AZ
Photo of Ahmed Zaki

Ahmed Zaki

Actor, Producer, Additional Credits
Born November 18, 1949Died March 27, 2005 (55 years)
Ahmed Zaki (November 18, 1949 - March 27, 2005) was a leading Egyptian film actor who was characterized by his talent, skill, and ability to impersonate. Dubbed "The Emperor", he is widely regarded as one of the greatest male actors in the Arab world. Zaki has starred in six films that have been listed in the Top 100 Egyptian films.

Ahmed Zaki was born to a poor family in Sharqia, Egypt. His father died a few years after his birth, his mother remarried, and he was brought up to live with his grandfather. Zaki fell in love with acting when he was still in school, his headmaster saw his creative ability and pushed him to follow his passion. He would later travel to Cairo and earn his degree from the Cairo Higher Institute for Drama Studies in 1974. While studying, he first debuted in the stage play Hello Shalaby (1969). He also starred in very successful comedy plays such as School of Mischief (1973) and No Longer Kids (1979). Early in his career, he struggled with producers and directors as they believed he did not have the appearance to appeal to audiences. When he got objected by the film distributor to star in Al Karnak (1975) after he was cast as the character Ismail, he entered a severe depression. He did not overcome it until after poet and playwright Salah Jahin supported him, as Jahin was convinced of his talent and would later write films and a TV show Zaki starred in.

Many of his films had a strong political message that exposed governmental and police corruption. Two of his greatest successes were playing Egypt's presidents in two popular movies that became landmarks of Arabic cinema. He played Gamal Abdel Nasser in Nasser 56 (1996) and Anwar Sadat in Days of Sadat (2001). He also portrayed other prominent Egyptian figures such as writer Taha Hussien. Zaki was a method actor who immersed himself profoundly in his roles, absorbing every aspect of the character he was portraying whether he was fictional or real in origin. In 1983, he married actress Hala Fouad but the marriage did not last. She gave birth to his only son Haitham Zaki in 1984, who would also grow up to be an actor until his sudden and tragic death in 2019. His former wife died in 1993 after a battle with breast cancer.

He was a known heavy smoker. In 2005, Ahmed Zaki died of lung cancer during the shooting of Sherif Arafa's biography Halim (2006), in which he portrayed the legendary singer Abdel Halim Hafez, a role he's always dreamed to play. His son Haitham was roped in to fill the scenes and play the lead on behalf of his father. Years after his passing, he is remembered with great reverence and fondness within the film industry and outside it, his contributions seen as monumental by his contemporaries as well as the generations that followed.
Known For
  • Land of Fear
  • The Wife of an Important Man
  • Days of El-Sadat
  • The Innocent
  • His Excellency the Minister
  • Smile, the Photo Comes Out Better
  • Against the Government
  • The Escape
  • The Egg and the Stone
  • No Longer Kids
  • Alexandria... Why?
  • The School of Mischief

Filmography

2017
Bless Your Wife (TV Series) · as Cast
2006
Halim · as عبدالحليم حافظ
2002
His Excellency the Minister · as Ra'fat Rostom
2001
Days of El-Sadat · as Anwar El Sadat
1999
Land of Fear · as Yehia / Adam
1998
1998
El-Batal · as Mahmoud (houda Kalawi)
1997
Hassan Ellol · as Hassan Ragheb Al-Minshawi (hassan Al-Loul)
1996
Nazwa · as Salah
1996
Nasser 56 · as Gamal Abdel Nasser
1996
1996
Esstakoza · as Abbas Al-Antil
1996
Hysteria · as Zein
1994
1993
Sawwaq el-Hanem · as حماده
1993
Mistar Karataih · as صلاح عبدالراضى
1992
Al Basha · as Hazem El-Shennawy
1992
Against the Government · as Mustafa Khalaf
1991
El-Rai wa el-Nesa · as حسن عبدالراضي
1991
The Escape · as Montaser Abdel Ghaffar
1990
Al imbrator · as Zeinhom
1990
Kaboria · as Hassan Hodhod
1990
One Woman Is Not Enough · as Hossam Mounir
1990
The Egg and the Stone · as Mustataa Al-Taazi
1989
Those Guys · as Zaki Al-Homsani
1988
1988
1987
The Wife of an Important Man · as Hisham Abu Al-Wafa
1987
El-Baih el-Bawwab · as Abdel Samea
1987
Al Makhtufa · as Hussein
1987
Arba'a Fi Muhimma Rasmiya · as Anwar Abdel Mawla
1986
The Beginning · as Adel
1986
Sahder el-Samak · as Ahmed Abo Kamel
1986
The Innocent · as Ahmad Saba' Al Lail
1985
1985
He and She Stories (TV Series)
1985
1984
El-Berins · as Yousef Osman
1984
1984
El-Nimr el-Aswad · as Mohammad Hasan Al Masri
1984
1984
Al-takhshiba · as Magdy
1983
The Addict · as Khaled Abdel Hamid
1983
El Ehteyat Wageb · as حسان
1983
Darb El Hawa · as Abdulaziz
1982
Al-Awwama rakm 70 · as Ahmed Al-Shazly
1982
Oyun la tanam · as Ismail
1981
A Dinner Date · as شكري
1981
Taer ala el tariq · as Fares
1981
1981
Shafika and Metwali · as متولي
1980
Al Batneyya · as Safrout
1979
Alexandria... Why? · as Ibrahim
1979
No Longer Kids · as Kamal
1978
Al omr lahza · as Cast
1978
Life is a Moment · as عبدالعزيز سراج
1974
Abnaa' el Samt · as Mahmoud
1973

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