Waleed Zuaiter receives Bafta nomination for role in 'Baghdad Central'

This is the first Bafta nomination for the actor and Oscar-nominated film producer

'Baghdad Central' actor Waleed Zuaiter has received a Bafta television nomination for Leading Actor. Antonie Robertson / The National

Palestinian-American actor Waleed Zuaiter has received a Bafta nomination for leading actor for his role in Baghdad Central.

The six-part drama series offers a fresh locally rooted perspective of life in Baghdad following the US-led coalition’s invasion of Iraq. The show is produced by Euston Films and has been released on the UK's Channel 4.

Nominated in the same category are John Boyega (Small Axe), Josh O'Connor (The Crown), Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You), Paul Mescal (Normal People) and Shaun Parkes (Small Axe).

Based on the debut crime novel by Elliott Colla, Baghdad Central follows the story of Muhsin Khafaji, played by Zuaiter, a former police inspector who is looking for his missing daughter and is thus forced to collaborate with US troops.

This is the first Bafta nomination for the Oscar-nominated film producer.

Zuaiter also stars in the coming HBO film Oslo, which is based on the true story of the negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestine Liberation Organisation, which led to the 1993 Oslo Accords. It's adapted from the Tony award-winning play of the same name.

Zuaiter plays Palestinian Hassan Asfour, a PLO liaison and the associate of finance minister Ahmed Qurei.

The 2021 Bafta TV nominations, which were announced on Wednesday were dominated by British anthology series Small Axe with 15 nominations, followed by Netflix drama The Crown with 10 nominations.

The Bafta TV Awards will be held on Sunday, June 6 while the Bafta TV Craft Awards will be on Monday, May 24. Both will take place in a studio format.

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