‘I’m proud of my roots’: Arab-Australian Sami Afuni lands role in smash hit musical ‘Hamilton’

Key points

Sam Afuni’s dreams of stardom and years of workshops and courses have led to him winning a dream role in Hamilton. The 25-year-old was born in Brisbane but moved with his family between Kuwait and Australia throughout his childhood. He says this transient lifestyle shaped his identity with him feeling “…Australian there and an Arab here”. Speaking to SBS Arabic24’s Good Morning Australia about his life, he says: “I lived in Kuwait for 10 years.” “My mother is Egyptian and my grandfather is from Sohag governorate, meaning Saidi. My father is Jordanian.

“He is also of Lebanese origin. My grandmother is Palestinian and I lived in Kuwait.”

Plum role in Hamilton

He will join the main cast of the Australian run of Hamilton in the role of Hercules Mulligan/James Madison. Although it is Mr Afuni’s first role on stage, he has an extensive musical background. In 2016, he appeared on TV show The X Factor and succeeded in reaching the finals. On this important milestone in his life, he says: “I was not trained in singing at the time, but I was confident in myself.”

“Since my childhood, I have been following the program with my mother and she has always encouraged me to participate. It was a really beautiful experience.”

However, it has not been a straightforward journey into musical theatre, he says. He says his father urged him to follow a traditional academic path as well as his acting. “I attended university and obtained a degree in business administration,” Mr Afuni said. “At the same time, I attended acting classes and workshops. One month before I graduated, I got my first role and started from there.” Interestingly, he says Hamilton had been the first musical he had ever watched.

Mr Afuni joined rehearsals three weeks ago and will take to the stage alongside the cast on September 27.

“The cast and crew is very diverse and from all over the world. I am proud to be an Arab and a Muslim,” he said.

Since my childhood, I’ve missed watching someone who looks like me on stage or through the screen.

“I hope to be a good example for children who want to enter this field in the future.” Hamilton is a sung-and-rapped-through musical written by Lin-Manuel Miranda which premiered off-Broadway in 2015.

The Tony-, Grammy-, Olivier- and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical follows the life of Alexander Hamilton, who was born on the Caribbean island of Nevis and went on to become one of the United States’ seven Founding Fathers.

Sami Afuni has scored a part in smash hit musical “Hamilton”. Credit: Eugene Hyland

Focus on Hollywood

Mr Afuni said even though his experiences as a student in Brisbane schools was largely positive, he had faced a kind of “identity crisis” due to his family’s frequent travelling between Australia and Arab countries.

When I was in Kuwait, I used to tell everyone that I was Australian and when I returned here, I later found out that it was better to stick to my Arab identity.

As for his future plans, Mr Afuni told SBS Arabic24 he would continue to focus on singing and theatre training in order to deliver the best possible performances in Hamilton. “I also want to act in Arabic plays, movies and TV and I hope to reach Hollywood one day,” he said. Continue the conversation through our , and Go to our for the latest Australian news and topics of interest to you. You can also listen to our programs via or through the SBS Radio app, which is available free of charge on

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