HOPEFUL – an autobiography

Omid Djalili's childhood was unconventional, to say the least. He was raised in a beautiful, chaotic, cramped, colourful and legally dubious guesthouse where his parents fed and watered Iranian nationals flocking to the UK. Over twenty years almost 2000 'cousins' passed through the Djalili's doors and the young Omid played translator to each. Although these years taught him a lot about the rich tapestry of life, this parenting by committee led to a slightly chequered school career which saw Omid taking his A levels a record six times and eventually fake his own university entrance papers. Desperate to be free of his cramped living quarters he escapes to the University of Ulster where he lives a life of wonderful solitude.

Full of the warmth and intelligence that makes Omid such a successful comedian and sought-after actor, this memoir takes us on an incredible and laugh-out-loud funny journey through an unusually British life.

“Watching him live is like settling into business class on a long-haul flight - you know you're going to enjoy it, and you wish it would go on just a little bit longer.-- Sunday Times”

Watching him live is like settling into business class on a long-haul flight - you know you're going to enjoy it, and you wish it would go on just a little bit longer. - Sunday Times

With a career spanning over three decades, British-born Iranian comic and actor Omid Djalili's legendary performances on stage and screen have won him plaudits the world over.

Credits include the NBC sitcom 'Whoopi' with Whoopi Goldberg, 'Fagin' in West-End smash-hit 'Oliver!', 'Dr Rance' in Joe Orton's What The Butler Saw at The Vaudeville Theatre 2012 and Red in The Shawshank Redemption.

His role as 'Mahmud Nasir' in the international hit 'The Infidel' won him a best actor award at the Turin film festival. Omid also starred in the blockbusting 'Sex and the City 2', 'The Mummy', 'Gladiator' and 'Mr.Nice' among many others.

Further successes include two series of 'The Omid Djalili Show' for BBC One, the first to dive off a 10m board on ITV's hit show Splash! and the release of highly acclaimed DVDs No Agenda, Live in London and Tour Of Duty. Not to mention sell out live tours in 2005, 2008 and 2012.

Omid Djalili's childhood was unconventional, to say the least. He was raised in a beautiful, chaotic, cramped, colourful and legally dubious guesthouse where his parents fed and watered Iranian nationals flocking to the UK. Over twenty years almost 2000 'cousins' passed through the Djalili's doors and the young Omid played translator to each. Although these years taught him a lot about the rich tapestry of life, this parenting by committee led to a slightly chequered school career which saw Omid taking his A levels a record six times and eventually fake his own university entrance papers. Desperate to be free of his cramped living quarters he escapes to the University of Ulster where he lives a life of wonderful solitude.Full of the warmth and intelligence that makes Omid such a successful comedian and sought-after actor, this memoir takes us on an incredible and laugh-out-loud funny journey through an unusually British life.

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