Shiek Mahmud-BeyWas born in Brooklyn, NY. Shortly after the birth of his younger sister the family moved to Jamaica, Queens. Shiek comes from a large extended family and is one of five children. His father was a United States Army Sergeant Major and his mother a cosmetologist. It was after his mother took him and his siblings to see a production of the Wiz starring Stephanie Mills on Broadway that Shiek got the acting bug. But it wasn't until his first stage performance years later with the Char "Actors" Improvisation Theater Company; founded by, Roni Dengel, Fredrick Rolf, and the late Adolf Caesar, that Shiek fully understood the depth of his love and passion for acting. While working alongside actor Morgan Freeman, it was suggested to Shiek that he learn as much about the business as possible. Shiek then enrolled at NYU, taking classes in film production, cinematography, and writing. In August 2002, Shiek portrayed Rubin "Hurricane" Carter in 'The Way Out', a play he helped develop. The New York Times said his performances, a run at a small Lower East Side theater, as part of the New York International Fringe Festival "will be remembered." The New York Daily News said that "Shiek's fierce performance as the former boxer convicted of a triple homicide goes a long way toward making audiences forget Denzel Washington." Shiek's work earned him a place as a New York International Fringe Festival Winner in the Best Performance category. The following year, Shiek returned to a sold out run of "Acts of Contrition" where he played a Catholic Priest accused of Pedophilia, a role he had to fight hard to get. Initially, the producers didn't think he would be believable as a Catholic Priest with layered complexities, but they took a chance on him. Again, Shiek received critical acclaim for his performances, proving that he is an actor with a large range and chameleon-like ability. Shiek has appeared opposite some of Hollywood and television's biggest stars including Joe Mantegna, Marcia Gay Harden, Robert DeNiro, Nicolas Cage, Andy Garcia, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix, to name a few. He has portrayed characters ranging from FBI agents, the only African American terrorist in the first world trade center attack, street thugs, a Guyanese Consulate, a corrupted Army Sergeant, Police Detectives, and the list goes on. His biggest film break came when the late Sidney Lumet gave him the opportunity of a lifetime to play one of New York City's most notorious drug lords opposite an all-star cast.