Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
AS A GUN-TOTING Somali pirate, Barkhad Abdi was terrifying, earning an Oscar-nomination for his role in “Captain Phillips” with the chilling line to Tom Hanks: “I am the captain now.”
They liked it in Somalia too: when Abdi returned to his birth nation for the first time in more than two decades, he was mobbed by fans who “wanted their photograph with me”, he said.
But the image of Somalia as shown in such films of relentless war, famine and piracy is one the 29-year-old is determined to change.
“I didn’t see a war, I didn’t see a single gunshot the whole time I was there – and I didn’t see a pirate either,” Abdi told AFP in a green garden in the Kenyan capital, days after returning from Somalia earlier this month
“The Somalia I saw was a country that was in the process of being rebuilt. There is more there than war, drought, and hunger.”
Before “Captain Phillips”, Somalia was known to outsiders because of “Black Hawk Down”, the 2001 blockbuster telling the story of the 1993 battle in Mogadishu, when American soldiers fought through the capital after two of their helicopters were shot down.
’Lost generation’
Abdi, who won a BAFTA as best supporting actor for his role in the 2013 film “Captain Phillips”, dreams some day of a film that shows a different side of Somalia.
“I hope to tell a different story, because there are so many inspirational people, stories of struggle,” he said. “There is a lost generation, and now that I have a voice, I want to help them out.”
Abdi was born in the Somali capital Mogadishu six years before war followed the overthrow of dictator Siad Barre in 1991.
The country is still one of the most violent and dangerous on earth.
Large areas remain at war, with the Al-Qaeda affiliated Shebab insurgents staging regular attacks to topple the government.
But outside main war zones in the south, some progress is being made.
Barkhad visited Somalia’s northern Puntland region to see the work of the Somali aid agency Adeso, which trains unemployed youth by giving them practical skills.
“It is not as bad as people think,” Abdi said.
“We still need a lot of help, but we don’t just need food and money — we need structure, strong government and we need peace, we need our people to help themselves and be independent.”
Warlord and undercover agent
“Captain Phillips”, which starred Hanks as the captain Abdi kidnaps, recounts the true story of the Maersk Alabama, a vessel with a US crew that was hijacked in April 2009 off Somalia.
At their peak in 2011, Somali pirates held over 700 hostages but rates of attacks have tumbled, prompted partly by the posting of armed guards on boats and navy patrols.
Still, changing stereotypes and reputations will take time, Abdi admits, who recently played the role of a fugitive African warlord in the US crime drama “Hawaii Five-0″, modelled on Uganda’s Lord’s Resistance Army rebel chief Joseph Kony.
“Somalis have a stereotype – we’ve been refugees in countries all over the world for more than the last 20 years, it is just human nature, people don’t like what they are not used to seeing,” he said.
“For young Somalis… be the best at whatever you do, just work hard. As a human being if you respect people, they respect you.”
Despite the success of “Captain Phillips”, work took time to come for Abdi.
He now lives in Los Angeles, recently finishing shooting on a drone warfare thriller, “Eye in the Sky”, alongside Aaron Paul from the US TV crime drama “Breaking Bad” and Hollywood legend Helen Mirren, due for release later this year.
But Abdi says he was not being typecast or reinforcing negative stereotypes of young Somali men.
“Actually, I’m a hero, I was playing a Somali undercover agent,” he said. “And as long as the story is good, I’m fine with it.”
- © AFP 2015.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
It’s great to see the old Irish pastime of knocking anyone of us who succeeds. Begrudgery , Jealousy ,Spite … whatever it is ,its traditional . The first 4 comments on this article .. not complimentary at all.. sneering is another tradition. How about well done ladies !
@Terry Cahill:
Compliments, on here? You’re off your head mate!
@Terry Cahill: I’m sure, as talented, rich, acclaimed and beautiful young woman, it will be heartbreaking to have (mostly) anonymous men on here criticizing her as they set world alight with their achievements … especially the lad who paid into her hugely successful film, and left after half an hour, that’s going to really cut deep…..
@C.C. Baxter:
Lol
Does she still do the whole “I’m Saoirse and Americans don’t know how to say my name” thing?
@Ed: oh god ya old tubs loves haven her on the show too there such good fun the two of them together hehehe
@Ed: I found her alongside little women.. Really uninteresting!.. I left after thirty minutes.. It took me a year to be able pronounce her name.. People have lives. The Irish language is way down their list of priorities!! Shore- sha
@Ed: I cant understand this online trend of middle aged men having a problem with young successful women and here we go again.
@Conoroconnor: I agree with you even though I’m heading for 50 myself. It’s becoming so predictable.
@Manbackonboard: I think it’s classic overcompensation
@Ed: she gets asked about it in every interview. It must be pretty annoying for her, especially considering she’s been nominated for three Oscars.
I want to like Saoirse Ronan. I mean she’s one of us and is doing well. But my god she wrecks my head. Her voice goes through me. Good actress but up there with Bono, Ronan Keating and the Healy Raes with people that should never talk.
@Ger:
Along with Bob “give us your fooking money” Geldof.
@Ger:One of us, Saoirse Ronan was born in the Bronx NYC
@Still-Not-News: as a baby to Irish parents. Moved back when three..
@Still-Not-News: ah Jesus was born in a stable, but that doesnt make him a horse
@Ger: not much call for the old silent movie these days in fairness. What’s your poison? Die Hard?
@jamesdecay: not mad about the Die Hard movies. Just been to see Jojo Rabbit. One of the best movies I’ve seen in years.
@Ger: I’ll give it a lash. But 1917 up first.
@jamesdecay: yes! Looking forward to seeing that at the weekend
@Ger:
So you kind of have a problem with Irish People being successful.
It is going to happen, the whole world can’t have taste as good as yours…
Bu lets look at the brightside…. Saoirse isn’t Kim Kardashian, Bono isn’t Axel Rose, Ronan isn’t Ted Nugent and the Healy Raes aren’t the Trumps….
Now they all look lovely…
@Cowboy Paddy: Did you even read my comment? Remove the chip from your shoulder, im happy for her for her success and proud she’s Irish. U2 are my favourite band but that doesnt mean I want to listen to Bono’s self-indulgent drivel or a girl from Carlow speaking with a fake Dublin accent to make her sound edgy or something. Her accent has completely changed since she started as and actress. The Healy Raes are idiots who belong in a remake of Derby O’Gill and the Little People and have as little grasp on reality as two other families you mentioned, Trumps and Kardashians. I never said my taste was the best, just mine
Award shows are vile self-congratulating cringe fests. The fake concern for social issues is sickening – the ultimate stage for virtue signalling.
@SkepticalHippoEyes: dont worry. Rocky gervais covered that excellently.
Still waiting for the “Prison Population Criticised Due to Lack of Diversity: too Pale, Male & Stale” article.
Saoirse ronan what a women
@sam: lightweight. So dull. Little women like some American afternoon tv costume drama. The fact that is nominated for awards shows the power of advertising/social media and a world of critics who simply endorse what they are told to or whatever will bring them into closer contact with industry movers and shakers. Hardly the film that we will all be remembering in 20 yrs time.
@alan: I left after thirty minutes suffering with boredom.. Its a girls film!
@Victor Feldman: It can’t be more boring than The Irishman??
BARF Ta
Anyone watching the awards? Did you see Angelina Jolie. She was sitting well have lying on someone beside her. Directly behind Brad Pitt. She looked dreadful. Really ill.
@Margaret O Neill: Which awards was this?
@Margaret O Neill: This is a bizarre comment on an article about successful female Irish actors.
How exactly is any of this relevant?
@Tricia G: Mmm let me see…acting… awards… Nah, sorry I don’t have anything.
You know you’ve made it as an Irish person having success on a global stage when your own lot turn on you. It’s a uniquely Irish way of acknowledging fame
Seriously, let’s exclusively award disabled, ethnic minority women. At least then there’ll be no more of this rubbish.
“Not enough diversity” is such a funny way to say “not enough people with largely non-European genetics”. I guess the fact that the group is called Equity rather than Equality says it all.
@Power Hitters: 87% of Brits are qhite so if you choose 5 at random, likely all are white. And if you choose 5 successful ones, even more likely. Going to acting school will always be more of a rich kids thing because they already have security.
She’s well on her way to becoming a ‘Broadcaster’
Go Jessie Buckley. Sooo talented.
have your say