“I'm exhausted; I'm in bits,” Tamer tells me as I Zoom into what’s clearly been a painful day on the sofa for him. “I started my day at 5am yesterday and went on chatting to hotel guests until 4am,” he says.
Tamer’s no longer a party animal, but he’s also not shy of running with wolves when he lets his hair down. And his hair is starting to make Aquaman look bald. He’ll have to cut back soon though, since he’s prepping to play Ibiza legend Tony Pike, which involves getting into shape in more ways than one.
“We plan to start shooting at the end of Feb, which means I’ve got an intense weight loss regime ahead of me, which I’m not looking forward to,” says Tamer. “It was one of Tony’s last wishes in life that I’d play him on the big screen, and I want to do him justice. You need to practise being as hardcore as Tony in every respect. I gave him his last ever interview, and we spoke about the movie two years ago. I was like, “Those boots are really big for anyone to fill.” Irvine Welsh is doing a polish on the script just now and then we’ll start a 12-week shoot.”
Famed for its slogan, “You can check in, but you can never check out,” Pikes hotel set the standard for the hedonistic Ibizan lifestyle that to this day is unrivalled by any destination on the planet.
“The man (Tony Pike) created Ibiza,” says Tamer. “Even Hugh Hefner used to say Tony Pike was the original Playboy. The movie is a huge challenge for me, because the truth is, no one can play Tony like Tony. There is only one Tony Pike. I have a lot of fond memories of him. In the early days, everybody would go to Pike's and experience something unique from Tony. I started drinking quite late because I was boxing in my 20s, but I played catch up really quick. I don't really remember 30 to 40.”
Now a fellow hotelier, Tamer recently bought into London’sthe Karma Sanctum Soho Hotel alongside his mate Mark Fuller. Paul Oakenfold is also a partner. We already went to check it out and shoot the pics for this feature and found Tamer in a towel waiting for emergency grooming to arrive.
“When the hotel first opened, everyone was there,” he says. “It was just a cool spot to be. I had five years of just crazy nights in the Sanctum, but I blanked them out of my head. I'm very good at just blanking things out. I think, “I'm done with this place.” Fast forward ten years and I decided to invest in it. I was like, “How the fuck did this happen? But I’m in now and I’ve been there six months and totally spun it around. We've got a film festival planned and people are holding events. The rooms are full. Sometimes it's so busy that I can't get a room and I haven't got a seat to sit on.
“There are only a handful of rooftop bars in London, and we've got one of them. If you're a smoker, you can even sit upstairs and smoke in the bar. I don't think you can do that anywhere else.”
A hotel, the house parties…Is Tamer subconsciously turning into Tony Pike?
“I think subconsciously I'm prepping for him, because I know what's coming,” he says. But there are things I can never compete with.” Cue the dick jokes. “It’s epic… the size of it,” he says. “His dick is what he’s famous for and it’s fucking true. You've never seen anything like it in your life. It should have its own passport. A halo of devil's horns.”
Outside of acting, Tamer is on a quest to support British independent filmmakers. He’s spearheading the Cine International Film Festival, which will take place on 7-10th May 2025 at his hotel. It will offer an eclectic mix of film premieres, an award ceremony, guest panels and networking events, and it’s what’s truly keeping Tamer ticking right now.
“We installed a new silver screen downstairs in the cinema room,” he says. “The independent British film industry is struggling. It's so difficult for kids to make films, because they can't even afford to screen them, so I’m setting up an academy alongside the film festival.
“I say to members, “Give me a pound a day to keep the lights on, and make this your home. I want people to say, “I'm going to Tamer's.” Own it. It's yours. Sit down. I want to create more millionaires than the National Lottery if I can. Just people sitting there and collaborating, in a safe space. If you buy this hotel membership, you can use our cinema for free, as many times as you want, to do what you want with it. Rehearsal, castings, screenings, subject to its availability, 24-7, we're open. Kids are making movies on their phones, but now they can go down and screen them. I’m even giving away some memberships for free to help kids out.
“I’m at a stage in my life where I've had all the cars and houses and I'm very humbled. I went to Turkey to help during the earthquake and ended up staying for five months. What I witnessed, the smell of death, the misery, the heartache, that truly changed me. When you experience that, there's something inside you that makes you go, “I don't give a fuck for any of those material things.” So if I can help somebody screen a movie or have a nice bit of dinner or a roof over their head, that’s what it’s all about. Every breath you take could be the last one. I'm of the belief that this roof could fall down on top of me right now.”
Tamer reckons he gets up at 5:30 and juices after a quick blast on the treadmill. “I was juicing before people even knew what juicing was,” he says. Then he heads to the car for his favourite time of day- sitting in traffic.
“It feels like I’m always in the car,” he says. “People are like “What are you doing you lunatic? You can get there so much faster on the train.” But I like my car. It’s like my office. I can get so much done. The three hours I’m in my car going to work is my sanctuary. I don’t care for traffic, I just sit there and switch off. People complain about traffic but I’m lucky to have a comfortable Mercedes that drives itself. I just sit in traffic and I love it. It’s the most bizarre thing you’ve ever heard but I’m happy to sit in traffic. I’ll have a cigarette and sit back and put my music on and chill.”
When he’s not sitting in traffic, planning a film fest or running a hotel, Tamer can be found filming for various blockbusters- naturally. With pending releases for A Bad Day at the Office and A Mother For a Day, filming is about to start on the party island for…
Mr Pikes
We’ve said it all already. Can Tamer step into Tony’s shoes- and underpants! We have faith…
Ibiza
Tamer will leave behind the lights of Soho to head to Ibiza yet again in this sequel to Rise of the Footsolider: Vengeance. He’ll play a rogue British colonel named Sullivan, who heads up an arms trafficking operation. The film is scheduled for release in December. We can’t wait.
Other Shit We Just Wanted to Know…
Favourite food to cook?
I’m a Masterchef. But a barbecue.
Favourite fashion designer?
Tom Ford
Best actor you've ever worked with?
Bob Hoskins, God rest his soul. He's my Hollywood dad. I love him dearly, and I miss him so much.
Favourite place in the world?
Cyprus.
Cyprus? Yeah. It kind of is. That's my motherland, Cyprus.
Dream movie role?
Batman.
Favourite Artist
Lincoln Townley.
If you could play one last song at the hotel, what would it be?
He Ain't heavy, He's My Brother. Cos when I was young, I was very lonely and I got bullied. And the only person I had was my big brother. I used to play it in my lonely days and it made me feel good.
