Jay Abdo is a renowned Syrian American actor, born in 1962 in Damascus, Syria. His fascination with acting began at a young age, inspired by films such as Dr. Zhivago, The Godfather, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Prior to his career acting, Jay was a talented concert violinist in primary school, which sparked his passion for the performing arts.
Jay's first experience with performance came when he was awarded a scholarship to study Civil Engineering in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. While there, he began acting on the Romanian stage, impressing theater critics with his remarkable performances despite performing in a newly learned language. His success on stage led him to redirect his educational ambitions, and he soon returned to Damascus to study acting at the prestigious Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts.
Upon his graduation, Jay became an A-list actor in Syria and the Arab world, starring in over 40 films and 1000 television episodes, often in the leading role. He has taken the stage in over 20 theatrical runs, performing in English, Spanish, Romanian, and Arabic. Jay's fame has allowed him to use his platform to assist orphans, children with special needs, and children stricken with cancer.
However, in March 2011, Jay's refusal to publicly support the repressive Syrian regime led to personal threats and professional pressure. By late 2011, his continued refusal to provide support to the regime forced him to flee Syria to the United States, where his wife, Fadia Afashe, was studying as a Humphrey fellow at the University of Michigan. Jay and his wife settled in Los Angeles, where he began rebuilding his career from scratch, taking on roles such as a driver and pizza delivery.
Jay's breakthrough came when he met Werner Herzog, who cast him in the major role of 'Fattuh' opposite Nicole Kidman in "Queen of the Desert". He then booked another role with Tom Hanks in "A Hologram for the King". Recently, Jay played a lead in "Bon Voyage", a successful movie that was shortlisted for the Oscars in 2017.
