Skip to main content
Ahmed Zaki

Ahmed Zaki

Actor · 1949 – 2005 · Zagazig, Egypt

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.

Movies24

  • Movie8.5

    The School of Mischief

    مدرسة المشاغبين

    1973 · 31 votes

  • Movie7.2

    Land of Fear

    أرض الخوف

    2000 · 31 votes

  • Movie5.2

    Sleepless Eyes

    عيون لا تنام

    1981 · 6 votes

  • Movie7.9

    No Longer Kids

    العيال كبرت

    1979 · 21 votes

  • Movie5.7

    Alley of Love

    درب الهوى

    1983 · 3 votes

  • Movie6.5

    Alexandria… Why?

    إسكندرية ليه؟

    1979 · 29 votes

  • Movie7.6

    The Innocent

    البريء

    1986 · 22 votes

  • Movie7.0

    The Egg and the Stone

    البيضه و الحجر

    1990 · 15 votes

  • Movie7.4

    The Escape

    الهروب

    1991 · 19 votes

  • Movie5.7

    The Shepherd and the Women

    الراعى والنساء

    1991 · 7 votes

  • Movie7.3

    Halim

    حليم

    2006 · 7 votes

  • Movie6.0

    Four On An Official Mission

    أربعة في مهمة رسمية

    1987 · 6 votes

  • Movie6.5

    Dreams of Hind and Camilia

    أحلام هند وكاميليا

    1988 · 15 votes

  • Movie7.9

    The Wife of an Important Man

    زوجة رجل مهم

    1988 · 31 votes

  • Movie5.5

    The Third Class

    الدرجة الثالثة

    1988 · 2 votes

  • Movie6.5

    The Bey Doorman

    البيه البواب

    1987 · 11 votes

  • Movie6.7

    Nasser 56

    ناصر 56

    1996 · 10 votes

  • Movie8.1

    Against the Government

    ضد الحكومة

    1992 · 15 votes

  • Movie

    Victims Hotel

    فندق الضحايا

  • Movie7.2

    Love Above Pyramid's Plateau

    الحب فوق هضبة الهرم

    1986 · 10 votes

  • Movie7.7

    Hysteria

    هيستريا

    1996 · 3 votes

  • Movie7.6

    A Dinner Date

    موعد على العشاء

    1981 · 14 votes

  • Movie

    One Woman Is Not Enough

    إمرأة واحدة لا تكفي

    1990

  • Movie5.4

    Lobster

    إستاكوزا

    1996 · 5 votes

Series2

  • TV7.0

    He and She Stories

    حكايات هو وهي

    1985 · 1 votes

  • TV

    The Man Who Lost His Memory Twice

    الرجل الذي فقد ذاكرته مرتين

    1981