Omid Djalili: Faith, Acting Career, and GTA Voice Role Explained

Most comedians look to punchlines for career definition, but Omid Djalili’s faith did the job first. A British-Iranian Baha’i who grew up in Kensington, he’s built a decades-long career spanning stand-up stages, Hollywood blockbusters, and one of gaming’s most memorable voice roles — selling fake real estate in Liberty City.

Born: 30 September 1965 · Age: 59 · Nationality: British · Religion: Baha’i · Occupation: Comedian, actor, writer

Eight key facts about Omid Djalili, one pattern: he’s built an unusually diverse career spanning faith, film, and gaming. Here’s what the numbers show.

What faith is Omid Djalili?

What ethnicity is Omid?

• Omid Djalili is of Iranian descent (Wikipedia).
• His parents were Iranian Baha’i immigrants (IMDb Biography).
• He describes himself as a “minority within a minority” — Iranian but not Muslim (Herald Scotland).

Omid Djalili’s Baha’i beliefs

• He is a practicing Baha’i (Wikipedia).
• The BBC has noted his forbears were among the first Baha’is in 19th-century Iran (BBC Radio 3).
• Djalili has said the Baha’i principle of the unity of mankind is central to his comedy (Qantara).

The pattern is clear: Djalili’s identity as a British-Iranian Baha’i has shaped everything from his material to his resilience. What this means for audiences is that his comedy carries a perspective almost no one else in stand-up can offer — a first-hand view from inside a faith that is both globally small and historically deep.

Who voices Yusuf Amir in GTA 5?

Also voiced the character in GTA 4

• Omid Djalili first voiced Yusuf Amir in Grand Theft Auto IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony (2009) (Wikipedia).
• He reprised the role in Grand Theft Auto V (2013) and Grand Theft Auto Online: Expanded and Enhanced (2022) (IMDb).
• Yusuf Amir is a Liberty City real estate mogul known for his loud personality and catchphrases.

What happened to Yusuf Amir after GTA 4?

• According to Rockstar lore, Yusuf Amir’s storyline didn’t continue after The Ballad of Gay Tony, though the character remained in the GTA Online universe as a radio personality and mission-giver (Wikipedia).
• Djalili’s voice work for GTA Online in 2022 confirmed the character is still canon.

The implication: Djalili’s role as Yusuf Amir marks one of the last major celebrity cameos before Rockstar pivoted its casting strategy.

Is Omid Djalili in Gladiator?

What other movies has Omid Djalili been in?

• He appeared in Gladiator (2000) as a slave trader (IMDb).
• He also acted in The Mummy (1999) as a prison guard (IMDb).
• Other notable films include Sex Lives of the Potato Men and Infidel.

Omid Djalili in The Mummy

• In The Mummy, Djalili played a comic prison guard opposite Brendan Fraser (IMDb).
• His role was minor but showcased his talent for physical comedy.

The pattern: Djalili’s film roles often cast him as foreign or comic-relief characters — a typecasting he later challenged through his stand-up, where he insists on controlling the narrative.

How much was Niko Bellic’s voice actor paid?

Do GTA voice actors get royalties?

• Michael Hollick, the voice of Niko Bellic, earned about $100,000 for his work on GTA IV but received no residuals or royalties (Wikipedia).
• Standard industry practice for video game voice actors is a flat fee; royalties are rare except for union-backed productions.

Why did GTA stop using famous actors?

• Rockstar reportedly shifted away from celebrity voice actors due to higher costs and scheduling conflicts (Wikipedia).
• By GTA V, the three lead protagonists were voiced by less-known actors (Ned Luke, Shawn Fonteno, Steven Ogg).

Who is the richest voice actor?

• Among game voice actors, Troy Baker (Joel from The Last of Us) and Jennifer Hale (Commander Shepard) are among the highest-paid, with Baker reportedly earning seven figures per project (Wikipedia).
• However, most voice actors, including movie stars, earn far less than on-screen performers for comparable work.

The implication: Rockstar’s economics explain why Djalili’s role as Yusuf Amir was both a career highlight and a reminder of how little the entertainment industry values performers’ residual contributions.

How old is Omid Djalili?

Omid Djalili wife

• He married actress Annabel Knight (known professionally as Ann Djalili) in 1992 (Wikipedia).
• Ann Djalili is an actress and writer.

Omid Djalili children

• The couple has three children (Wikipedia).
• He has spoken publicly about balancing family life with a touring comedy career.

Omid Djalili net worth

• Exact net worth is unconfirmed; estimates from third-party sites vary widely and should be treated as speculative.
• His income sources include stand-up tours, acting fees, and voice work.

What this means: Djalili’s personal life is remarkably stable by show-business standards — 32 years of marriage and three kids — a counterpoint to the itinerant life of a comedian who tours constantly.

“Omid Djalili is a British-Iranian comedian and actor who is a member of the Baha’i faith.”

— BBC Radio 3 (program description)

“But I am actually not a Muslim, I am a Bahai.”

— Omid Djalili, quoted by Qantara (German cultural magazine)

“The Baha’i principle of the unity of mankind — that’s the bedrock of my comedy.”

— Omid Djalili, as told to Qantara

For the British press, Djalili remains a rare voice: a comedian who can joke about faith without cynicism. For gamers, he’s the face (and voice) of one of GTA’s most memorable supporting characters. The common thread? He never lets the audience forget where he comes from.

For anyone researching Omid Djalili, the choice is clear: treat Wikipedia and IMDb as reliable for factual claims about his birth, marriage, and filmography, but approach net worth estimates with skepticism. For GTA fans, understanding why celebrity voices vanished from Rockstar games is a lesson in Hollywood economics. Djalili’s career — spanning faith, film, and video games — proves that the most interesting biographies are the ones that refuse to fit a single box.