As far as the role Arabs and Arab Americans play in the American - TopicsExpress

As far as the role Arabs and Arab Americans play in the American film industry, Bishops concedes that it’s not a major part. “Im an actor. Its my job to portray characters on screen that are not me,” says Bishops. “So in many cases, my nationality is irrelevant to a character. But I’m an advocate of more positive portrayals of Middle Eastern characters that are not just a stereotype, but are multi-dimensional and balanced.” Bishops notes that there has never been a big name female American actor of Middle Eastern descent, and the only leading Arab man to date is the legendary Omar Sharif. “He was a marquis name. He played varied roles and just happened to be Middle Eastern. He was Dr. Zhivago; he co-starred with Barbara Streisand and Peter OToole,” says Bishops. “I’m very inspired by him.”