Alexander Abdallah

Alexander Abdallah
Photograph of Alexander Abdallah from 2018
Abdallah in 2018
Born
Jihad Abdallah

(1993-04-30) 30 April 1993
Uppsala, Sweden
Alma materMalmö Theater Academy
Occupations
  • Actor
  • director
  • screenwriter
Known forSnabba Cash
AwardsKristallen for Best Actor (2021)

Alexander Abdallah (born Jihad Abdallah; 30 April 1993) is a Swedish actor and filmmaker of Lebanese descent. His breakout role was in Snabba Cash (2021–2022), for which he won a Kristallen for Best Actor. In addition to lead roles in Thunder in My Heart (2021–2023) and Paradis City (2025), he has also worked as a director and screenwriter.

Early life and education

Jihad Abdallah was born on 30 April 1993 at Uppsala University Hospital.[1] He was the third of four siblings born to Lebanese parents who had emigrated to Sweden during the 1980s.[2][3] He lived initially in Östhammar. When he was four years old, his family's home was broken into by racist skinheads, who assaulted his father.[4] After the attack, his family moved to Gränby, also near Uppsala.[5] He attended Wik Folk High School and Fridhem Folk High School.[6] Abdallah changed his first name to Alexander when he turned 18.[7][8] He graduated from the Malmö Theater Academy in 2018.[3]

Career

In 2017, he had supporting roles in two stage productions at Helsingborg City Theater. First, he played Tyball in Romeo and Juliet (Swedish: Romeo och Julia) at Helsingborg City Theater and then as the king's son Marina Steinmo's adaptation of Rapunzel.[9][10] He also appeared in Snubben lättar på sitt hjärta at the Kulturhuset Stadsteatern in Skärholmen and Oscar Liljas försvinnande at the Malmö City Theater, in 2018 and 2019, respectively.[11][12]

Abdallah made his directorial debut with the short film Jag skiner inte utan er mina bröder, which focused on the aftermath of a shooting in Malmö from a child's perspective. It premiered at the Gothenburg Film Festival in 2019.[13]

In 2020, he starred in Bye bye bror with Robin Stegmar, in a joint production by Riksteatern and Teater Fryshuset. Although the play's writing was criticised by Jacob Lündstrom in Dagens Nyheter, both Abdallah and Stegmar's performances were praised.[14] In June of the same year, it was announced that he would be a cast member of the upcoming Netflix series Snabba Cash, an adaptation of Jens Lapidus' novel of the same name.[15] The series premiered in April 2021.[16] In a review for Aftonbladet, Karolina Fjellborg called Abdallah's performance as Salim "dangerously good."[17] For Snabba Cash, Abdallah was awarded Best Male Actor at Kristallen.[18] He also won the Såstaholm Film & Performing Arts Award.[19]

He was featured in Spotify's 2022 audio drama, De Fria.[20] He played Sam in Thunder in My Heart (2021–2023) and Emir in Paradis City.[21][22][23]

He co-created the comedy-drama TV series Halva halva with Mustafa al-Mashhadani. Abdallah also served as a director and writer.[24] The series, known as Home In You for its English-language release, received a positive review from Tim Forster in Special Broadcasting Service.[25]

Acting credits

Television

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2020 Love Me Rick
2021–2022 Snabba Cash Salim [26]
2021–2023 Thunder in My Heart Sam [21]
2022 De Fria Rami (voice) Audio drama [20]
2025 Paradis City Emir [23]

Theater

Year Title Role Theater Notes Ref.
2017 Romeo and Juliet Tyball Helsingborg City Theater [9]
2017 Rapunzel King's son Helsingborg City Theater [10]
2018 Snubben lättar på sitt hjärta Kulturhuset Stadsteatern Skärholmen [11]
2019 Oscar Liljas försvinnande Rémy Malmö City Theater [12]
2020 Bye bye bror Ava Riksteatern–Teater Fryshuset [14]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2021 Kristallen Best Male Actor Snabba Cash Won [18]

References

  1. ^ Yussuf, Mohamed (1 May 2021). "Alexander Abdallah slog igenom över en natt – som sorgsen torped". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  2. ^ Kledzik, Alva (5 May 2025). "Alexander Abdallah blir bonde – köpt gård utanför Uppsala". Upsala Nya Tidning (in Swedish). Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  3. ^ a b Tisell, Sophie (18 May 2021). "Alexander Abdallah: "Ångesten är en del av mig"". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). ISSN 1101-2412. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  4. ^ Dahlström, Fredrik (6 March 2025). ""När dagen är slut går jag ändå hem och gråter"". Upsala Nya Tidning (in Swedish). Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  5. ^ Cehlin Magnusson, Tom (19 May 2022). "Alexander Abdallah är Sveriges bäst klädda man 2022: "Jag inspireras av pappor från Mellanöstern"". Café (in Swedish). Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  6. ^ "Alexander Abdallah: "Blev sönderstressad"" [Alexander Abdallah: "I was stressed out"]. Aftonbladet (in Swedish). 11 May 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  7. ^ Pettersson, Saga (17 September 2021). "Alexander Abdallah berättar om sitt namnbyte" [Alexander Abdallah talks about his name change for the first time]. Elle (in Swedish). Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  8. ^ Frid, Karin (17 September 2021). "Stjärnans avslöjande: Döptes till Jihad". Göteborgs-Posten (in Swedish). Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  9. ^ a b Waaranperä, Ingegärd (2 October 2017). "Full fart. Rytmisk rap i stället för blankvers". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). Merco och Tyball (David Sigfridsson och Alexander Abdallah) skrapar med skorna och går på varandra i frustande unghingstkoreografier.
  10. ^ a b Loman, Rikard (13 December 2017). "Betagande. Enkelt om ung kärlek". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). Det är sången som får henne att vilja expandera och pröva sina vingar redan innan Alexander Abdallahs kungason — på jakt efter ett lagom jobbigt äventyr — dimper ner i hennes isolation och får henne att vilja tvåsamhet.
  11. ^ a b Helander, Karin (28 September 2018). "Tuffa män lättar sitt hjärta – och får kärlek". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). ISSN 1101-2412. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  12. ^ a b Lindquist, Kristina (10 March 2019). "Scenrecension: "Oscar Liljas försvinnande" skapar skräck med sensationella effekter". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 26 July 2025.
  13. ^ Wahlstedt, Sally (16 June 2019). "Malmöskådisens prisade kortfilm om dödsskjutningar visas på SVT". Sydsvenskan (in Swedish). Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  14. ^ a b Lündstrom, Jacob (16 January 2020). "I "Bye bye bror" faller mannen på eget grepp". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). ISSN 1101-2447. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  15. ^ "Evin Ahmad i huvudroll i "Snabba cash"". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). 12 June 2020. ISSN 1101-2447. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  16. ^ ""Snabba cash" en osentimental dödsdans". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). 7 April 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  17. ^ Fjellborg, Karolina (2 April 2021). ""Snabba cash" – så bra är Netflix reboot". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  18. ^ a b ""Tunna blå linjen" årets program". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). 28 August 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  19. ^ Balke, Fred (16 September 2021). "Alexander Abdallah får Såstaholms scenkonstpris 2021". DN.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  20. ^ a b Balke, Fred (29 September 2021). "Abdallah, Stiernstedt och Sandman i Spotifys nya ljuddrama". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 26 July 2025.
  21. ^ a b Lündstrom, Jacob (20 May 2021). ""Thunder in my heart" ljuder av glädjetjut och klagosång". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  22. ^ Clinton Lucas, Rakel (24 April 2023). "Amy Deasismont om nya säsongen av "Thunder in my heart": "De står inför stora utmaningar"". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  23. ^ a b Fjellborg, Karolina (7 March 2025). "Så bra är Jens Lapidus-serien "Paradis City"". www.aftonbladet.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  24. ^ ""Man kan vara hundra procent svensk och hundra procent blatte"". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). 21 August 2023. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  25. ^ "An eviction threat tests family ties in 'Home in You'". Special Broadcasting Service. 20 June 2024. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
  26. ^ Lündstrom, Jacob (7 April 2021). ""Snabba cash" en osentimental dödsdans". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 25 July 2025.
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