Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority Chairman, Turki Al Al-Sheikh, announced on Sunday that acclaimed American actor Giancarlo Esposito has embraced Islam while visiting the Kingdom to film the international feature “7 Dogs.”
Al Al-Sheikh shared a video on his official social media accounts showing Esposito reciting the Islamic declaration of faith (Shahada) before joining members of the production team in prayer at a mosque.
According to Al Al-Sheikh, the actor’s decision followed his positive experience in Saudi Arabia, where he said he was deeply moved by the hospitality, generosity, and sense of community he encountered during his stay.
Esposito is currently in Saudi Arabia filming “7 Dogs,” one of the Kingdom’s largest international film productions. The movie features a cast of prominent Arab and international stars, including Ahmed Ezz, Karim Abdel Aziz, Monica Bellucci, Salman Khan, and Sanjay Dutt, and is directed by internationally acclaimed filmmakers Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah.
Born in 1958, Giancarlo Esposito is one of Hollywood’s most respected actors, with a career spanning more than four decades across film, television, and theater.
He is best known worldwide for portraying Gustavo “Gus” Fring in the award-winning television series “Breaking Bad” and its prequel “Better Call Saul,” a role that earned him multiple Emmy Award nominations.
Esposito has also appeared in several major international productions, including “The Mandalorian,” where he played Moff Gideon, “The Boys” as Stan Edgar, and “Godfather of Harlem,” further establishing his reputation as one of Hollywood’s finest character actors.
The announcement of his conversion to Islam generated widespread attention across social media, with videos and images of the ceremony being widely shared by users around the world.
