Michael Gross (Okba)
Gross is probably best known, at least to North American viewers, as dad Steven Keaton from the huge 1980s American sitcom Family Ties, which was also a key show in launching the careers of both Michael J Fox (Steven’s son Alex) and Tom Hanks (Uncle Ned). Despite its huge success in the United States and Canada, the show never really took off in Europe, but other readers may remember Gross from his role as Burt Gummer, alongside Kevin Bacon, in the 1990 film Tremors, a role he went on to reprise in four sequels and a 2003 TV series.
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (adult Bilal)
Agbaje, a Londoner, began his career modelling in Milan, and also attained a law degree from King’s College, London, before he headed to Hollywood. He has appeared in movies including The Mummy Returns and Thor: The Dark World, but is perhaps best known for his TV work, with roles in Lost (Mr Eko), Oz (Simon Adebisi) and Game of Thrones (Malko). Agbaje has played almost exclusively African characters in TV and film, although in real life, despite being the son of Nigerian immigrants, he has a thick London accent. Pictured here with Andre Robinson who voices the child Bilal.
Ian McShane (Umayya)
The veteran Brit actor has a career spanning more than 50 years of successful film and TV roles. Until his high-school teacher suggested he try out (successfully) for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, McShane planned on following in the footsteps of his father, Harry, a footballer for Manchester United. McShane produced, starred in and sometimes directed the hit TV series Lovejoy from 1986 to 1994, in which he played a loveable rogue antiques dealer, and more recently has appeared in hits such as Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides as Blackbeard, as dance teacher Ron Parfitt in Cuban Fury and as Amphiaraus in Hercules.
Jacob Latimore (teen Bilal)
Rising R&B star Latimore knew from a young age he wanted to work in the entertainment industry. He was born into a family of talented singers – his father and uncles make up the quartet The Latimore Brothers. In 2006, Latimore made his first national TV show appearance on the Maury Povich Show to perform his single Superstar. In 2007, at the age of 11, with the support of his parents and Crown World Entertainment, Latimore moved to Atlanta to pursue his music. It wasn’t long before his natural talent as an actor was discovered by agent Joy Pervis, who began booking Latimore in commercials, voice-overs, episodics and his first lead role in the 2010 feature film Vanishing On 7th Street. In the same year, he signed his first major recording contract with Jive Records, now RCA Records, and he has since appeared in movies including Black Nativity and Maze Runner.
Thomas Ian Nicholas (Saad)
Nicholas landed his breakout role in 1984, at the tender age of 7, playing a young Tony Danza in the sitcom Who’s the Boss?. He went on to star in various family films, including A Kid in King Arthur’s Court and its sequel, A Kid in Aladdin’s Palace, throughout his childhood and teen years before landing the role of Kevin Myers in American Pie, returning for number two and the third spin-off, American Wedding. He has also shaken of his child-actor roots with roles in adult fare such as Halloween: Resurrection and Roger Avary’s The Rules of Attraction.