I left Somalia when I was seven years old, but I witnessed a whole year in a war.

What I believe will make my acting career successful going forward is hard work. I like to challenge myself. Then it's the people I meet and choosing the projects I want to work on correctly. There's a lot of characters I can play.

I was lucky enough to have parents that took me out from country to country and go to school and learn how to be a better person.

I just want to keep acting and better my craft and see how far it goes.

It is weird. A lot of people try to ask me political questions. Im not a politician.

I dont see myself only as a Somali character. I think of myself as an actor, and if the job fits me and I like the story, I will go for it.

The line was originally, ‘Captain Phillips, get a load of me: fancy-free on the seven seas,’ but I ad-libbed.