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He had a lonely childhood

The Emirati-born, Lebanese-raised Sleiman told Variety that he had “a very solitary childhood” and felt isolated and disconnected as a gay kid who feared being rejected by his family. The 45-year-old actor ended up migrating to the US at the age of 21. “I thought I couldn’t survive living [in Lebanon] – that I would die if I had to stay there,” he said.

However, over the years, his relationship with his father improved and they reconnected just months before his passing. “My dad actually was telling me over the phone that he accepts me for who I am and he’d stand with me [and] he’d fight for me against any family member – which is something I never dreamed of,” he shared in the same interview.

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He has an extensive TV career

While Eternals is his first foray into Marvel, Sleiman has already built an extensive portfolio in TV and films. He made his debut in ER (2006) playing an American soldier in Iraq, then took a complete U-turn by playing suspected terrorist Heydar in the hit-series 24 (2007). Since then, he has appeared in NCIS, Veronica Mars, The Good Wife and Nikita.

He was nominated for a Independent Spirit Award for best supporting male for his portrayal of Tarek in The Visitor (2007) and got rave reviews for his portrayal of Jesus in National Geographic’s Killing Jesus (2015).

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He is unapologetic about his sexuality

Back in 2017, Sleiman revealed he was gay in a Facebook video, saying, “I am a gay, Muslim, Arab-American man.”

Speaking to Salon in 2020, he recalled the positive feedback he received for coming out. “Fans around the world have thanked me for the way I came out and said I made them feel powerful [by not apologising] for the way I am,” said Sleiman in the interview. However, he also mentioned that many gay people are still in “hiding and afraid” to come out and he is “ready to break out and change the conversation and challenge the world that we live in”.

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He said Eternals will humanise LGBTQ+ parents and families

In an interview with New Now Next last year, Sleiman promised that there will be a very moving moment in the Marvel film. “Everyone cried on set. For me, it’s very important to show how loving and beautiful a queer family can be,” he said in the interview.

Sleiman recently told Out Magazine that he feels lucky and grateful to be cast in Eternals as he “got to humanise an LGBTQ+ family and show how beautiful they are”.

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He has played other gay characters too

Sleiman rose to fame after starring as nurse Mohammed “Mo-Mo” De La Cruz in Showtime’s Nurse Jackie (2009). He then garnered attention after playing a gay Syrian refugee in Apple TV’s Little America and also for his role in interfaith romcom film Breaking Fast opposite Michael Cassidy last year.

Reflecting on his gay roles, he told Variety that he feels it’s his job to make the audience “feel for this character and relate to this person”. He further added that, “Maybe they’re not gay, maybe they’ve never met a queer person, but my job is to make them relate to them as a human being.”