Lee Majdoub reprises role as Agent Stone in Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Appearing for the third time as “Agent Stone” in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Lee Majdoub is still learning to take it all in. “I don’t think in my wildest dreams I expected to be part of a video game franchise that I loved as a kid,” said the Lebanese actor.
In this third installment of the Sonic the Hedgehog films, Majdoub is excited to show more dimension to his character.
Agent Stone is the loyal servant to Dr. Robotnik, almost to a fault. Majdoub sees Agent Stone’s loyalty reflected in his own desire to feel needed and seen by others as well. “I’m the ‘Please love me!’ guy”. He also relates to his character’s desire to be a part of something bigger than him.
Representation of Middle Eastern or West-Asian characters and stories in entertainment
Despite recent accolades of projects such as Shogun and Beef, we must also acknowledge that Hollywood continues to pigeonhole West Asian actors and characters into one-dimensional or stereotypical roles of the baddie or terrorist.
“I went through a period of my life when I was deeply ashamed and resented being Middle Eastern,” shares Majdoub. “I hated the reflection I saw in the mirror. I didn’t want anybody knowing I came from a Middle Eastern background, especially post-9-11.”
Majdoub cites Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Will Smith and Denzel Washington as actors who inspired him in his youth. “But nobody really looked like me,” shares Majdoub, who is also an award-winning actor.
A 2024 McKinsey report surveyed 1000 Asian and Pacific Islander consumers and media viewers in the U.S. and found that “less than 30 percent of respondents believe their racial and ethnic identity is authentically represented in film and television,” specific to U.S.-produced media.
During the press tour for the second Sonic film in 2022, Majdoub describes an instance where a woman shared a story about her young son. Pointing at Majdoub as Agent Stone in a large Sonic poster, he said “Mommy! That looks like me!” – something her son had never called out before.
“The boy had never seen anyone who made him feel the way he sees himself,” says Majdoub. It’s a story that he shares proudly and with gratitude.
Lee Majdoub finds meaning and opportunity by reconnecting with his culture
In 2023, Lee Majdoub was cast as the voice behind “Basim”, the lead character in major gaming franchise Assassin’s Creed: Mirage.
He recalls the producers’ efforts on authenticity in the game. “That team cared so much about the story: about Basim’s story, about Baghdad being shown in such a beautiful light,” he shared.
The job was a meaningful one for Majdoub as he says his casting was made possible largely due to his investment of time and energy into learning his native language, Arabic.
“Assassin’s Creed: Mirage came at a time when I was working on healing and learning to love that part of myself again. I was learning the language and spending time with my mom on the phone,” shares Majdoub.
“I had to be in the right place on my journey, and that entailed a lot of things including my sobriety, going to therapy, trauma counseling,” shared Majdoub. “And then I think it opened up space for me to have the realization of the void in me that is my culture.”
Beyond Sonic 3, we can also look forward to seeing Majdoub in the upcoming final season of Upload.
Representation heals
Throughout the last few years, Majdoub has played a variety of roles across of genres, formats and franchises. Yet, he is still very conscious of how he’s not just an actor, but an actor of colour, which carries a different weight for him.
When you don’t see yourself represented, you may not think it’s possible. “Maybe there’s no spot for me, but when you see someone that looks like you, I think then it starts to show you the world doesn’t just see you in a negative or stereotypical way,” Majoub shares. “When you do see yourself represented, it starts to heal something,” says Majdoub.
“Representation matters. Representation inspires. Representation heals.”
