René Ifrah

Biography

René David Ifrah (born January 2, 1972, in Frankfurt am Main) is a German-American actor. René David Ifrah grew up in Frankfurt am Main, Sicily, and later in Brooklyn. After returning to Germany in the early 1990s, he began his acting career, completing his training at the LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York, as well as taking private acting lessons in Los Angeles. He landed his first roles in series such as Praxis Bülowbogen and Mensch, Pia!. Ifrah garnered significant attention in 2003 for his role in the drama film September, directed by Max Färberböck, which screened at the Cannes International Film Festival. This was followed by appearances in international productions such as Hart's War (released in Germany as Das Tribunal), alongside Bruce Willis, and Beyond the Sea, starring Kevin Spacey. For his lead role in the drama Grüße aus Kaschmir, he was nominated for the German Film Promotion Award and, in 2005, was awarded the Adolf Grimme Prize. On German television, Ifrah has appeared in numerous films and series, including Kommissarin Lucas, Donna Leon, Die Pastorin, several films in the ZDF Katie Fforde series, and SOKO Leipzig. He also achieved international recognition for his recurring role as the jihadist Bibi Hamed in the US series Homeland. His roles are frequently characterized by their international scope and culturally complex nature.