This week are joined by New York City actor Amr Elsheikh who chats with us about his latest role, a recurring arc on Showtime series City On A Hill, where he portrays Moustafa Mody, a new character in the show’s second season, opposite star Kevin Bacon.

Amr talks with us about his upbringing in Egypt and initial dreams of becoming a professional soccer player, a feat he nearly achieved until an untimely injury delayed the opportunity, as well as what sparked his interest in acting, and how there are very few Egyptian and Arabic actors he feels represented by. One he does have as a mentor is El Sayed Badreya, an Egyptian actor and filmmaker who has worked on Hollywood blockbusters such as Iron Man and the popular video game series Uncharted.

“Badreya made a name for himself and he’s like my mentor now. I look up to him and ask him any questions I might have,” he said of the veteran actor. He went on to share how there are no Egyptian actors in his age group that he can confidently say make him feel represented, but that some friends back home have told him how proud they are to feel seen on television. “They now messaging me saying ‘I saw you on City on a Hill, you’re making us Arabs proud!’”

He also reflected on his career’s progress, and how his 13-year-old self never would have imagined a career in acting. “What are the chances of you booking a TV show with Kevin Bacon? It’s slim-to-none. An Egyptian boy at 13 years old? It’s impossible.” Yet here he is with a 4-episode recurring arc opposite a movie and TV star! 

City on a Hill airs Fridays at 10pm ET on Showtime