He was the one who found out that there was someone else involved in the bombing who was supposed to have filmed the bombing and backed out. They tracked him down and from that, led him to a domino effect with suspects that would have eventually led him to the 9/11 plot, but the CIA wouldn't give him information because they wouldn't cooperate with the FBI back then. It was a very bureaucratic stonewalling between the FBI and the CIA.

My character is that guy. He is an individual that is trying to do his job, fighting the blocks in the system and the things that prevent him from doing his job effectively. It's like having one hand tied behind your back and having to do something that you need two hands for. So there's a lot of frustration involved in the character and a lot of passion. And because he's an Arab American, he feels that he has to be perfect for him to do the job. That, in itself, is a lot of pressure on him.

How much research did you do into Ali Soufan before taking the role and when you are playing the role, how much of the character do you base on Soufan?
I asked the writers about him. I didn't know much about him at that time. They gave me a rough outline of who he is and I just took what they told me and developed the character on my own. Individually, as an actor, I like to work using what I have instead of what I can find from other people. You are an artist, you have an interpretation. You have to interpret something the way you think it should be interpreted - not mimic it, not make a copy of it.

What can you tell us about your character and the show in general in regards to season two? What has changed from season one to where the show picks up, and what direction will the show be headed in?
In season two, there will be three different plotlines ongoing at the same time. The lead terrorist, Oded Fehr, is captured, so he gets shipped off and interrogated. Michael Ealy finds another cell operating out there and he needs to penetrate that. Henri Lubatti is out there somewhere hiding from the police so he can go back to Bosnia. So you have these three storylines going on and at the end, they do meet. That's all I can tell you at this point.

My character is in charge of extracting information from Farik, Oded Fehr's character, and is dealing with a loss of people, agents in the field, and having to counter that with his obsession of catching these guys and having some set backs. Ultimately, he's high up there on the FBI food chain, but he's not higher than some people in the CIA. That frustration is always going to be there and that hindrance is always going to be there.

In the past, Hollywood has often times portrayed terrorists as one dimensional, but Sleeper Cell goes deeper and portrays the terrorist cell as real people who you actually get to know. Is it refreshing to work on a show that seeks to give a more well-rounded view?
The producers and the writers didn't want to do something that's cartoonish. The audience needs to know why people become terrorists and the underlying question is answered by portraying a terrorist correctly. You have to kind of go behind the scenes and give the terrorist their point of view of why they are who they are and this show touches on that, but it doesn't go too far to offend anybody. It just needed to show that there are people out there who have reasons for what they do, however diabolical they are. They could be personal and they could be political or they could be religious. But we introduce that concept in the show because we felt that it was lacking overall in the Hollywood entertainment community. Nobody has actually shown the flip side of terrorism and understanding your enemies is such an important thing.

With the events of Sept. 11 and the current war in Iraq, obviously your show is fictional, but how important do you think a show like Sleeper Cell is?
I think in hindsight maybe five or 10 years from now it will be regarded more important than it was. Right now, there is an open wound and sometimes you just don't want to look at it. People are sentimentally passionate about it. We will overcome terrorism as a nation and as a people and we will learn that there had been mistakes and people will correct them and prevent them from happening again. The show is basically just a catalyst of that. Hopefully, historically speaking, that will be the pillar of the show.

Who in Hollywood are you a fan of? Who would you pay to see in a movie, and who would you like to someday work with?
There are so many people I'd like to work with. Steven Spielberg being one. Martin Scorsese. Some of the actors - I'd like to work with Al Pacino definitely, Dustin Hoffman. Gosh, there's so many.

I would like to work with Tony Shalhoub, as a matter of fact, who's an Arab American and he's done so well for himself. I admire him very much because of that. He's overcome a lot of stereotypical stuff. Way back when he first started, he was on Wings and he was only a guest star, he was only supposed to be on there for one episode and he ended up being a regular on the show for five seasons, which is great.

I admire a lot of different people. I get different things from different people. I think perseverance and believing in yourself and what you are doing is the most important thing in Hollywood and that comes from you and your own experiences.

Have you given any thought to where you'd like to see your career headed after Sleeper Cell?
I'd definitely like to do more films. I'm developing a couple of films. I want to add something new to film making. I want to tell stories that some people are afraid to tell. I want to provoke thought and debate on issues that people shun away from. I think filmmakers nowadays are becoming a little shy or afraid to speak out because of the current political environment and how people are dealing with the way and so on and so forth. I think you have to face reality and look at the issue in a very blunt way. I think our country needs that now. We need to look at things in a very honest way.

Do you want to direct these films?
I think I'd like to produce more than direct. I'm an actor at heart. I always will be an actor. I think Hollywood doesn't give you a lot of opportunities and you have to make your own. I'm not relying on anyone in Hollywood. I have to take charge of my career.

I have an entrepreneurial spirit and I know I can do it and I'm doing it. Barring a studio coming up to me and saying, "We want you to do this and this and this," I will do my own projects until that happens.

What do you do to unwind? What kind of hobbies do you have?
I work out three times a week. It's quite an intense two hour workout. And then I hike on the weekend. My girlfriend and I, we like to go on short trips here and there. I write and do a little bit of yoga.

Tell us something most people don't know about you.
I speak four languages - Arabic, French, Spanish and English.

We've got one last thing for you here. We are going to do a word association. We'll just throw out a name and tell us the first thing that comes to your mind.

Sleeper Cell.
Quality.

Alim Saleh.
Inspirational.

Michael Desante.
Reasonable.

Showtime.
Good.

The future.
Bright.

Interview by Joel Murphy, November 2006. The new season of Sleeper Cell debuts December 10 on Showtime.