Biggest Myth Behind Tom Hanks’ Smash hit ‘Captain Phillips’ Has Been Burst by an Industry Insider, Here’s How the Film Got its Somali Pirates
Directed by Paul Greengrass, Captain Phillips is a 2013 biographical action-thriller based on 2009’s Maersk Alabama hijacking and Captain Richard Phillips’ book A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs and Dangerous Days at Sea. The movie starring Tom Hanks tells the story of Captain Phillips, an American merchant mariner, being taken hostage by Somali pirates.
The movie premiered at the 2013 New York Film Festival, and upon its release in October 2013, it was met with critical appreciation from critics as well as the audience. Captain Phillips went on to receive six Academy Award nominations, and apart from being critically acclaimed, it was a commercial success, too, grossing nearly $220 million at the box office. Despite being involved in various lawsuits, the movie is regarded as one of the greatest of all times. The casting director recently popped the biggest myth surrounding the movie to date.
Casting director Francine Maisler reveals the story behind the Somali Pirates in Tom Hanks starrer Captain Phillips
According to reports by Deadline, renowned casting director Francine Maisler appeared at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic, where she went on to share some anecdotes from her career. The casting director shared with the audience that she had been reluctant to join such gatherings because she was hired to be behind the scenes, not in front.
She revealed that the Somali pirates in Captain Phillips, starring Tom Hanks, were not exactly found in Somalia but during an open casting call in Minnesota. Back in 2013, during an interview with Backstage, Maisler shared,
I don’t think there was ever a question of wanting to find real Somali men for our pirates. Regardless of the name level of the rest of the cast, we were all committed to authenticity. Finding the Somali men to play the pirates was a daunting task. The sheer number of candidates we saw was quite intimidating from the start.
It was reported that the search took almost three months, and the casting director and team saw more than 1000 actors for the role, but she added that despite the time-consuming process, the efforts were worth it. Barkhad Abdi was finalized to play the pirate leader Abduwali Muse, along with Barkhad Abdirahman, Faysal Ahmed, and Mahat M. Ali, whom she described as standing out immediately.
Later, Mohamed Ali, Ibrahim Maalim, Idurus Shiish, Azeez Mohammed, and Nasir Jamas joined the Somali team for the movie. The search casting director, Debbie DeLisi, shared at the time that the four men were the chosen ones who anointed the group that stuck out, adding that she casts actors when she can feel them through their eyes.
The actors didn’t meet Tom Hanks until the very first scene, and Hanks went on to mention in various interviews at the time that the men were very convincing with their part, and he was terrified.
Somali pirate leader actor Barkhad Abdi noted, ‘I had to do my best to prove I could do it’
The American-Somali actors who were chosen from a casting call prepared for months to portray Somali pirates opposite Tom Hanks, who is one of the biggest and most respected actors in the industry. Barkhad Abdi, who played the pirate leader Abduwali Muse in the movie, shared it at the time (via Archive)
I wasn’t an actor, and I was given a big part, so I had to do my best to prove I can do it.
In an interview with EW, the actor who immigrated to US at the age of 14, shared that when the casting call was announced, he and his friends decided to audition, but people in the community were concerned with the fact that the movie might damage the image of Somali people. He said,
There was a rumor: ‘They’re going to embarrass the Somali people. Don’t go there. But I didn’t listen. I thought maybe if I was in it, it might be different. I hadn’t gone down that path. But I imagined: What if I was in Somalia the whole time and I had no other way?’
Born and raised in Yemen, Faysal Ahmed is also of Somali decent who later moved to the US and was picked to portray the role of Najee. He shared that starring in Captain Phillips is beyond anything he has ever imagined. He added that he didn’t think he’d fit for the character because his real personality is very different from how Najee is. The youngest pirate from the lot, 19-year-old Barkhad Abdirahman, who was born in Kenya to Somali parents was appreciated for being so young and catching up with the other guys.
Mahat M. Ali played Elmi, who is a volatile pirate who drives the lifeboat in which the pirates kept Phillips hostage. He was also born in Kenya before moving to the US and trying out his luck in the world of acting. The director had shared that the guys were strangers to everyone, but they came pumped. He also noted that keeping them away from meeting Hanks before filming was very effective for the on-screen emotions.
Despite being a commercial success and gaining positive comments along with six nominations, the movie unfortunately didn’t win any awards at the Academy Awards 2014. It was disappointing for the ones who had expectations that maybe Abdi and Hanks’ exceptional acting skills would help them to win the award.
Captain Phillips is available on VOD on Amazon Prime, Apple TV+, and YouTube.
