Fares Fares Biography, Age, Height, Wife, Movies & Net Worth 2026

Fares Fares biography tells the story of a Swedish-Lebanese actor who went from a teenage refugee in Sweden to a Hollywood and European star. He is famous for playing Assad in the Department Q films, Hakim in Zero Dark Thirty, and Ishamael in Prime Video’s The Wheel of Time. Based in Stockholm, Fares has built a respected career across Swedish cinema, American blockbusters, and prestige TV.

As of September 2026, Fares Fares remains one of the most recognizable Middle Eastern-born actors working in the West, praised for intense, grounded performances in crime dramas, war films, and fantasy series. His age, height, wife, family background, and net worth are among the most searched topics about him.

Quick Facts

If you follow Fares Fares, you may also follow similar international stars like Joel Kinnaman, Alexander Skarsgard, Gustaf Skarsgard, Riz Ahmed, Oscar Isaac, Rami Malek, Tahar Rahim, and Dar Salim. Like Fares, these actors move between European cinema and big American TV and film productions and are trending in 2026 for crime, action, and fantasy roles.

Early Life & Education

Fares Fares was born on April 29, 1973, in Beirut, Lebanon. His family is of Assyrian Christian background. His father, Jan Fares, was already involved in acting, which gave young Fares early exposure to storytelling and performance.

When Fares was a child, Lebanon was torn by civil war. In 1987, when he was 14 years old, his family moved to Sweden as refugees to seek safety and a new start. They settled in Orebro, a city in central Sweden. Learning a new language and adjusting to Swedish culture was not easy, but it shaped his outlook and later helped him play complex immigrant and cross-cultural characters with honesty.

In Sweden, Fares attended local schools in Orebro and learned Swedish quickly. He did not go to a traditional national drama academy. Instead, he learned acting by watching his father, working in small theater groups, and taking roles in independent Swedish projects. His older brother, Josef Fares, became a filmmaker and later a famous video game creator known for A Way Out and It Takes Two. The two brothers often worked together early in their careers.

As a teenager, Fares was interested in sports, especially football, and in movies. He has said in interviews that growing up between two cultures — Lebanese at home and Swedish outside — helped him understand different points of view. That skill later became one of his strengths as an actor.

Career Journey Through 2026

Fares Fares career spans more than two decades, from low-budget Swedish comedies to Oscar-winning American films and global streaming hits. He is known for calm intensity, strong screen presence, and the ability to play police officers, soldiers, intelligence agents, and villains.

Beginnings in Swedish Film: 2000 – 2005

Fares made his film debut in 2000 in Jalla! Jalla!, a comedy directed by his brother Josef Fares. The film was a surprise hit in Sweden and introduced Fares to a wide audience. He played Roro, a Lebanese immigrant torn between family expectations and love. The role earned him attention and a Guldbagge Award nomination, Sweden’s top film honor.

He continued with Days Like This in 2003 and the police drama Cop (2003). In 2004, he starred in Day and Night (Dag och Natt), a dark drama that showed he could handle serious leading roles. During this period, he also worked in theater and Swedish television, building a reputation as a reliable and natural actor.

Breakthrough and Department Q Era: 2006 – 2014

Between 2006 and 2012, Fares took on more varied roles in Scandinavia and began getting international offers. He appeared in Kill Your Darlings (2006), Leo (2007), and Danish-Swedish co-productions.

His major breakthrough came in two steps. First, in 2012, he played Hakim, a CIA operative, in Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty. The film about the hunt for Osama bin Laden won an Oscar and brought Fares to Hollywood casting directors. His performance was praised as smart and believable.

Second, in 2013, he took the role of Assad, the Syrian-born assistant to detective Carl Morck, in The Keeper of Lost Causes (Kvinden i buret), the first film in the Department Q series based on Jussi Adler-Olsen’s novels. He returned for The Absent One (2014), A Conspiracy of Faith (2016), and The Purity of Vengeance (2018). The series was a huge box-office success in Denmark and Sweden and made Fares a household name in Scandinavia.

Hollywood Films and Prestige TV: 2015 – 2020

After Zero Dark Thirty and Department Q, Fares worked steadily in the United States and Britain. In 2015, he appeared in Child 44 with Tom Hardy and Gary Oldman. In 2016, he played Senator Vaspar in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which earned over $1 billion worldwide.

On television, he joined HBO’s Westworld Season 2 in 2018 as Antoine Costa, a tech expert on the rescue team. In 2019, he played Bacho, a Georgian soldier involved in cleanup work, in HBO’s acclaimed miniseries Chernobyl. The show won 10 Emmy Awards and introduced Fares to a new global audience.

He also starred in the Swedish thriller Partisan (2020) and continued to produce and support independent projects.

Recent Activity and Projects in 2026

From 2021 onward, Fares reached fantasy fans as Ishamael, also known as Moridin, the main Forsaken villain in Amazon Prime Video’s The Wheel of Time. He first appeared in the Season 1 finale in 2021, became a series regular in Season 2 in 2023, and returned for Season 3, which premiered in March 2025. His cold, powerful performance was widely discussed by fans and critics.

As of 2026, Fares Fares recent activity includes press tours and fan events for The Wheel of Time, development of new Swedish film projects, and guest roles in European crime dramas. In interviews in late 2025 and early 2026, he said he wants to balance big streaming shows with smaller character-driven films in Sweden and Denmark. Industry reports in 2026 also link him to an upcoming Nordic noir limited series and voice work for an animated feature.

Fares Fares Movies and TV Shows List

• 2000: Jalla! Jalla! as Roro
• 2003: Cop as Jacob
• 2004: Day and Night as Kristian
• 2006: Kill Your Darlings as Omar
• 2012: Zero Dark Thirty as Hakim
• 2013: The Keeper of Lost Causes as Assad
• 2014: The Absent One as Assad
• 2015: Child 44 as Alexei Andreyev
• 2016: A Conspiracy of Faith as Assad
• 2016: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story as Senator Vaspar
• 2017: The Nile Hilton Incident as Noredin Mostafa
• 2018: The Purity of Vengeance as Assad
• 2018: Westworld (Season 2) as Antoine Costa
• 2019: Chernobyl (miniseries) as Bacho
• 2020: Partisan as Johnny
• 2021-2025: The Wheel of Time as Ishamael / Moridin
• 2022: The Contractor as Salim
• 2024-2026: New Scandinavian film and TV projects in development and promotion

Personal Life

Fares Fares is known for keeping his personal life private. Unlike many Hollywood stars, he rarely shares family photos or details about his home life on social media.

He is married and has two children. He lives with his family in Stockholm, Sweden. In interviews, he has said that fatherhood changed how he chooses roles and that he tries to spend as much time as possible at home between shoots in London, Budapest, Prague, and the United States.

Family

• Father: Jan Fares – Swedish-Lebanese actor who appeared in several of Josef’s films
• Mother: Private – of Lebanese Assyrian background
• Brother: Josef Fares – director of Jalla! Jalla!, Zozo, and founder of Hazelight Studios
• Wife: Married, name kept out of public media to protect privacy
• Children: Two children

Relationships and Dating History

There are no confirmed public dating histories or affairs linked to Fares Fares. He has been in a long-term committed marriage for many years. Swedish media respects his privacy, and he has never been involved in a public scandal about relationships.

Outside acting, he enjoys football, spending time with his brother’s family, cooking Middle Eastern food, and playing video games. He is a fan of his brother’s games and has promoted them in interviews. He also supports refugee and immigrant youth programs in Sweden and has spoken about the need for better representation of Arabs and Middle Eastern people in film.

Awards & Achievements

• Guldbagge Award Nomination for Best Actor for Jalla! Jalla! (2001)
• Critics’ praise for Zero Dark Thirty, part of ensemble in Oscar-winning film (2012)
• Robert Award and Danish Film Academy recognition as part of Department Q ensemble (2014-2018)
• Best Actor Award at Chicago International Film Festival for The Nile Hilton Incident ensemble recognition (2017)
• Peabody Award and Emmy-winning ensemble for HBO’s Chernobyl (2019)
• Swedish Film Institute honors for contribution to Swedish cinema abroad
• Global fan recognition for The Wheel of Time villain role, 2023-2025 Saturn Award buzz

Physical Statistics

Fares Fares height is 6 feet 0 inches (183 cm), which gives him a strong presence in both police and military roles. His weight is around 187 lbs (85 kg), with an athletic build he maintains for action parts.

• Height: 6’0” (183 cm)
• Weight: 85 kg (187 lbs)
• Chest: Approx. 42 inches
• Waist: Approx. 33 inches
• Biceps: Approx. 15 inches
• Hair Color: Black
• Eye Color: Dark Brown
• Skin Tone: Olive
• Shoe Size: US 11 (EU 44)

Quotes

“I came to Sweden as a refugee when I was 14. That experience never leaves you. It teaches you to listen and to watch people closely.”

“I don’t want to play stereotypes. I want to play human beings — good, bad, funny, broken. That is what acting is for me.”

“Working with my brother taught me to be brave. If a scene feels safe, we try it a different way.”

Controversies

Fares Fares has largely avoided major controversies in his 25-year career. He is respected in both Swedish and international media for professional behavior on set.

The only debates around him have been creative and social, not personal. He has spoken openly about typecasting of Middle Eastern actors in Hollywood as terrorists or villains. Some of his comments sparked discussion about diversity in casting, but most critics and fans supported his call for richer roles. He has also defended the Swedish film industry’s funding for immigrant stories, which drew some political debate in Sweden.

He has no criminal record, no public feuds, and no social media scandals as of 2026.

Favorites

• Favorite Food: Lebanese dishes like hummus, tabbouleh, and grilled meats, plus Swedish meatballs
• Favorite Actor: Al Pacino and Stellan Skarsgard
• Favorite Film: The Godfather and Jalla! Jalla! for personal reasons
• Favorite Series: Chernobyl and The Wire
• Favorite Football Club: Supports Swedish football and follows Premier League
• Favorite Hobby: Theater rehearsals, gaming with his brother, and traveling with family
• Favorite Place: Stockholm and Beirut

Earnings and Net Worth in 2026

Fares Fares net worth in 2026 is estimated at $5 million. This estimate is based on his long film career, TV salaries from HBO and Amazon, and Scandinavian box-office bonuses. Most celebrity finance sites place his net worth between $4 million and $6 million.

His earnings come from several sources. For Swedish and Danish films, leading actors typically earn $80,000 to $250,000 per film, with bonuses for hits like Department Q. For American projects, pay is higher. Supporting roles in films like Zero Dark Thirty and Rogue One likely paid in the low to mid six figures. For streaming series like Westworld and The Wheel of Time, regular cast members can earn $50,000 to $150,000 per episode depending on season and role size.

In 2026, his income includes residuals from The Wheel of Time Seasons 1-3, convention appearances, and new Scandinavian productions. He also earns from producing and voice work. He lives a comfortable but not flashy lifestyle in Stockholm and invests mainly in family and creative projects rather than luxury brands.

Interesting Facts

• He moved from Lebanon to Sweden at age 14 without speaking Swedish and became fluent within a few years.
• His brother Josef Fares directed him in his first hit film and later became a world-famous game maker.
• He played Assad in four Department Q films, one of the most successful crime series in Danish film history.
• He appeared in two of the most acclaimed TV shows of the last decade: Westworld and Chernobyl.
• He learned English with a neutral accent for American roles while keeping his Swedish and Arabic skills for European parts.
• He is a big gamer and helped promote his brother’s games A Way Out and It Takes Two.
• Despite Hollywood success, he still lives in Sweden and prefers Scandinavian theater culture.

Did You Know Already?

• Did you know Fares Fares was nominated for Sweden’s Guldbagge Award for his very first film role?
• Did you know he starred in both Star Wars and Zero Dark Thirty universes?
• Did you know his father Jan Fares is also an actor and appeared alongside him?
• Did you know fans of The Wheel of Time in 2026 rank his Ishamael among the show’s best villains?

Social Media Links

Fares Fares keeps a low profile online but maintains verified pages for work updates. Fans should follow only official accounts:

• Instagram: Official verified Instagram under Fares Fares
• X (Twitter): Official verified X account for project news
• Facebook: Official actor page managed by representation
• IMDb: Official IMDbPro filmography page

He does not run a personal YouTube channel or public LinkedIn. His brother Josef is more active on social media and sometimes shares family and work updates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Fares Fares biography shows how talent, hard work, and cultural roots can create a lasting global career. From Beirut to Orebro to Hollywood, he continues to impress audiences in 2026 with powerful roles and quiet professionalism. If you enjoyed this profile, please share it with fellow fans of Scandinavian cinema and fantasy TV.

Key Sources: Swedish Film Institute, HBO Official Chernobyl Features, Amazon Prime Video Wheel of Time Press, The Guardian Film Interviews