Ahmed Zaki

Ahmed Zaki

Biography: 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.

Place of Birth: Not available

Birthday: November 18, 1949

Deathday: March 27, 2005

Popularity:

5.405

Known For

Jail Cell
Jail Cell

1984-01-02

No Longer Kids
No Longer Kids

1979-07-08

Bedour
Bedour

1974-10-14

The School of Mischief
The School of Mischief

1973-06-15

Star Maker
Star Maker

1977-11-14

My Son
My Son

1972-11-06

Hello Shalaby
Hello Shalaby

1969-08-13

Cairo in a Thousand Years
Cairo in a Thousand Years

1969-01-01

Victims Hotel
Victims Hotel

Land of Fear
Land of Fear

2000-03-15

The Escape
The Escape

1991-04-16

The Egg and the Stone
The Egg and the Stone

1990-04-26

The Beginning
The Beginning

1986-08-15

Black Tiger
Black Tiger

1984-06-13

Sons of Silence
Sons of Silence

1974-11-16

Dreams of Hind and Camilia
Dreams of Hind and Camilia

1988-04-07

Days of El Sadat
Days of El Sadat

2001-06-26

The Third Man
The Third Man

1995-05-10

Al Basha
Al Basha

1993-11-01

Mr. Karate
Mr. Karate

1993-03-24

Against the Government
Against the Government

1992-06-11

Four On An Official Mission
Four On An Official Mission

1987-05-28

Love Above Pyramid's Plateau
Love Above Pyramid's Plateau

1986-01-02

A Bird on the Road
A Bird on the Road

1981-09-14

Sleepless Eyes
Sleepless Eyes

1981-10-05

The Shepherd and the Women
The Shepherd and the Women

1991-10-14

The Wife of an Important Man
The Wife of an Important Man

1988-01-11

Market of The Fish
Market of The Fish

1986-01-12

The Innocent
The Innocent

1986-01-02

A Dinner Date
A Dinner Date

1981-11-16

Alexandria… Why?
Alexandria… Why?

1979-08-23

Shafiqa and Metwally
Shafiqa and Metwally

1978-11-27

Nasser 56
Nasser 56

1996-08-05

The Bey Doorman
The Bey Doorman

1987-08-31

Albarnas
Albarnas

1984-01-01

The Dancer & the Drummer
The Dancer & the Drummer

1984-02-27

The Champion
The Champion

1997-04-07

Houseboat No. 70
Houseboat No. 70

1982-04-22

Halim
Halim

2006-07-12

The Emperor
The Emperor

1990-11-19

His Excellency the Minister
His Excellency the Minister

2002-12-05

Al-Batniyya
Al-Batniyya

1980-08-25

Alley of Love
Alley of Love

1983-07-11

Smile, The Photo Comes Out Better
Smile, The Photo Comes Out Better

1998-11-24

Hysteria
Hysteria

1996-01-28

Kaborya
Kaborya

1990-08-27

Abo Dahab
Abo Dahab

1996-04-26

Lobster
Lobster

1996-02-20

The Lady's Driver
The Lady's Driver

1993-12-12

One Woman Is Not Enough
One Woman Is Not Enough

1990-01-01

An Affair
An Affair

1996-09-23

Hassan Ellol
Hassan Ellol

1997-02-19

Welad Eleih
Welad Eleih

1989-01-30

The Third Class
The Third Class

1988-07-24

The Troublemakers
The Troublemakers

1973-01-01

I'm Not Lying, I'm Sugar Coating
I'm Not Lying, I'm Sugar Coating

1981-07-13

The promised night
The promised night

1984-09-01

The Addict
The Addict

1983-12-19

Precausion is Mandatory
Precausion is Mandatory

1983-10-10

Al Makhtufa
Al Makhtufa

1991-04-16

Waraa Al-Shams
Waraa Al-Shams

1978-09-03

Saad the Orphan
Saad the Orphan

1985-01-01

Life is a Moment
Life is a Moment

1978-09-03

Bloody Destinies
Bloody Destinies

1982-01-27