In the wake of Orlando Jones publicly announcing that he was fired from American Gods, actor Mousa Kraish shared that he will not be returning to the show either. Kraish’s circumstances are different. According to the actor, he was not asked to return, but he wasn’t fired. The door is open, in case he is asked to come back, which he states he would.
This character has introduced me to so much and I was proud to represent not just the Middle Eastern community in such a positive role you don’t normally see television but also the LGBTQ community that supported this character of color that you don’t see on television…
— Mousa Hussein Kraish he/him (@MousaKraish) December 16, 2019
I also want thank @starz & the amazing team there. ❤️ The door isn’t closed for me. If I’m ever asked to come back & portray the Jinn I will do it happily & proudly to be able to stand in front of my friend @AbtahiOmid & shine with the two characters who go beyond the page…
— Mousa Hussein Kraish he/him (@MousaKraish) December 16, 2019
Kraish played the Jinn in American Gods – a character who didn’t have too much of a role in the books, other than a standout scene between him and the beloved character Salim. Both the Jinn and Salim became standouts in the show, which explored their relationship further in season two. Their bond broke barriers, considering it was a same-sex relationship between two Middle Eastern men. In season two, despite their disagreements, Salim and the Jinn essentially rode off into the sunset. Whether this means that Salim’s actor Omid Abtahi won’t be returning either, we don’t know.
Kraish’s exclusion from the show will be felt, but at least they were better terms than Jones’s – who was fired due to (according to him) Mr. Nancy’s aggressive nature. It’s clear that season three is going in a different direction with all of the new characters and actors being brought on. The Jinn may not have had a large role in Neil Gaiman’s book, but Mr. Nancy did. It feels like we are losing a little bit of what made American Gods so special and diverse with Jones and Kraish’s departure.
A girl with too many fandoms to count.
