Omid Djalili on becoming an honorary man of Suffolk

The comedian talks about working with his children, falling asleep with a pizza box and refusing to accept the march of time.

Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock

By Saga Magazine | Published - 20 Aug 2024

Omid Djalili, the 58-year-old Iranian-British actor, comedian, and writer, has shared some of his life lessons in our Saga Magazine.

"Having been born in London and spent most of my life there, just under three years ago I moved to Ipswich.

I’d played Ipswich a few times and it suddenly dawned on me that Suffolk is one of the most beautiful counties in the UK.

I’m sure that some locals are a little wary of all the Londoners turning up, but my experience was nothing but positive. I feel like I’ve been adopted as an honorary ‘man of Suffolk’.

One thing that always makes people from Suffolk laugh is mention of the massive adult store opposite a service station on the A12.

Where else can you fill up your car with petrol, grab a coffee and pick up edible underwear?

Generation games

Annabel [Knight, an actor] and I got married in 1992. We have three children who are all in their 20s and 30s. We all work together as part of our production company, so that distinction between parent and child has been distorted.

Although I am technically their father, I can no longer order them to fetch my slippers or iron my socks.

Having said that, it does annoy me when we’re working on a project and they tell me what’s funny and what’s not.

"When you’ve done 30 years of stand-up comedy, and been nominated for the Perrier at Edinburgh, then you can tell me what’s funny.

No belly laughs

Some years ago, I came back from a gig and fell asleep on the sofa with a pizza box. That’s how my family found me in the morning. My daughter stood over me and said, "Dad, you are a disgrace!".

I have since tried to make some changes: stop eating crap, do a bit of exercise, get some proper sleep… and don’t visit restaurants that do a 12-course menu.

Peace talks

My parents were Iranian immigrants and I was raised in what was basically an Iranian household. The media talks about identity politics as if it’s a new thing. I grew up surrounded by the idea of identity, and politics was a regular topic of conversation.

There were always friends and relatives staying with us, 10 or 12 people around the dinner table. People who’d escaped torture, women who’d seen their men executed.

You might think it must have been awful for a small child to hear such talk. Yes, but it was also real life for a lot of Iranians.

Choosing humanity

My parents grew up in the Bahá’í faith, which suffered years of persecution, especially after the 1979 Islamic revolution. Although I have been critical of Iran, I haven’t attacked Islam – I would never attack anything that people hold sacred.

A couple of weeks after 7 October, one of my shows was cancelled for safety reasons. Apparently, threats had been made. It seems people demand that I pick a side; they want to know who I support.

My answer is always that I stand on one side: humanity.

Our fabulous second act

It annoys me that once you hit your 50s, it is assumed that you’re all washed up. What?

Look at Carlos Santana, making music since the mid-60s, blew away the crowd at Woodstock in 1969. Then, in 1999 he released an album called Supernatural and won nine Grammys.

Taylor Swift is 2024’s most successful popstar. Mark my words, in a few years she will step back from the spotlight. Then, when she’s 50 or 60, she’ll come back and surprise the world.

Don’t just accept the march of time. Get ready for your fabulous second act."

See Omid Djalili: Namaste on tour in the UK from 7 October 2024 to 21 November 2025.

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