hussein of Jordan

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all shows

  • Captain Abu Raed(2007)

    as Abu Raed

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Whatever Lola Wants(2007)

    as Adham

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Diana: Last Days of a Princess(2007)

    as Mohamed Al Fayed

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • The Nativity Story(2006)

    as Melchior

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Robin Hood(2006)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • Syriana(2005)

    as Emir Hamed Al-Subaai

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • The Fever(2004)

    as The Priest

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • New Tricks(2003)

    Show 1 episode · as Mr. Mazood

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Lawrence of Arabia, the battle for the Arab world (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Show 2 episodes · as Narrator

  • Moses (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Moses

  • The Last Cavalier (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Murphy's Law(2003)

    Show 3 episodes · as Mohammed Khan

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows

  • Arabian Nights(2000)

    Show 2 episodes · as Judge Zadic

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

  • Justice in Wonderland (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as Mohammed Al Fayed

  • Animated Epics: Don Quixote (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as Narrator

  • Cleopatra(1999)

    Show 2 episodes · as Mardian

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all shows

  • The Avengers(1998)

    as World Council of Ministers

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • Tangier Cop (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as Joseph Charhadi

  • Joseph (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    as Ishmaelite

  • Dangerfield (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Show 50 episodes · as Dr. Shaaban Hamada

  • Red Eagle(1994)

    as Kerim

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Abraham (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    as Regu

  • Abraham (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Show 2 episodes · as Regu

  • The Hawk(1993)

    as Bahnu

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Remember (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    as Amjad

  • Son of the Pink Panther(1993)

    as Lugash agent

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

  • The Big Battalions (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Show 5 episodes · as Ahmed

  • Blue Heaven (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Show 3 episodes · as Prem

  • Company Business(1991)

    as Faisal

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • House of Cards (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Show 1 episode · as Bank Manager

  • The Care of Time(1990)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • A Casualty of War (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    as Jaloud

  • Streets of Yesterday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Actor

  • Pascali's Island(1988)

    as Pasha

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Lionheart(1987)

    as Selim

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • The Living Daylights(1987)

    as Chief of Security, Tangier

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Ishtar(1987)

    as Rug Shop Owner / Camel Seller

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films

  • Knights & Emeralds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as Bindu

  • Half Moon Street(1986)

    as Karim Hatami

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Lord Mountbatten: The Last Viceroy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Show 6 episodes · as Liaquat Ali Khan

  • Lovejoy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Show 1 episode · as Uncle Said

  • The Alamut Ambush (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as Major Razzak

  • Young Sherlock Holmes(1985)

    as Khasek - Lower Nile Tavern Owner

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Harem (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Actor

  • Lytton's Diary (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 1 episode · as Hamil

  • Misunderstood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    as Ahmed

  • Who Pulled the Plug? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    as Kahlifa bin Hircham al Saba

  • Bergerac(1981)

    Show 1 episode · as Zaki Mansoor

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all shows

  • Sorry, I'm A Stranger Here Myself (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Show 13 episodes · as Mumtaz

  • Sphinx(1981)

    as Gamal

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • The Awakening(1980)

    as Dr. El Sadek

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Death of a Princess(1980)

    as Nabil Hadad

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Minder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 1 episode · as Sardi

  • Tales of the Unexpected(1979)

    Show 1 episode · as Zayid Halim

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all shows

  • The Knowledge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    as Arab Man

  • Return of the Saint (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 1 episode · as Rahaman

  • The Professionals (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Show 1 episode · as Arab Diplomat · as Doad · as Sheikh Achmeia

  • The Spy Who Loved Me(1977)

    as Aziz Fekkesh

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Are You Being Served?(1977)

    as The Emir's Interpreter

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger(1977)

    as Hassan

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Sweeney! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    as Chairman of the Oil Producers Conference

  • Open All Hours(1976)

    Show 1 episode · as Mr Albert Gupta

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all shows

  • Space: 1999(1975)

    Show 1 episode · as Zoran

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all shows

  • The Wind and the Lion(1975)

    as Sherif of Wazan

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • The Return of the Pink Panther(1975)

    as Museum Guide

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • The Sweeney(1975)

    Show 1 episode · as Capt. Shebbeq

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • Old Dracula(1974)

    as Airline Representative

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films

  • Callan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Padilla

  • Napoleon and Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Show 1 episode · as Interpreter

  • The Terracotta Horse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Show 4 episodes · as Hussein

  • Vérité (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Gosh

  • Yellow Dog (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Arab Pilot

  • Shaft in Africa(1973)

    as Zubair

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • A Touch of Class(1973)

    as Night Hotel Manager

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes(1971)

    Show 1 episode · as Arab Servant

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all shows

  • Thirty-Minute Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 1 episode · as Gardener

  • Danger Man(1960)

    Show 1 episode · as Head Waiter (uncredited) · as Nikolaou

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all shows

  • Ali and the Camel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Actor

  • Armchair Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Show 1 episode · as Gosh

Career shape

Star power in the 95th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 85 titles from 1956 to 2018; peak year 1986.

Biggest box office

The Nativity Story (2006)

$46M worldwide

Highest rated

Captain Abu Raed (2007)

Midcredits 87th

Most popular right now

Cleopatra (1999)

Film career

19562018

Peak 1986 · back in prominent film roles after a quiet stretch. Top draw in 2 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting85 of 85: 85 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score61st

By decade

1950s1 · acting1960s3 · acting1970s23 · acting1980s20 · acting1990s16 · acting2000s17 · acting2010s5 · acting

Billing

usually 11th · top billed in 0% of 26 roles
737888

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Nadim Sawalha's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 43rd percentile, the median of all 31; across their 17 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 59th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Approval · how many liked their films

52ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Reach · how many have seen their films

68thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Midcredits score across 44 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up12
  • 50th to 74th13
  • 25th to 49th9
  • Below 25th10

Shape of the crowd

22 of their 44 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Universally Panned3
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser22
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed13

Most divisive · actor

The Fever (2004)

91st percentile spread · 31% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Death of a Princess (1980)

Midcredits 91st · 80% liked

Reviewers score the acting 63/100 in their films, across 17 reviewed titles; fans 75, detractors 43. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Nadim Sawalha's work okay for kids?

Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Sex & Nudity5 titles19–59 · median 46 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Nadim Sawalha work with?

People who share at least 2 of Nadim Sawalha's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Amin Matalqa shares the most, 2.

Directors

Actors

Composers

Producers