# Faysal Ahmed (Faysal Axmed)

> Faysal Ahmed: Minneapolis Somali actor who played Najee in Captain Phillips (2013).

Source page: https://calankii.com/en/people/faysal-ahmed/
Last checked: 2026-11-12
Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com)

## Who is he?

Faysal Ahmed is a Somali actor based in Minneapolis, Minnesota ([Wikipedia, Faysal Ahmed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faysal_Ahmed)). Wikipedia gives two birth years, 1993 in its lead and 1985 in its early-life section; he was born in Yemen to a family from Somalia, one of nine children (same source). In 1999 he moved to the United States with his mother and some siblings (same source). See [Somalis in Minneapolis-St Paul](/en/diaspora/minneapolis-st-paul/).

## Acting

He worked as youth programme coordinator at the Bedlam Theater in Minneapolis ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faysal_Ahmed)). In 2011 he was one of four actors chosen from more than 700 people at a casting call at the Brian Coyle Community Center in Cedar-Riverside (same source). In *[Captain Phillips](/en/society/films-about-somalia/)* (2013) he played Najee, one of the hijackers, alongside [Barkhad Abdi](/en/people/barkhad-abdi/) (same source).

His other screen work includes (same source):

- *A Stray* (2016)
- *Watu Wote: All of Us* (2017)
- *Sicario: Day of the Soldado* (2018)
- *Castle Rock*, season two (2019), again with Barkhad Abdi
- *Little America* (2022)

## In short

A Minneapolis actor who broke through in Captain Phillips and has worked in film and television since.

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