Ahmed Zaki Metwally Abdelrahman Badawi ( ar, أحمد زكي متولي عبد الرحمن بدوي; 18 November 1949 – 27 March 2005), usually known as Ahmed Zaki ( ar, أحمد زكي), was an Egyptian film actor. He was characterized by his talent, skill, and ability in impersonating. He was also famous for his on-screen intensity. Though he first appeared in a small role within a comedy play, he is widely regarded as one of the most talented male actors, especially in dramatic and tragedy roles. Zaki has six films in the

Top 100 Egyptian films Top 100 Egyptian films aliases: CIFF 100 Egyptian films or Greatest 100 Egyptian films in 20th century or Top 100 films in the centenary of Egyptian cinema (Egyptian Arabic: قائمة أفضل مئة فيلم في مئوية السينما الم ...

list.

Early days

Ahmed Zaki was born in the city of

Zagazig Zagazig ( ar, الزقازيق ' , rural: ) is a city in Lower Egypt. Situated in the eastern part of the Nile delta, it is the capital of the governorate of Sharqia. It is located on the Muweis Canal and is a hub of the corn and cott ...

, about north of

Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...

, Egypt. He graduated from Zagazig's Crafts School in 1967, and then traveled to Cairo to study cinema before he graduated from the

Cairo Higher Institute for Drama Studies Cairo Higher Institute of Cinema (Arabic:المعهد العالي للسينما) was founded in 1957 as the first of its kind in the Middle East and Africa, and is affiliated to the ministry of culture. The institute is a member of the Internation ...

in 1974.

Highlights

Many of his films were written by screenwriter

Wahid Hamed Wahid Hamed ( ar, وحيد حامد; 1 July 1944 – 2 January 2021) was an Egyptian screenwriter. Personal life Hamed was born in Beni Quraysh, Sharqia Governorate. He moved to Cairo in 1963 to study in the Department of Sociology at Cairo Un ...

and had a strong political message that exposed

governmental A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, Executive (government), e ...

and

police corruption Police corruption is a form of police misconduct in which law enforcement officers end up breaking their political contract and abuse their power for personal gain. This type of corruption may involve one or a group of officers. Internal police ...

. He also starred in the famous 1980s television comedy musical series ''Howa we heya'' with actress

Soad Hosny System of a Down (also known as SoaD or simply System) is an Armenian-American heavy metal band formed in Glendale, California, in 1994. Since 1997, the band has consisted of Serj Tankian (lead vocals, keyboards); Daron Malakian (guitar, voca ...

. Zaki also starred in a series of successful

action Action may refer to: * Action (narrative), a literary mode * Action fiction, a type of genre fiction * Action game, a genre of video game Film * Action film, a genre of film * ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford * ''Action'' (1980 fil ...

movies during the mid-and late-1990s. Two of his greatest successes were playing Egypt's presidents in two popular movies that became landmarks of Arabic cinema. He played presidents

Gamal Abdel Nasser Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein, . (15 January 1918 – 28 September 1970) was an Egyptian politician who served as the second president of Egypt from 1954 until his death in 1970. Nasser led the Egyptian revolution of 1952 and introduced far-re ...

in ''

Nasser 56 ''Nasser 56'' is a 1996 Egyptian historical film directed by Mohammed Fadel, starring Ahmed Zaki. The film focuses on the nationalization of the Suez Canal by Egypt's second President, Gamal Abdel Nasser, and the subsequent Suez War with Isr ...

'', a movie that centered on the fateful summer of 1956 when then-President Nasser nationalizing the

Suez Canal The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...

, and

Anwar Sadat Muhammad Anwar el-Sadat, (25 December 1918 – 6 October 1981) was an Egyptian politician and military officer who served as the third president of Egypt, from 15 October 1970 until his assassination by fundamentalist army officers on 6 ...

in the movie '' The Days of Sadat'' (2001) with director

Mohamed Khan Mohamed Hamed Hassan Khan ( ar, محمد حامد حسن خان ; 26 October 1942 – 26 July 2016) was an Egyptian film director, screenwriter, and actor. He was a pivotal member of the "1980s generation" in Egyptian cinema, along with director ...

which he also produced. The movie depicted 40 years of the late president's life. He also had plans to play president

Hosni Mubarak Muhammad Hosni El Sayed Mubarak, (; 4 May 1928 – 25 February 2020) was an Egyptian politician and military officer who served as the fourth president of Egypt from 1981 to 2011. Before he entered politics, Mubarak was a career officer in t ...

in a third movie. In 1980s, Zaki had the chance to act alongside

Salah Zulfikar Salah El Din Ahmed Mourad Zulfikar ( ar, صلاح ذو الفقار; ; 18 January 1926 – 22 December 1993) was an Egyptian actor and film producer. He started his career as a police officer in the Egyptian National Police, before becoming an ac ...

who was nicknamed ''Al-Abqary'' ("The Genius" – a reference to his popularity among Egyptians for combining success in both acting and film production), the two starred together in two movies. He was also known for portraying prominent characters in Egyptian history like

Taha Hussein Taha Hussein (, ar, طه حسين; November 15, 1889 – October 28, 1973) was one of the most influential 20th-century Egyptian writers and intellectuals, and a figurehead for the Nahda, Egyptian Renaissance and the modernism, modernist movem ...

. Zaki was seen as an icon and spokesperson for the average Egyptian youth; he was also considered the heir to

Farid Shawki Farid Shawqi Mohammad Abdou Shawqi ( ar, فريد شوقي محمد عبده شوقي) (July 30, 1920 in El Sayyeda Zainab – July 27, 1998 in Maadi); known as Farid Shawqi ( ar, فريد شوقي) was an Egyptians, Egyptian actor, screenwrite ...

who was nicknamed ''Malek El Terso'' ("The King of the Third Class" – a reference to his popularity among the poor, who bought third-class seats in movie theatres) in an Egyptian magazine. The two starred together in two movies several years earlier. He was a known heavy smoker. Zaki had been in intensive care at

Dar Al Fouad {{Infobox hospital , Name = Dar Al Fouad Hospital , Org/Group = , Image = , Caption = , Logo = , Location = {{flagicon, Egypt , Region = Giza , Country = Egypt , healthcare = Private , Type = Academic , Specia ...

Hospital in

Sixth of October City 6th of October ( ar, السادس من أكتوبر, Al Sādis Min Uktōber; arz, ستة اكتوبر, Setta Oktōbar) is a city in Giza Governorate, a satellite town and part of the urban area of Cairo, Egypt, 32 km (20 miles) outside the c ...

, just outside

, and died of lung cancer complications, after president

offered to send him to France for medical treatment at the government's expense and granted him the Merit of Arts award for his work in over 50 movies. A book about Zaki has been released under the title of ''Ahmad Zaki wa Symphoniet Ibda'' (''Ahmad Zaki: A Symphonic Innovation Masterpiece''). The book features details of his acting career and includes a compilation of articles by different critics, including

Tareq Al Shinawi Tariq ( ar, طارق) is an Arabic word and given name. Etymology The word is derived from the Arabic verb , ('), meaning "to strike", and into the agentive conjugated doer form , ('), meaning "striker". It became popular as a name after Tariq ...

Mohammad Al Shafe’ee Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the monothe ...

and

Waleed Saif Waleed (), also spelt as Walid, Oualid, or Velid, is an Arabic-language masculine given name meaning ''newborn child''. Given name Waleed *Waleed Ali, Kuwaiti footballer *Waleed Aly, Egyptian-origin Australian journalist * Waleed bin Ibrahim al-Ib ...

Tribute

On November 18, 2020, Google celebrated his 71st birthday with a Google Doodle, which included boxing gloves to refer to Al Nimr Al Aswad (The Black Tiger), a crab for Kaboria (The Crab), a camera for Edhak El-Sora Tetlaa’ Helwa (Smile, the Picture Will Come Out Fine), and the animals from Arba’a Fi Muhimma Rasmiya (Four on an Official Mission).

Filmography in order of release dates

*1974: ''Abnaa Al-Samt'' (''The Children of Silence'') – Mahmoud *1978: ''El Omr Lahza'' (''Life is a Moment'') *1979: '' Alexandria... Why?'' – Ibrahim *1979: ''

Shafika and Metwali ''Chafika et Metwal'' ("Chafika et Metwal"," Shafika and Metwali "," Shafika wa Metwalli(y)" ("شفيقة و متولي") is a 1979 Egyptian drama/romance film starring Souad Hosni and Ahmed Zaki. It was directed and written by Ali Badrakhan from a ...

'' *1980: ''Al Batneyya'' – Safrot *1981: ''

Maowid ala ashaa Maowid ala Ashaa ( ar, موعد على العشاء; en, A Dinner Date) is a 1981 Egyptian romance film starring Soad Hosni and Ahmed Zaki. The life story of a beautiful and pure woman, interested of the very little things with a great sensibil ...

'' – Shukri *1981: '' Ana La Aktheb Wlakenani Atajaml'' – Ibrahim *1981: ''Taer ala el tariq'' – Fares *1981: ''Oyun la tanam'' *1982: ''El-akdar el-damia'' – Kher *1982: ' *1983: ''Darb El Hawa'' – Abdel Aziz *1983: ''El Ehteyat Wageb'' – Hassan *1983: ''Al modmen'' *1984: "El-nemr El'eswed" (The Black Tiger) - Muhammed Hassan *1984: ''El-Raqesah wa el-Tabbal'' – Abdo *1984: ''El Lela AL Mawooda'' – Fathi *1984: ''The Prince'' – Prince Yousef Othman Basha *1984: ''Al-Takhshiba'' – Majdy El Douski *1985: ''Saad El Yateem'' – Zakaria *1985: ''

Howa wa heya ''Howa wa Heya'', (“Him and Her”, “ هو و هي” ) is an Egyptian television drama, that aired for the first time during Ramadan in 1985. It featured many prominent contemporary artists in key roles, with movie stars Soad Hosni, in her ...

'' (''Him & Her'') (TV Mini-Series) – Afifi Abu Al Naja / Mahrous Al Dishnawi Shawqi / Moonis Khalil / Majdi / Metwalli / Nader / Khaled / Medhat / Jalal *1986: '' Shader al-samak'' – Ahmad Abu Kamel *1986: ''Love on the Pyramids Plateau'' *1986: ''

Al Bedaya AL, Al, Ål or al may stand for: Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Al (''Aladdin'') or Aladdin, the main character in Disney's ''Aladdin'' media * Al (''EastEnders''), a minor character in the British soap opera * Al (''Fullmetal ...

'' (''The Beginning'') *1986: '' The Innocent'' – Ahmad Saba' Al Layl *1987: ''Arba’a Fi Muhimma Rasmiya'' – Anwar *1987: ''Al Makhtufa'' – Hussien *1987: ''

The Wife of an Important Man ''The Wife of an Important Man'' ( ar, زوجة رجل مهم, translit. z''awgat ragol mohim'') is a 1988 Egyptian drama film directed by Mohamed Khan. Starring Ahmad Zaki and Mervat Amin, the film tells us the story of the rise and fall of a p ...

'' – Hesham *1987: ''El Beih El Bawwab'' – Abdulsamee *1988: ''Monsieur le directeur'' *1988: '' Al-Darga Al-Thalitha'' (''The third Class'') – Sorour *1988: ''

Dreams of Hind and Camilia A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, alth ...

'' – Eid *1988: ''Escape'' – Montaser Abdel Ghafour *1989: ''Those Guys'' – Zaki Al Humsani *1990: ''One Woman Is Not Enough'' – Hussam *1990: '' Kaboria'' – Hassan Hudhud *1990: ''El-Baydha Wal Hagar'' – Mustataa *1990: ''Al Embrator'' – Zeinhom Abdel-Haq *1990: ''Al Beh Al bawab'' (''The Rich guard'') *1991: ''El heroob'' – Montaser *1991: ''

Al-Ra'i wal Nisaa "Al-Ra'i wal Nisaa", (meaning in English: ''The Shepherd and the Women''), ( ar, الراعي والنساء) is a 1991 Egyptian drama/romance movie, starring Soad Hosni, Yousra and Ahmed Zaki. Plot The story of three women living alone in the d ...

'' (''The Shepherd and the Women'') *1992: ''Dhid el hokouma'' – Mustafa Khalaf *1992: ''Al Basha'' – Hazem El Shennawy *1993: ''Sawwaq el hanem'' – Hamada *1993: ''

Mr Karate ''Mr Karate'' ( ar, مستر كراتيه) is an Egyptian sports drama film directed by Mohamed Khan and released in 1993, stars Ahmad Zaki as an originally naive out of towner who is brought down by the hardships of life in Cairo. Broke and un ...

'' *1994: ''Al ragol al talet'' *1996: ''Esstakoza'' – Abbass *1996: ''Abo Dahab'' – Abo Dahab *1996: ''

'' – Gamal Abdul Nasser *1996: ''Nazwa'' *1996: ''Hysteria'' *1997: ''

Hassan Ellol Hassan, Hasan, Hassane, Haasana, Hassaan, Asan, Hassun, Hasun, Hassen, Hasson or Hasani may refer to: People * Hassan (given name), Arabic given name and a list of people with that given name *Hassan (surname), Arabic, Jewish, Irish, and Scotti ...

'' (''Hassan'') – Hassan *1998: ''El Batal'' (''The Hero'') *1998: ''Edhak El-Sora Tetlaa’ Helwa'' (''Smile to make the photo looks good'',

Sherif Arafa Sherif Arafa ( ar, شريف عرفة) (born on December 25, 1960) is an Egyptian director, writer and producer. He graduated from the Higher Institute of Cinema in 1982. Sharif Arafa participated in the making of many of the movies in the histor ...

) – Sayed Gharib *2000: ''Ard el khof'' (''The Land of Fear'') – Yehia *2001: ''

Ayyam El Sadat Days of Sadat ( ar, أيام السادات) is a 2001 Egyptian biographical film about the third President of Egypt Anwar Al Sadat. The film features Ahmad Zaki as the Egyptian president. Cast includes Mervat Amin, Mona Zaki and Ahmed El S ...

'' (''The Days of Sadat'',

) – President Anwar El Sadat *2003: ''

Ma'ali al Wazir Ma'ali Al Wazir ( ar, معالي الوزير, lit=The Esteemed minister) is an Egyptian feature film, released on 2 February 2003, produced by Egyptian Media Production City, starred by Ahmed Zaki. Plot Rafat Rostom becomes a minister by a m ...

'' – Ra'fat Rostom *2005–2006: ''

Halim Halim or Haleem ( ar, حليم ) is an Arabic masculine given name which means gentle, forbearing, mild, patient, understanding, indulgent, slow to anger.Golziher, Ignaz, ''Muslim Studies'', ed. S.M. Stern (Albany: State University of New York Pre ...

'' (directed by

) – Abdel Halim Hafez (final film role)

References

External links