In addition to his upcoming role on 24 as one of the major villains for next season, Alexander Siddig (Bashir) has roles in two major upcoming films and appears in the September issue of the UK edition of Vanity Fair.

Siddig plays the archangel Gabriel in The Nativity Story, appearing to Mary to announce her miraculous pregnancy. The film's web site now features a teaser trailer and behind-the-scenes featurettes. Siddig appears in the second featurette dressed all in white as the angel; Keisha Castle-Hughes plays Mary. A photo book of The Nativity Story will be released November 30th.

Di Laurentiis Productions has provided Siddig's official fan site, Sid City, with a synopsis of the film The Last Legion, in which Siddig plays Byzantine emissary Theodorus Andronikos alongside such actors as Colin Firth and Sir Ben Kingsley. The film focuses on the barbarian threat to Rome's young emperor, who is held prisoner by the Goths. The web site also has an exclusive photo of Siddig in costume in the film.

Sid City's galleries also have a scan of Siddig in Vanity Fair. "The last time I was in [a nativity play], I was six and I was the innkeeper," he said. "I consider this a promotion." In his spare time, he told the magazine, he enjoys working in his four acres of garden in West Sussex.

As for being half-English, half-Sudanese, Siddig explained, "I went through life, until I was 35, not giving a shit about being Arab, English, a lemon." But since September 11th, he has found himself defined far more as Arab, something he explored in Syriana. "You can't tackle real issues [on film] without biting off a big chunk of complex," he said.

Many thanks to Sid City for the updates.

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