Amir El-Masry brings Prince Naseem’s story to life in Giant

British-Egyptian actor Amir El-Masry stars as legendary boxer Prince Naseem Hamed in Giant, directed by British-Indian filmmaker Rowan Athale, which premiered at the London Film Festival.

The biopic, set for UK release on 9 January 2026, explores the boxer’s rise from Sheffield’s immigrant community to global fame amid rampant racism and Islamophobia as reported by The New Arab on 31st October.

“As an Egyptian-born kid growing up in London during the late 90s, Prince Naseem was an icon in our household,” Amir told The New Arab. “I remember my family were invited to a dinner at the Saudi Embassy and he was there. I asked my brother to please get an autograph, and we still have it.”

Two decades later, that childhood admiration came full circle as Amir portrayed his hero on screen. The film captures Naseem’s transformation under trainer Brendan Ingle (played by Pierce Brosnan) and his struggle with fame and ego. “I wanted to show the light and shade in his personality; to see him as a bog standard person as well as someone who’s gone through the trenches and trained militantly to become the best at what he does,” Amir said.

Though Prince Naseem approved the project, he was not involved. Amir, who had only four weeks to prepare, “trained religiously” and studied old footage to embody the boxer’s swagger. “As much as you want to champion your character, when you have the source too close to your process, it’s risky,” he explained.

El-Masry, known for Limbo and In Camera, has also portrayed real figures like Mohammed Al-Fayed in The Crown and Jihadi John in Daniel. “Sometimes it’s better to meet the people who surround the person rather than actually meeting the source,” he said.

For Amir, Giant also represents a broader fight for Arab visibility in British cinema. “For Vigil, [casting director] Dan fought tooth and nail with the producers… they were like, ‘the guy’s called Daniel, we want a white name actor,’” he recalled. “I am so grateful… I have no problem playing someone close to my heritage — it’s a privilege to do — but it shouldn’t just be that.”

Despite setbacks — including losing a role after posting a video condemning Israel’s actions in Gaza — Amir remains outspoken. “I got a phone call from my agent saying they’ve retracted the offer,” he said. Yet, he finds hope in allies like Nicola Coughlan, praising her for using her platform “to stand shoulder to shoulder with you.”