Peter Macdissi

Biography: Perhaps inevitably, Beirut-born Lebanese actor Peter Macdissi initially found himself cast as Middle Eastern stereotypes in Hollywood productions, such as David O. Russell's Three Kings (1999) and Joel Schumacher's Bad Company (2002). In time, however, Macdissi cultivated a more serious reputation as a thespian via an ongoing series of impressive collaborations with acclaimed writer/director Alan Ball (American Beauty) -- collaborations that offered Macdissi the advantages of intelligent scripts with sharp dialogue and multi-layered characterizations. The director and star worked together on the series Six Feet Under (in which Macdissi played bisexual art teacher Olivier Castro-Staal) and in Ball's feature directorial debut, Towelhead (2007, aka Nothing Is Private), in which Macdissi gave a chilling portrayal of a dictatorial and authoritarian Lebanese father. Macdissi's resumé also includes guest appearances on such television series as JAG and The X-Files.