An Israeli actor has been chosen to play the role of Saddam Hussein in an upcoming mini-series about the life of the former Iraqi tyrant.

Yigal Naor, an Israeli Jew with an distinctly Middle Eastern look, has recently played Arab characters in such large-budget Hollywood films as “Rendition” and “Munich”.

But Naor told Yediot Ahronot that the chance to play Saddam Hussein is perhaps the greatest opportunity and challenge of his career thus far.

The mini-series is being produced by the BBC and HBO, and is scheduled to begin production in Tunisia next month.