Doctor Julian Bashir
Dr. Julian Subatoi Bashir is one of the
most promising officers ever to graduate from Starfleet Academy. Even as
a student, he excels and earns a formidable reputation, and many are surprised
that he only finishes second in his year, behind Dr. Elizabeth Lens. The
error he makes in his finals paper, mistaking a preganglionic fiber for a
postganglionic nerve, seems so unlikely that it has been suggested that at
some subconscious level it was a deliberate mistake. Bashir's extraordinary
abilities earn him the assignment of his choice, and he picks Deep Space
Nine. The combined challenges of the reconstruction of Bajor, and the medical
needs of the hundreds of races that pass through the station, give Bashir
ample chances to display his abilities. Within three years, his groundbreaking
work in biomolecular replication wins him a nomination for the prestigious
Carrington Award. At 30, Bashir is the youngest person ever nominated for
the award, which is normally used to acknowledge a lifetime of achievement.
Bashir publishes widely, and his work is read throughout Starfleet. Bashir's
sometime rival, Dr. Lens, is particularly impressed by his immunization project
on Bajor. And, during his time on Deep Space Nine, he develops several innovative
treatments. One of the most significant achievements involves his completion
of Nathaniel Teros' work on neuro-muscular adaptation. Bashir's work makes
it possible for native Elayshans to move normally in standard Class-M gravity
without the assistance of servo controls. By 2373, Bashir's reputation is
so great that Starfleet Medical chooses him as the model for the Long-term
Medical Holographic Program, a holographic doctor that will serve numerous
subspace communication stations, research outposts, and long-range exploratory
vessels for decades to come. Bashir's appearance and bedside manner will
live on into eternity. Most of the crew on Deep Space Nine consider Julian
Bashir to be open and talkative, but he very rarely discusses his parents.
He even goes so far as to ask Lewis Zimmerman, Director of Holographic Imaging
& Programming at the Jupiter Research Station, not to contact them in
the process of building a psychological profile for the LMH. (from Fact Files).
Sid was born Siddig El Tahir El Fadil El Siddig El Abderahman El Mohammed
Ahmed El Abdel Karim El Mahdi on November 21, 1965, in the Sudan. Had he
remained there, he would have been known simply as Siddig ("El" means "the
son of"). Western culture requires a surname, so Sid first used "Siddig El
Fadil", then changed to "Alexander Siddig" in 1995, though most of his friends
refer to him as "Sid".
Sid's uncle, Sadiq al-Mahdi, was a former Prime Minister of the Sudan. Sid's
mother moved herself and Sid back to her home country of England when he
was rather young. Sid attended prep school and college (comparable to an
American high school) in England, then went on to University where he majored
in geography and anthropology. His chose this degree program because "if
I didn't make it as an actor, I might go to the Sudan and help out. And if
I were a geographer and anthropologist, I would be pretty much equipped to
go and do some stuff there. It's all about land management. It's about soil
types and such. So I started learning that, and I found geography to be way
too hard and anthropology way too easy!" So, after a year at University,
Sid dropped out to pursue other things. These included: selling insurance,
selling men's clothing in a shop, and dancing in a night club.
Sid then attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts (LAMDA) where
he studed acting and theatre. Acting is not foreign to Sid's family, his
maternal uncle is actor Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange, Star Trek:
Generations). After leaving LAMDA, he did a season of theatre in Manchester
and various other theatre roles. Tiring of this, Sid moved on to pursue his
real ambition: directing! He directed several plays at The Arts Threshold
Theatre. However, he did not receive money for this and in the ensuing financial
struggle he was offered the role of Emir Feisal for A Dangerous Man: Lawrence
After Arabia, the sequal to Lawrence of Arabia. This role would
impact his life, and ours, at a later date. Rick Berman saw A Dangrous
Man after it aired on PBS in 1991, and from this decided he wanted Sid
to be part of the DS9 cast. Originally they were going to cast Sid as Sisko,
but when they learned Sid was only 26 they recast him as Julian Bashir, a
young doctor fresh from the Academy.
Sid maintains a close relationship with his mother, stepfather, and brother
Thomas who is 16 years younger than Sid. Sid's mother worked as a public
relations officer for the theatre, and his stepfather is a highly respected
person in the arts in England working as a consultant for plays and operas.
They met when Sid was 8 and married when he was 12. When they married, Sid
and his mother moved from the city to the country, a change Sid enjoyed.
Sid's likes include nonfiction essays, German opera and some various pop
artists, horseback riding and chess when he gets a chance, and wine collecting,
a new hobby.
Sid and Nana Visitor (Major Kira Nerys on DS9) began dating in October 1995,once
Sid got up the nerve to ask her out. They moved in together at the beginning
of this year, and soon after announced they were expecting a baby. Their
son was born September 16, 1996. Now Sid and Nana are married.
Deep Space Nine's Siddig El Fadil, who plays Doctor Julian Bashir, always
knew that he wanted to be in the theater from an early age--but originally
his great desire was to be a director, not an actor. He found, however, that
one just couldn't walk into such a job; training was required. Unsure of
himself, he stalled for several years, supporting himself by working at a
men's clothing store, until his ambition got the better of him and he decided
to take the plunge. Quitting his sales job, he signed up for acting school
in the belief that learning to act would give him the insight into acting
that he could eventually require as a director. Ironically, once he started
acting, he couldn't quit, and was soon on the road to his role on DEEP SPACE
NINE.
Born in Sudan, Africa of an English mother and a Sudanese father, Siddig
El Fadil and his family relocated to England when he was only one year old.
Once there, he attended public school and, eventually, the London University
College for a year. After his brief foray into clothing sales, he devoted
his energies to studying at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts.
Here his classes led him to roles in productions of plays like
Arthus as well as Shakespeare's Hamlet. After
three years he graduated from the Academy and was accepted into the company
of the Manchester Library Theater in London. While there he had minor roles
in their productions of Sinbad the Sailor and Brother
Eichemann. But acting had never been his first calling, and tiring
of being cast in minor roles, Siddig quit the theater company, believing
that acting was just a dead end for him. He wanted to direct.
The Arts Threshold Theatre finally gave him the chance he had been working
towards. There he directed such plays as Julius Caesar and
Lotus and the Rats. While he was directing at the Arts Threshold
Theatre, he was offered an acting rold in a six part television mini-series
called BIG BATTALIONS. In 1991 El Fadil made his dramatic television debut
in the role of a Palestinian. He was so well received in this role that he
was cast as Jordanian King Faisal in another television production, entitled
A DANGEROUS MAN--LAWRENCE AFTER ARABIA.
FADIL OF ARABIA
The role of King Faisal was a relatively minor one in A DANGEROUS MAN, but
when the program was aired on the Los Angeles PBS station Rick Berman and
Michael Piller, the co-executive producers of DEEP SPACE NINE, were so impressed
by Siddig's performance that they considered him for the role of Commander
Ben Sisko, a character originally not written to be any specific race or
ethnicity but considered to be fortyish. El Fadi. had played Faisal in age
makeup that concealed his relative youth, but of course it was his acting
that actually pulled this effect off. Berman and Piller were surprise to
discover the truth, but were so impressed by his acting skill that they
eventually decided to give him another role in DEEP SPACE NINE.
At first, Siddig did not realize what Berman and Piller had in mind. "I actually
thought I was trying out for a guest spot on an episode because I had asked
my agent to get me a spot on STAR TREK about a year ago. It was really after
I auditioned for the Paramount executives that I realized it probably was
not a guest spot. It was very exciting to find out that I was auditioning
was for a regular on a series." A few short days after his audition, Siddig
El Fadil found himself in Hollywood.
Berman and Piller had been so impressed with Siddig that they wanted to test
him for one of the other unfilled slots in the cast. They had him read for
the rold of Julian Bashir, the young, inexperienced medical officer who had
joined Starfleet in search of adventure and opportunity. Although Berman
and Piller had not originally envisioned a medical officer with a British
accent, they were won over by Siddig's ability and charm and decided that
he would be perfect in the role. When Paramount flew Siddig over they told
him it would just be for the weekend; soon after his arrival he was told
that they wanted him to relocate permanently. Siddig had to fly back to London,
move out of his apartment and fly back to Hollywood immediately.
Siddig is single and eager to explore America during the time between the
seasons of the series. He has little time for sight-seeing during the production
week which often consists of ten to sixteen hour days, particularly when
an episode prominently features his character such as "Rivals" did. He has
a place in West Hollywood and is making a life for himself away from the
studio in a place very different from his native England.
Working on DEEP SPACE NINE has been an interesting experience for the young
actor, particularly since some fans have found the brash Dr. Bashir to be
a bit on the abrasive side. Siddig has found that at some STAR TREK conventions,
fans have transferred their annoyance with Julian to the actor himself. While
he has been taken a bit back by these fans Siddig does agree with their appraisal
of the character. However, in the second season of the series Dr. Bashir
has become a far more dimensional character and one who is less brash and
more self-aware.
REALITY
Discussing his experience working on this American TV series, Siddig told
STARLOG that STAR TREK is not exactly a minor show in Great Britain, either.
"It's quite popular back home in England. Everyone knows STAR TREK, the original
series, and everyone has heard of THE NEXT GENERATION. Fewer people have
seen it, but it's getting more popular every day." American TV shows do not
premiere in Europe immediately; European audiences sometimes wait six months
to a year before they see a new American show. In England, TV stars are not
treated quite the same way as they are in the United States. "In England
when you're known, you don't become hounded or get sent letters by people
you don't even know."
His character is still expresses arrogance but now he has a direction and
a purspose, as when he encountered the title character in the episode "Melora,"
who was even more arrogant than he. Dr. Bashir seemed much younger in the
first season of the series than he does now. The character is more self-assured
and is no longer mooning around after the unapproachable Dax. Bashir and
O'Brien have been paired off in at least three episodes so far, beginning
with "The Storyteller," and have become something of an odd couple. Bashir
is the fussy, proper sort while O'Brien is more gritty but lacking in patience
as well.
Offstage Siddig has struck up a real-life romance with actress Daphne Ashbrook,
who played Melora, Julian's love interest, in the DS9 episode "Melora." That's
Hollywood!
Mail to Siddig El Fadil
The Doctor's Waiting Room, c/o Mary L. Valere, P.O. Box 458038, San Antonio,
TX 78280-8038 - U.S.A.
For comments, suggestions, ideas etc.etc. please
Mail-me.
by Mario Guatteri
Dr. Julian Subatoi Bashir is one of the
most promising officers ever to graduate from Starfleet Academy. Even as
a student, he excels and earns a formidable reputation, and many are surprised
that he only finishes second in his year, behind Dr. Elizabeth Lens. The
error he makes in his finals paper, mistaking a preganglionic fiber for a
postganglionic nerve, seems so unlikely that it has been suggested that at
some subconscious level it was a deliberate mistake. Bashir's extraordinary
abilities earn him the assignment of his choice, and he picks Deep Space
Nine. The combined challenges of the reconstruction of Bajor, and the medical
needs of the hundreds of races that pass through the station, give Bashir
ample chances to display his abilities. Within three years, his groundbreaking
work in biomolecular replication wins him a nomination for the prestigious
Carrington Award. At 30, Bashir is the youngest person ever nominated for
the award, which is normally used to acknowledge a lifetime of achievement.
Bashir publishes widely, and his work is read throughout Starfleet. Bashir's
sometime rival, Dr. Lens, is particularly impressed by his immunization project
on Bajor. And, during his time on Deep Space Nine, he develops several innovative
treatments. One of the most significant achievements involves his completion
of Nathaniel Teros' work on neuro-muscular adaptation. Bashir's work makes
it possible for native Elayshans to move normally in standard Class-M gravity
without the assistance of servo controls. By 2373, Bashir's reputation is
so great that Starfleet Medical chooses him as the model for the Long-term
Medical Holographic Program, a holographic doctor that will serve numerous
subspace communication stations, research outposts, and long-range exploratory
vessels for decades to come. Bashir's appearance and bedside manner will
live on into eternity. Most of the crew on Deep Space Nine consider Julian
Bashir to be open and talkative, but he very rarely discusses his parents.
He even goes so far as to ask Lewis Zimmerman, Director of Holographic Imaging
& Programming at the Jupiter Research Station, not to contact them in
the process of building a psychological profile for the LMH. (from Fact Files).
