Transcript
>> HINOJOSA: More often than
not, when we see Arab actors on
screen they're playing
terrorists, but our guest today
rose to fame with his stereotype
defying role in the Oscar
nominated film The Visitor--
rising star Haaz Sleiman.
I'm Maria Hinojosa, this is One
On One.
Haaz Sleiman, everybody knows
you because they're going to
say, "I know that actor, he's
got such a memorable face.
He's on that show..." Nurse
Jackie, where you play a gay
nurse, but...
>> SLEIMAN: Gay Muslim nurse.
>> HINOJOSA: ...a lot-- gay
Muslim nurse.
We're going to get into that,
okay, gay Muslim nurse.
>> SLEIMAN: By the way, Maria Hinojosa...
>> HINOJOSA: Hinojosa.
>> SLEIMAN: Did I say it right?
>> HINOJOSA: You're working on
it.
You're a gay Muslim nurse on the
show Nurse Jackie on Showtime...
>> SLEIMAN: Yes.
>> HINOJOSA: ...could also be
Puerto Rican.
>> SLEIMAN: Yes.
>> HINOJOSA: So we're going to
put that aside, come back to it,
because we're going to start off
by talking about the movie The
Visitor, which was an Oscar
nominated film.
Just to clue people in-- because
The Visitor is an amazing
film, but it wasn't a
blockbuster-- so what is the
story of the movie The Visitor?
>> SLEIMAN: Well, actually, you know, for
a small budget film, it was a
blockbuster.
>> HINOJOSA: Really?
>> SLEIMAN: You know, because it's... you
have... you can't like, look at
it in terms of like, the big
studio films.
Small budget films... it did
really well in the box office.
It was actually one of the best
reviewed films, and did
amazingly in the box office, so
everyone was really happy about
that.
>> HINOJOSA: That's wonderful.
>> SLEIMAN: And it almost sort of gave
hope back to Hollywood, because
it was sort of losing that sort
of belief or faith in like,
small budget films in terms of
if they're profitable and
whatnot.
>> HINOJOSA: But small budget
films that also take on an issue
that maybe other people just
don't want to think about.
>> SLEIMAN: Absolutely.
>> HINOJOSA: Because the premise
of this film is about
immigration detention...
>> SLEIMAN: Mm-hmm.
>> HINOJOSA: ...and a post-9/11
reality...
>> SLEIMAN: Mm-hmm.
>> HINOJOSA: ...for immigrants,
and in this particular case, a
young man from Syria.
>> SLEIMAN: Yeah.
>> HINOJOSA: And the show... I
mean, the film stars also the
actor from Six Feet Under...
>> SLEIMAN: Richard Jenkins.
>> HINOJOSA: ...who everybody,
again, don't know his name, but
you remember him.
>> SLEIMAN: I'm the new Richard Jenkins.
You were saying like, nobody,
like...
>> HINOJOSA: ( laughing )
>> SLEIMAN: ...recognized me-- it's like,
"I know this guy."
That's how Richard Jenkins is.
For 40 years, he's had this
amazing career where he played
these beautiful supporting
roles.
I mean, did a phenomenal job
with everything, and that was
his first lead role.
And it was just...
>> HINOJOSA: So because people
are going to be like, "Wait a
second," they don't know Richard
Jenkins.
So Richard Jenkins on Six Feet
Under played the...
>> SLEIMAN: He played the husband who was
a ghost.
He died and then he was like the
ghost, he keeps coming back.
>> HINOJOSA: But everybody knows
his face.
Like you, there are a lot of...
you know, when I saw your name I
was like, "Haaz Sleiman-- don't
know the name," but the second I
read what you were doing, I was
like, "Oh, I know exactly who it
is."
You have got an incredibly
memorable face.
>> SLEIMAN: Mm, hopefully, that's good.
>> HINOJOSA: That was like, a
set up for you to say, "Yes, and
I knew that as a child."
>> SLEIMAN: Ah!
>> HINOJOSA: ( laughing )
>> SLEIMAN: Actually, I did, but I didn't
want to like, brag.
My folks are very... you know,
have also like, very specific
faces, so maybe I take after
that.
>> HINOJOSA: So... just so
people know, you grew up...
you're Lebanese born?
>> SLEIMAN: Lebanese... well, yes.
I was actually born in the
UAE...
>> HINOJOSA: In the United Arab
Emirates.
>> SLEIMAN: Yes, and then I moved to
Lebanon when I as ten, and I
grew up there until I was 21.
Then I moved to Michigan,
Michigan to New York, New York
to LA.
>> HINOJOSA: Okay, and why did
you decide to leave your country
and say, "I'm going to move to
Michigan"?
What was the dream for you?
I mean, was it... because you
hadn't spent time in the United
States, right?
>> SLEIMAN: No, well, actually, I was in
the States when I was two years
old.
My mom... you know, my folks
traveled a lot.
We were like, really well off,
initially, and then my father
lost everything.
So it's a very interesting
story.
I hadn't seen my dad like, 20
years, and then eight years ago,
I finally got to see him.
So it was like, a really
profound sort of experience.
But on that note, it was... for
me, it was that time when we
were like, really young and my
folks had the money we would
travel a lot, and one of the
countries was America.
My mom spent like, three months
in Florida, took us to Walt
Disney every day, and I don't
remember any of that.
We have pictures, though.
>> HINOJOSA: What did symbolize?
Like, coming to the United
States from that part of the
world...
>> SLEIMAN: Mm-hmm.
>> HINOJOSA: ...symbolized what?
And this is 1997, so this is
pre-September 11.
>> SLEIMAN: Mm-hmm.
>> HINOJOSA: What was... you
know, you were like, "I'm going
to make it there; I'm moving
there; this is my new country;
I'm going to try..." what was
the dream?
>> SLEIMAN: You know, I... you know,
growing up in Lebanon... I mean,
Lebanon is a very... it's a
little bit of a... it stands out
in other Arab countries, in a
way, because we're really
exposed to so many different
cultures.
We love to explore; we're
curious about people from
different worlds, and...
>> HINOJOSA: So it's a very
open...
>> SLEIMAN: Very open.
You know, we have half
Christians, half Muslims.
We have a 51% Christians... I'm
sorry, Muslims, and the 49%
Christians, and even though
there were... a lot of the
conflict was because of the
diversity of it, yet the beauty
of it is that and how
contradicting it is.
I think there's something really
poetic about that whenever I go
to Lebanon.
>> HINOJOSA: And you were... you
were raised as a Muslim.
>> SLEIMAN: I am, I am...
>> HINOJOSA: You're still...
>> SLEIMAN: Yeah, I was raised and I'm
still a Muslim, yeah.
>> HINOJOSA: You said at one
point that you were a very
devout Muslim.
You used to pray five times a
day.
>> SLEIMAN: I used to pray five times a
day, and then I decided to be a
bad Muslim for a little bit.
>> HINOJOSA: ( laughing )
>> SLEIMAN: I have my red wine and like,
a good time.
You know, I grew up in...
>> HINOJOSA: Wait a second.
Wait, wait-- you can just decide
like, okay...
>> SLEIMAN: I know, and they put the
bourbon in here.
They know very well.
>> HINOJOSA: So you can just
decide to be... because this is
a part of... because you're...
what you do as an actor is you
push the boundaries so much...
>> SLEIMAN: Mm-hmm...
>> HINOJOSA: ...in the...
>> SLEIMAN: I don't believe in
boundaries, though.
That's the thing.
As an actor, I think that's the
beauty.
That's what was really
attractive to me as being an
actor-- no passports, no visas,
no boundaries.
You can't... you know, you don't
have that reality as an actor,
because you end up playing so
many different characters from
different cultures.
You know, like whether it be
Spanish, Puerto Rican, and all
of that... biracial.
There's something that is
beautiful to me about that.
That I never actually thought of
the world in that way, so that
was definitely one of the
reasons why I became an actor.
>> HINOJOSA: Hmm.
>> SLEIMAN: Yeah.
>> HINOJOSA: So I think that
when I go back to thinking about
the movie The Visitor...
>> SLEIMAN: Mm-hmm.
>> HINOJOSA: ...when you put it
in kind of a human context, that
movie is all about people being
open-- open to change, open to
difference...
>> SLEIMAN: Mm-hmm.
>> HINOJOSA: ...the character of
this white man who basically
allows you into his life-- you
as a Syrian, undocumented
immigrant...
>> SLEIMAN: Mm-hmm.
>> HINOJOSA: ...and you are the
Arab in the movie, and yet you
are so open and loving.
It really just defies the
stereotypes of characters that
you've also played.
Because you've also played Arab
terrorists.
>> SLEIMAN: Once.
Once, and for satire-- American
Dreamz, where I was playing...
>> HINOJOSA: What about 24?
>> SLEIMAN: No, I was... that was good,
because I was a suspect-- a
terrorist suspect-- but at the
end of the... the three arc
episode, I was proven to be
innocent.
And I liked that, because I
liked the sort of idea that
people judge someone for where
they are or their religion, and
then they have all these
preconceived ideas about them.
And the fact that, you know,
this proves that you could be
wrong just by looking at someone
just because they're from
somewhere and assume that
they're that, and then when
they're proven wrong, I thought
there was something really great
about that-- a statement to be
made.
>> HINOJOSA: So as an actor,
you're making these choices and
you have to decide when they
approach you and people know
that you're Lebanese, Arab,
Muslim.
>> SLEIMAN: Lebanese American now, now
that I have a citizenship.
>> HINOJOSA: Congratulations!
>> SLEIMAN: Thank you.
No more deportation.
>> HINOJOSA: No more fear.
>> SLEIMAN: No... well, I never was
afraid.
>> HINOJOSA: Well, but you just
said that you... no more
deportation.
So you...
>> SLEIMAN: No, no...
>> HINOJOSA: It's a joke?
>> SLEIMAN: I mean, it's a joke, really.
I was making a joke because of
the film and you know, with the
whole deportation.
And actually, the officer or the
gentleman that interviewed me to
get admitted or to get, you
know, the citizenship, after all
of the things was like, "Well,
you know, you're admitted and
got the approval for the
citizenship."
I'm like, "Great, so now I can
say I'm citizen."
He's like, "No, if you say that
you might be deported."
I'm like, "Oh," that was really
interesting to me.
Like, there is a chance that if
I say I'm a citizen before
getting sworn in that they would
deport you.
And I just thought it was really
fascinating.
>> HINOJOSA: So has it been hard
after September 11 to be an
Arab... an Arab American, openly
identified Muslim actor?
Has it been hard, or has it
been... well, look, our
countries, you know, our lives
are becoming more intersected;
more intertwined?
>> SLEIMAN: You know, there's a lot of
good and bad in this.
I mean, life is not black and
white in every situation, in
every event, in a crisis like
this.
But I think what's happened is
there's beauty in this and
there's also sort of a lot of
other stuff that comes out,
whether it's prejudice or self
judgment or judging others
because of fear from both sides.
It's, you know, fear is what
really has been moving people
for the most part in our
generation, I think.
And...
>> HINOJOSA: And the people who
we're supposed to fear are
people like you, right?
>> SLEIMAN: The people who are supposed
to be feared of?
Yeah... yeah, well, now.
I mean, before that, it was
like, the black people, and
before that it was... you know
what I mean?
>> HINOJOSA: The Chinese...
>> SLEIMAN: The Chinese, yeah.
So there's always like, a...
yeah.
We're like, now the "it" people,
but I think there's that aspect
of it.
The other aspect of it as well
is the visibility that it
created in terms of
consciousness-- a new level of
consciousness in the world,
looking at Arabs in a different
way.
Because there is now this new
sort of possibilities and
opportunities to come with
projects in movies or people who
are from that culture to be more
visible and speak their minds.
>> HINOJOSA: Big change post
9/11.
Post September 11, you were
trying to make it as a musician
in New York...
>> SLEIMAN: Mm-hmm.
>> HINOJOSA: ...and it was hard
for you.
>> SLEIMAN: It was.
I mean, here's the thing.
I mean, everyone... I'm sure
every... every... as an Arab
American or Lebanese American,
you know, I had my own sort of
like, version of how it all went
for me, but you know, everyone
is different.
I mean, I was in New York when
that happened.
You know, I had family in
Michigan.
They were fine.
No one ever, like, bothered
them, but you've heard stories
that others were.
So I mean, you know, from my
experience, it never really... I
mean, of course, it was
heartbreaking to see the whole
thing.
I mean, of course, I reacted
with compassion towards all
sides.
And... but you know, in terms of
creatively speaking with the
music, my music was like, pop
R&B with like, a little bit of
Middle Eastern like, flavor in
there.
It was sort of my like, way of
just standing out and it was
what I believed in as my
creative expression.
And you know, the record labels
were like, "Oh, we like this,
it's different," but after
September 11, they were like,
"We don't know how to market
it," and it was discouraging.
>> HINOJOSA: What did that...
what did that do to you as an
artist, when they were like,
"Just at this particular moment
in history, our country's not
going to be so open to marketing
a musician who looks and sounds
like you"?
>> SLEIMAN: People are afraid.
People are afraid because they
want to make money, and they
don't look at the bigger
picture, and so I understand
that.
So I don't take it personally--
that's the one thing.
The other thing is when I'm
aware of that, then I function
from a different place where I'm
like, "I'm not going to
compromise the integrity of my
artistic creative expression."
So what I end up doing is that
acting has always been something
that I wanted to do.
I've studied acting in Lebanon
at the Lebanese American
University, I had the acting bug
even growing up as a kid, I
watched Star Wars to Hamlet to
whatever you want to say.
And you don't realize growing up
how influential Hollywood is and
the movie industry is and the
world, and... and there was
something really magical about
going into the theater and just
escaping for two hours, and
just... you know what I mean?
There's... I loved that, and
then on top of it was just
intriguing to me, because when I
started doing it, it was like
putting a mirror and looking at
all your flaws, and it was
frightening, and it was like I
didn't want to do it, and that's
what made me want to do it.
I thought it was like,
intriguing to go into that.
It became therapeutic for me,
and I have to say, it made me a
better person.
I mean, that sounds like, you
know...
>> HINOJOSA: So now, you did
this movie The Visitor--
extraordinary-- and I hope that
a lot of people get a chance to
see it, because it really is
about challenging how you
percept... your perception of
certain stereotypes..
>> SLEIMAN: Mm-hmm.
>> HINOJOSA: ...and how we put
boundaries up around ourselves.
>> SLEIMAN: Mm-hmm.
>> HINOJOSA: Let's talk a little
bit about breaking down those
boundaries with Nurse Jackie,
the Showtime... the Showtime
series now with Edie Falco.
>> SLEIMAN: Yeah.
>> HINOJOSA: Okay, so
honestly...
>> SLEIMAN: Well, not to cut you off,
actually, you said something
really...
>> HINOJOSA: But cut me off,
anyway.
>> SLEIMAN: I'm going to cut you off.
( laughter )
It's your show, but I'm cutting
you off.
That's great, we're going on the
right track.
I... you know, with The Visitor,
what I thought was great about
was great about Tarek, the
character that I played, is I
wanted to show the essence of
the Arab culture-- very loving,
they're compassionate, they are
inviting...
>> HINOJOSA: Open?
>> SLEIMAN: ...open, inviting, and I tell
you, if you go to Lebanon and
you visit that country and you
go to my home and my mom's home,
I mean, the generosity,
hospitality-- it's just really
touching.
I'm proud of that about my
inheritance.
It's a lovely, lovely quality
that I... I mean, sometimes it
can get too much, because they
can be nosey in your business...
>> HINOJOSA: ( laughing )
>> SLEIMAN: ...and they're like, "When
are you going to get married?
When are you going to have
kids?"
I'm like, "Just leave me alone;
I don't want to talk about it."
But I mean, there's good and bad
in everything, right?
>> HINOJOSA: But we don't see
that.
>> SLEIMAN: No.
>> HINOJOSA: That part of the
Arab culture, which I know a
little bit because I've traveled
there, you just... you know, you
see hardened faces of brown
skinned men...
>> SLEIMAN: Mm-hmm.
>> HINOJOSA: ...you know, with
deep eyes and just scary.
>> SLEIMAN: ( laughing )
>> HINOJOSA: I mean, you
haven't... I mean, besides...
>> SLEIMAN: Do I look scary to you?
>> HINOJOSA: No, not at all.
>> SLEIMAN: Oh, okay, good.
>> HINOJOSA: But you could.
>> SLEIMAN: I could... yeah, I could.
I could.
I could switch to my other side.
You know, we've all got shadows,
right?
>> HINOJOSA: And you're okay
taking like...
>> SLEIMAN: Latino, Jewish, whatever-- we
all got bad sides.
>> HINOJOSA: We all have bad...
>> SLEIMAN: You know, I mean...
>> HINOJOSA: We all got bad
sides.
>> SLEIMAN: Well, and I agree, we've got
to love our bad sides, as long
as we don't judge them, I think,
and that's the idea, but yeah.
>> HINOJOSA: So you... are you
being judged?
You know, when, for example, you
have... whether it's the Arab
community in this country or the
Muslim community, because you're
so kind of public about who you
are, do they judge you?
Do they say, "You know what,
that Haaz"-- and your full name
again is...
>> SLEIMAN: ( speaking in Lebanese )
>> HINOJOSA: Ah.
>> SLEIMAN: Now you got to say it.
>> HINOJOSA: Okay.
Hasan...
>> SLEIMAN: ...ali...
>> HINOJOSA: ...ali...
>> SLEIMAN: ...lahage...
>> HINOJOSA: ...lahage...
>> SLEIMAN: ...Sleiman.
>> HINOJOSA: ...Sleiman.
>> SLEIMAN: Perfect.
>> HINOJOSA: But you changed it
because...
>> SLEIMAN: I think you're Arabic and you
don't know it.
>> HINOJOSA: ( laughing )
Possibly.
So what they say in Hollywood,
you know, name... four different
names, not going to work so much
on the...
>> SLEIMAN: No, you know, it's more
because of the airport.
I mean, they keep stopping them.
It's like, oh, Jesus.
>> HINOJOSA: ( laughing ) It's
more because of the airport?
>> SLEIMAN: Yes, it's like, I mean... and
I just became a citizen, and
it's like ever since I've become
a citizen, I go to the airport
and now they stop me, and they
look at me like, "You're on the
D List."
I'm like, "Well, in Hollywood or
on the terrorist list?"
>> HINOJOSA: ( laughing )
>> SLEIMAN: I was like, trying to make
sense of that.
And funny enough...
>> HINOJOSA: What's the D List?
>> SLEIMAN: You know, I don't know.
I mean like, some other guy's
name who's maybe a "suspect,"
and then I changed my name from
( speaking in Lebanese ) on my
passport-- the American
passport-- to Haaz Sleiman to
make it simpler, you know, for
whatever-- credit cards,
everything.
I mean, it just makes it easier.
People kept messing up with my
name, you know?
Whenever I'm shooting a movie
they're putting my name on the
ticket and they put it wrong,
and it's like, "You know what?
Just Haaz Sleiman."
My stage name is Haaz Sleiman.
I like it because my ex-wife
called me Haaz for like, years,
and I as like, "That's actually
kind of cool."
I mean, it's... it's... you
know, it stuck.
>> HINOJOSA: All right, so let's
talk about Nurse Jackie, because
I really love this character.
And going back to where you
interrupted me-- remember that?
>> SLEIMAN: About the judgment?
>> HINOJOSA: Yeah.
>> SLEIMAN: Yes.
>> HINOJOSA: No, no, no.
About the fact that when I was
watching the show...
>> SLEIMAN: Mm-hmm.
>> HINOJOSA: ...I didn't know
what your background was.
>> SLEIMAN: Mm-hmm.
>> HINOJOSA: Love the character,
but I was like, "Where is he
from?
Is he Puerto Rican?"
>> SLEIMAN: Mm-hmm.
>> HINOJOSA: "Is he Muslim,
really?"
Because that's just so... a gay
Muslim nurse.
>> SLEIMAN: Yeah.
Well, I think that's... what you
just said right now is
beautiful, because I think
that's what is the reality.
Like, in New York, in this
country, how blended we are.
You don't know who this person
is.
You look at this person, "Is he
this?
Is he that?"
And that is one thing I believe
what was genius about
approaching this character, and
the writers and the creators of
this show, is to do something
like that.
>> HINOJOSA: Well, when you went
in for the audition...
>> SLEIMAN: Mm-hmm.
>> HINOJOSA: ...did they say to
you, "This is a char..." what
did they say about the
character?
What did you know?
>> SLEIMAN: Nothing.
They said, "Just do whatever you
want," and I just did it.
>> HINOJOSA: "Create a character
that is going to be Edie Falco's
sidekick"?
>> SLEIMAN: Yeah, I mean, they gave me
the name and everything, and it
was up to me on coming up with
the details and specificity in
terms of creating a history of
that guy and fleshing him out.
And I love that, because again,
it's the idea of, you know,
already the name is enough to
sort of like...
>> HINOJOSA: What is his name?
Okay, his name is...
>> SLEIMAN: Mo-Mo or Mohammed De La Cruz.
>> HINOJOSA: Mohammed De La
Cruz.
>> SLEIMAN: De La Cruz.
And you know, I think you were
mentioning to me earlier, which
I think is really interesting
and was very informing that in
Puerto Rico there's like...
>> HINOJOSA: Well, it's not
so... it's not so much that in
Puerto Rico, but there is a
population of Puerto Rican
Muslims...
>> SLEIMAN: Mm-hmm.
>> HINOJOSA: ...that they have a
community of Puerto Ricans.
>> SLEIMAN: Yeah.
>> HINOJOSA: So for me, I was
like... that's why I was like,
"Well, he could be a Puerto
Rican Muslim."
I know Puerto Rican Muslims, but
it's not clear on the show.
>> SLEIMAN: Yeah.
>> HINOJOSA: And it's also...
his gayness is pretty
wonderful.
>> SLEIMAN: Mm-hmm.
>> HINOJOSA: Because...
>> SLEIMAN: I did a lot of research.
>> HINOJOSA: How... ( laughing)
>> SLEIMAN: Went out to gay bars, hung
out with a lot of gay friends.
>> HINOJOSA: But he's... but
he's clearly... I had written
down in one of my notes here,
he's very understated...
>> SLEIMAN: Mm-hmm.
>> HINOJOSA: ...in his gayness,
and yet incredibly powerful in
his gayness.
>> SLEIMAN: Mm-hmm.
>> HINOJOSA: I mean, he's very
"out."
I'm resisting wanting to ask you
to become Mo Mo right now,
because I just love the way...
>> SLEIMAN: ( laughing )
>> HINOJOSA: ...he is.
I mean, he's so... he's got the
whole snap thing going on.
>> SLEIMAN: Yeah, he's... yeah.
But that's owning up to who you
are.
I think, you know, in the gay
community, you know, the
struggle has been... as I was
like, really looking it in
depth, which was really
wonderful to like, sort of...
that's what's great about being
an actor.
I mean, like, in The Visitor,
I've never drummed in my life;
I had to learn it from scratch.
Getting exposed to the
Senegalese culture, knowing that
there's a big Lebanese
population, I mean, it's just
fantastic to do things like
that.
And same thing with Mo Mo.
Going into this, you know, like
going back in the 1960s and the
1970s and all of that, the
struggle they've been through
and the isolation and all of
that, it's been like not being
accepted in society, and what
happens, you lose your sense of
self and your worth.
And I think that Mo Mo is from
that generation now where
they're becoming who they are--
owning who they are.
And so even with snap when he
like, responds and he's owning
it and looking at her like,
"What do you got to say, because
it's me and that's who I am, and
if you don't like, it's your
problem, not me."
>> HINOJOSA: So how is it in
Hollywood these days?
I mean, now... so now you've got
an Oscar nominated film, The
Visitor, kind of in your back
pocket.
You've got a series now that's
continuing, Nurse Jackie.
You've done bit parts on 24...
what other...
>> SLEIMAN: NCIS, Veronica Mars...
>> HINOJOSA: So you've done a...
>> SLEIMAN: Yeah.
>> HINOJOSA: So...
>> SLEIMAN: American Dreamz...
>> HINOJOSA: So is it a struggle
for you?
Are you in Hollywood saying,
"Okay, it's great right now, but
I really need that next phone
call for the next job" and you
know, you're not... you're
concerned?
Or are you thinking, "You know
what?
The fact that I've played," you
know, "every possible character
from a gay nurse to," you know,
a Syrian undocumented immigrant,
people see the breadth of your
performance?
Where are you now?
Kind of like...
>> SLEIMAN: It's in... it's a very
exciting time.
It's as well... could be a
little bit frustrating in some
ways, and so it's again, there's
a good and bad in this.
I mean, there's been great
things coming out for people
from that culture, people who
are directors and storytellers
that are telling wonderful
stories about our people like,
either moving here from like,
whatever... like the movie...
I'm so sorry... Amreeka by
Cherien Dabis, the director, for
instance.
It's a lovely story.
This woman coming from the
Palestinian Territories to
America, to Michigan, and sort
of like...
>> HINOJOSA: Michigan.
>> SLEIMAN: ...and then befriending this
Jewish guy.
It's a beautiful sort of
understated sort of way of
approaching that.
Like The Visitor, you know?
Things like The Visitor, like
Amreeka, like those movies are
happening now, and that's great,
and there's more and more coming
out of that, so I think that's
fantastic.
In other sort of like, other
films, like, studio films, it's
been a little bit, eh, so and
so.
Because some of them, they want
to make money and they're more
concerned about that, and they
were... they think that, you
know, portraying what's expected
here, and the people... what
they think of people from that
culture is what will sell,
because that's what they want to
see.
It's that sort of excitement of
it all.
>> HINOJOSA: So for you,
ultimately it becomes an artist
versus the business world.
>> SLEIMAN: Yeah.
Yeah, absolutely.
It's... always been like that
for Hollywood.
>> HINOJOSA: And the Arab
community in the United States?
I mean, are you considered like,
a big star?
Are they applauding you?
Are they saying, "Haaz, go,
Haaz," or...
>> SLEIMAN: Yeah, actually.
I got an award in Michigan of
the Anti Arab American
Discrimination.
It was an honor, because I
thought, wow, I mean, you know,
I... I poured my heart and soul
into Visitor, but you know, just
for the joy of that-- not
expecting anything-- so for
the... to get that it was like,
really wonderful.
And you know, the Spirit Award
nomination was a great thing for
me, because as an Arab American,
I don't know if someone else,
maybe, have gotten that, so it's
a good sign.
It's sort of like people are
being more open, really being
more exposed.
I this what's interesting like,
someone like Tom McCarthy who
wrote and directed The Visitor,
he traveled to Lebanon twice to
screen his first feature film,
The Station Agent, which was a
fantastic movie, and he fell in
love.
I mean, that's the thing.
He's American, he grew up here,
you know, he's the whitest guy,
but he has this amazing openness
about him.
That's what shows about many
Americans.
There's that beautiful quality
about them, and they... you
know, and he went there and he
was so moved and that's what
inspired him to start writing
The Visitor.
And so it's that idea.
If people can be more open, like
going in and watching The
Visitor.
Just be open and let the story
take you there.
Connect with the people without
trying to hit them... hit you
over the head with a message,
because that's not what the
movie is about.
And I think that's what's
important, is when movies like
that are being told, it's
important that not to go to the
extreme sides and the black and
white of it, but rather go and
just human connection.
Strip away all of that stuff,
our differences, and then let's
connect that way, and then
people will realize, "Wow, are
we missing a lot in terms of
what... you know... in terms
of..."
>> HINOJOSA: What's going out
there.
You know...
>> SLEIMAN: Yeah.
>> HINOJOSA: ...one of the
things that you did-- and it's
something that we... we are kind
of leaving to the end, but I
think it's also really
important.
To prep for that film...
>> SLEIMAN: Mm-hmm.
>> HINOJOSA: ...The Visitor, you
ended up essentially putting
yourself into a situation that
you might not have to know
about, which is private
detention centers...
>> SLEIMAN: Mm-hmm.
>> HINOJOSA: ...in the middle of
major urban areas like in New
York City, where you have 300 to
400 mostly men-- undocumented
immigrant men...
>> SLEIMAN: Yeah.
>> HINOJOSA: ...in detention.
And you actually went.
>> SLEIMAN: Mm-hmm.
>> HINOJOSA: What was that like
for you when you found yourself
there?
It's not something that you see
all the time.
>> SLEIMAN: It's... it's really... I have
to say, it's what makes me want
to be an actor.
Because again, it's like... it
makes me a better person.
It like, exposes me to things
that I was not aware of.
I was not aware of that set up
in the detention centers and
what goes on with the detainees,
and the fact that they can be
detained there for an indefinite
amount of time, not knowing
what's going to happen, no legal
access, have maybe family back
home and they would be
prosecuted if they went back...
>> HINOJOSA: They're invisible,
right?
>> SLEIMAN: They're invisible.
They don't have a chance to
voice their sort of fears or
like, concerns, or get any
answers to any questions they
have.
And...
>> HINOJOSA: And no one really
cares, because they're like, you
know, they're undocumented,
they're not supposed... they
made a mistake coming to this
country without legal papers, so
who cares?
>> SLEIMAN: And that... I'm not even
like, condoning it.
I'm not like, saying, "Let"...
you know, listen.
There has to be laws, there has
to be a legal sort of aspect to
this whole thing, and it needs
to be done in a way where you
can control all of that, right.
But when someone does come,
they're... he's still a human
being, and there's still a human
way of approaching this, and I
believe that's the thing.
I think there's nothing wrong
with looking at the system and
trying to say, "Well, what can
we look at and fix?"
But it's not about like, taking
it all away and saying, "Oh,
it's all..." because it's not
about who's bad and who's wrong.
It's just more looking at it in
a mature way and in a human way
to just try to fix it so it's
more humane towards those
people, because some people die
because they didn't get
medical... I mean, it's... I
mean, come on.
Animals get treated better thank
this, you know?
>> HINOJOSA: All right, we have
30 seconds, and I just want to
know...
>> SLEIMAN: That's it?
>> HINOJOSA: 30 seconds.
Your dream job-- Haaz Sleiman,
what's next?
>> SLEIMAN: I would love to work with
Daniel Day-Lewis.
>> HINOJOSA: Oh, Daniel
Day-Lewis, okay.
>> SLEIMAN: Yes, I mean, hopefully, if...
I don't know if he watches this
show...
>> HINOJOSA: Okay, we're going
to try to get that to him.
>> SLEIMAN: Please, I would love that.
>> HINOJOSA: All right, and
besides Daniel Day-Lewis?
>> SLEIMAN: I... you know, I want to...
for me, I want to work with
directors that I respect, like
Quentin Tarantino.
He's crazy and I love that about
him.
He's just...
>> HINOJOSA: So if you get any
of these jobs you'll let us
know.
>> SLEIMAN: I will let you know, but
I'm... here's the thing-- it
never ends.
I'm always excited about
everything that comes my way and
things that are different,
things that are unusual,
anything outside the box.
Anything that breaks
stereotypes, anything that makes
people talk.
>> HINOJOSA: So it will be until
the next time when Haaz...
>> SLEIMAN: Well, I'll just drink more of
my Bourbon here.
>> HINOJOSA: ( laughing ) Haaz
Sleiman, thank you for coming.
>> SLEIMAN: Thank you so much.
>> HINOJOSA: It was really a
pleasure, good luck.
>> SLEIMAN: Pleasure, thank you so much.
>> HINOJOSA: We'll see you on
the small screen and on the big
screen.
>> SLEIMAN: Wonderful.
>> HINOJOSA: A pleasure.
>> SLEIMAN: Thank you.
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