Zeeko Zaki on Whether Dick Wolf Would Make a Show About ICE – and Leading ‘FBI’ as an Arab-American Muslim: ‘I’m Still the Only One’

The significance of Zeeko Zaki’s remarks about his role as the lead of *FBI* extends beyond the confines of television into the broader conversation about representation in mainstream media. When Zaki notes that it is no longer surprising to see an Arab-American Muslim actor headlining a procedural drama, he underscores a slow but measurable shift in how Hollywood portrays marginalized identities. For decades, such roles were either absent or confined to stereotypes, often as villains or secondary characters. Zaki’s presence as the central figure in a major procedural—especially one helmed by Dick Wolf, a producer known for hard-edged, formulaic storytelling—signals that audiences are increasingly receptive to seeing themselves reflected in roles traditionally reserved for white, cisgender, or heteronormative protagonists. Yet, his acknowledgment that he remains the only one of his kind in this space highlights the persistent gaps in true diversity behind the camera as much as in front of it. The context here is not just about casting but about the institutional inertia in Hollywood. While networks and studios have paid lip service to representation in recent years, progress has often been performative. Arab-American and Muslim characters, when they appear, are frequently tethered to narratives of terrorism or geopolitical conflict, reinforcing harmful tropes rather than dismantling them. Zaki’s role subverts that pattern by placing an Arab-American Muslim in a position of institutional authority—a federal agent—which carries its own political weight. The fact that this is still an anomaly, despite the show’s longevity, suggests that inclusion is often treated as a box to check rather than a fundamental reimagining of who gets to tell stories and how. Looking ahead, the question is whether Zaki’s success will pave the way for more Arab-American and Muslim actors to lead shows, or if this remains an exception rather than a trend. The entertainment industry’s track record of embracing diversity in front of the camera while stalling behind it—through a lack of writers’ rooms, directors’ chairs, and executive suites filled with marginalized voices—remains a critical barrier. If networks truly want to move beyond tokenism, they must invest in creators from these communities, not just cast them. Otherwise, Zaki’s observation that he is "still the only one" will remain true for years to come.