Industry veteran Simon Elrahi, known for his work as an actor, director, producer, and writer, has died after a short illness. He was 54.
Elrahi’s screen career spanned three decades and more than 50 film credits including Last King of the Cross, Stan series C*A*U*G*H*T, Ronnie S. Riskalla’s feature Streets of Colour, and the upcoming ABC drama House of Gods.
House of Gods co-creator Osamah Sami told IF he was “gutted” by the news.
“I was lucky enough to know this beautiful man for the best part of a decade and not only work with him but swap stories with him as a dad and human,” he said.
“He had this infectious personality, and everyone will tell you about how he had laughter to brighten any film set. He was kind and really generous with the cast — he’d go out of his way to rehearse scenes after hours — and was extremely dedicated to his craft. I have hundreds of WhatsApp exchanges of him trying to perfect the Iraqi accent for his role in House of Gods – his best on-screen work.”
After completing a Science degree at the University of Sydney, where he also did a Master in Chiropractic, Elrahi studied at The Actors Centre and AFTRS.
His first screen role was as an Arab Guide in 1995 TV movie Sahara, which was followed by appearances in Water Rats, Heartbreak High, Home and Away, and All Saints.
He had a steady stream of roles across film and television throughout the latter 2010s, acting in series The Principal, Janet King, Rake, Here Come the Habibs, and Total Control, as well as features Australia Day, The Combination: Redemption, Black Site, and The Stranger.
Behind the camera, Elrahi owned Simon Shepherd Productions and was writer, director, producer, and editor on a series of short films, including 2017’s Flow, which won Best Film at the inaugural Sydney Indie Film Festival.
Outside of the screen industry, he was a practising chiropractor with more than two decades experience.
Casting director Anousha Zarkesh, who has known Elrahi for the past 25 years, told IF he will be remembered as a “beautiful, generous, and kind” man.
“He had an infectious laugh and smile and was full of spirit and hope,” she said.
“He was a really kind friend through a series of horrible things that happened to me. He always called me every Sunday to check and was just a really good mate. I loved him dearly.”
Streets of Colour producer Yolandi Franken, who has known Elrahi for ten years, also said she would miss his “crazy infectious laugh”, as well as his “unconditional support” and commitment to his work.
Others to pay tribute included John and Wendy Powell and Zinzi Kennedy, of talent agency Active Artists Management, who said they were “devastated” by the news.
“A beautiful man and master of the craft, with two sons, who are following in his acting footsteps, Samuel and Saul,” they told IF.
“Our hearts go out to them and all whom his love, support, and optimism cheered.”