Omar Ayuso

Omar Ayuso is a Spanish actor who is best known for his portrayal of Omar Shanaa in the television series Elite, a role he played from 2018 to 2024.

Ayuso was born in Madrid on 26 March 1998 and was raised in Manzanares el Real. His father is from Morocco. During his childhood, watching the 2004 film Bad Education sparked his interest in pursuing a career as an actor or filmmaker. He enrolled at the Charles III University of Madrid to study audiovisual communication.

His breakthrough came in 2018 when he was cast in the Netflix television series Elite as Omar Shanaa, a closeted gay Muslim who enters a relationship with Ander Muñoz, played by Arón Piper. To prepare for the part, Ayuso spent two months working closely with director Ramón Salazar to develop his character.

Following his television debut, Ayuso expanded his acting portfolio through various short films and projects. In 2019, he starred in three short films: Salvador Calvo's Maras, Jorge Cantos's Ráfagas de vida salvaje, and Jools Beardon's Disseminare. In January 2020, he appeared in the music video for the song Juro Que by Spanish singer-songwriter Rosalía. He was also cast as David in the gay drama film 8 Años, which explores an eight-year relationship.

The onscreen relationship between Ayuso and Piper's character, referred to as Omander, along with their offscreen friendship, earned a global following. By June 2020, Ayuso had built a social media audience of over four million followers. Although his role in Elite boosted LGBT visibility, Ayuso resists being labeled a role model. As an openly gay man, he has encountered homophobic commentary and has noted that homophobic individuals often find it easier to accept gay representation in fiction than in real life. Publicly, he has maintained a transgressive image, characterized by provocative fashion choices in his public appearances and social media activity.

In his personal life, Ayuso has a hand tattoo featuring a flame and an eye, which was inspired by Spanish artist Ricardo Cavolo. He considers Spanish-Mexican singer Alaska to be one of his idols and has expressed pride in his generation's social progress regarding feminism, LGBT rights, and anti-racism efforts. As of March 2020, he was in a relationship with artist Alonso Díaz.