FBI: THE STRENGTH BEHIND THE BADGE

PHOTOGRAPHER: HANNAH ROZELLE, STYLING: MERSI KASEMI, MAKEUP: JOJO MCCARTHY, HAIR: MICHAEL ZAMBRANO, ART DIRECTOR, PRODUCER: PHIL LIMPRASERTWONG, PHOTO ASST: CHLOE COPPS

Every badge carries a story, but the most revealing ones are rarely written in case files. They live in the quiet moments between difficult decisions, in the weight of expectations, and in the courage it takes to keep showing up when life refuses to follow the script. For nearly a decade, MISSY PEREGRYM and ZEEKO ZAKI have brought those complexities to life as Special Agents Maggie Bell and Omar Adom “OA” Zidan in CBS's FBI, a high-stakes drama following an elite New York investigative team confronting some of the country's most dangerous threats. Yet behind the arrests, adrenaline, and relentless pursuit of justice lies something far more compelling than another solved case: a partnership built on trust, an understanding that doesn't always require words, and two actors whose personal journeys have quietly shaped the people they portray. In their conversations with A BOOK OF, Peregrym and Zaki reveal that the greatest strength isn't necessarily found in the battles we win, but in the people we become along the way.

For ZEEKO ZAKI, being seen has always carried a meaning that reaches far beyond the spotlight. As an Egyptian-American actor navigating an industry often limited by its own expectations, Zaki understands the profound difference between being visible and being truly represented. His journey toward *FBI* wasn't simply about landing a leading role; it was about discovering that someone could look beyond the familiar stereotypes and imagine him as something more. “That someone actually did imagine me differently,” he reflects, a realization that speaks to the possibility of changing not only his own narrative, but the ones that might be written for those following in his footsteps. As OA has grown into an increasingly complex character, Zaki has grown alongside him, discovering confidence, confronting difficult moral questions, and learning from the creative partnership he shares with Peregrym. Through the years of auditions, uncertainty, and expectations that once seemed impossible to escape, he has come to recognize that perseverance isn't always glamorous. Sometimes, it is simply refusing to walk away before the story has a chance to change. “If you are about to give up, you might be just where you are supposed to be,” he shares, offering a reminder that the moments closest to surrender can sometimes be the ones that lead us somewhere extraordinary.

For MISSY PEREGRYM, strength has taken on a quieter, more personal meaning. As Maggie Bell, she has spent years inhabiting a woman trained to remain composed in the face of danger, even when grief, uncertainty, and emotional exhaustion threaten to unravel that carefully maintained control. But beyond the character's resilience is an actress whose understanding of herself has evolved through marriage, motherhood, and the changing priorities that accompany a life lived beyond the camera. Where she once might have measured strength by how much she could carry, Peregrym now speaks of the freedom that comes from trusting herself and recognizing when enough is already enough. “I trust myself now,” she reflects, a deceptively simple realization with the weight of years behind it. That perspective also gives new meaning to the enduring relationship between Maggie and OA, two partners whose bond has grown beyond professional necessity into something grounded in mutual respect, loyalty, and a profound understanding of one another. Their connection doesn't need romance to feel intimate, nor grand declarations to feel meaningful. Sometimes, the greatest expression of love is simply knowing someone will stand beside you when everything else falls apart. Perhaps that is what makes Peregrym and Zaki's shared journey so affecting: one has fought to be seen beyond the limits others imagined, while the other has learned to stop demanding more of herself than she needs to give. Together, they remind us that courage can mean pushing forward, but it can also mean standing still long enough to recognize how far we've already come.