Ahmed Zaki Metwally Abdelrahman Badawi (; 18 November 1946 – 27 March 2005), 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. Zaki is widely regarded as one of the greatest film actors in the history of Egyptian cinema.

Though he first appeared in a small role in the 1969 comedy play Hallo Shalaby, he is widely credited as one of the most talented male actors, especially in dramatic and tragic roles. His first film role was in Abnaa Al-Samt (1974). Then he went on to co-star in major films such as Alexandria... Why? (1979) by Youssef Chahine and Shafika and Metwali (1979) by Ali Badrakhan and alongside Soad Hosny who he starred with in A Dinner Date (1981). Zaki also starred in the television film I'm Not Lying But I'm Beautifying (1981).

Zaki has starred in many commercially and critically successful films, including Al-Awwama rakm 70 (1982), The Black Tiger (1984), The Innocent (1986), Shader al-samak (1986), El Beih El Bawwab (1987), Arba’a Fi Muhimma Rasmiya (1987), The Wife of an Important Man (1988), Kaboria (1990), El-Baydha Wal Hagar (1990), Al Embrator (1990), One Woman Is Not Enough (1990), Escape (1991), Mr Karate (1993), Sawwaq el hanem (1993), Nasser 56 (1996), Esstakoza (1996), The Land of Fear (2000), The Days of Sadat (2001), and Ma'ali al Wazir (2003).

Early life and education Ahmed Zaki was born in the city of Zagazig, about north of Cairo, Egypt. He graduated from Zagazig's Crafts School in 1967 and then traveled to Cairo to study cinema before he graduated from the Higher Institute of Drama Studies in 1974.

Career highlights Many of his films were written by screenwriter Wahid Hamed and had a strong political message that exposed governmental and police corruption. This gave Zaki the image of an "underdog hero of the people" among Egyptian audiences, particularly among the country's youth. He also starred in the famous 1985 television comedy musical series Howa wa Heya with actress Soad Hosny. While not generally an "action star", Zaki played the lead in a number of successful action movies during the mid-and late-1990s, which added to his "hero of the people" status among audiences.

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 in Nasser 56 (1996), a movie that centered on the fateful summer of 1956 when then-President Nasser nationalizing the Suez Canal, and Anwar Sadat in the movie The Days of Sadat (2001) with director Mohamed Khan which he also produced. The movie depicted 40 years of the late president's life. He also had plans to play President Hosni Mubarak in a third movie. In the 1980s, Zaki acted alongside leading actors from previous generations such as Salah Zulfikar and Ahmed Mazhar. He was also known for portraying prominent figures in Egyptian history like Taha Hussein.

Zaki was seen as an icon and spokesperson for the average Egyptian youth; some considered him a successor to Farid Shawki as film hero for the working class, 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 Hospital in Sixth of October City, just outside Cairo, and died of lung cancer complications, after president Hosni Mubarak offered to send him to France for medical treatment at the government's expense and granted him the Order of Merit 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 Tarek El Shennawi, Mohammad Al Shafe’ee, and Waleed Saif.

Legacy 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 Film

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 1980: Al Batneyya – Safrot 1981: Maowid ala ashaa – 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: 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 1986: Shader al-samak – Ahmad Abu Kamel 1986: Love on the Pyramids Plateau 1986: Al Bedaya (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 – Hesham 1987: El Beih El Bawwab – Abdulsamee 1988: Al-Darga Al-Thalitha (The third Class) – Sorour 1988: Dreams of Hind and Camilia – Eid 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 1991: Escape – Montaser Abdel Ghafour 1991: Al-Ra'i wal Nisaa (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 1994: Al Ragol al Talet 1996: Esstakoza – Abbass 1996: Abo Dahab – Abo Dahab 1996: Nasser 56 – President Gamal Abdel Nasser 1996: Nazwa 1996: Hysteria 1997: Hassan Ellol (Hassan) – Hassan 1998: El Batal (The Hero) 1998: Edhak El-Sora Tetlaa’ Helwa (Smile to make the photo looks good, Sherif Arafa) – Sayed Gharib 2000: Ard el khof (The Land of Fear) – Yehia 2001: The Days of Sadat – President Anwar Sadat 2003: Ma'ali al Wazir – Ra'fat Rostom 2005–2006: Halim (directed by Sherif Arafa) – Abdel Halim Hafez (final film role)

Television 1979: El Ayam (TV Mini-Series) – Taha Hussein 1985: Howa wa heya (Him & Her) (TV Mini-Series) – Afifi Abu Al Naja / Mahrous Al Dishnawi Shawqi / Moonis Khalil / Majdi / Metwalli / Nader / Khaled / Medhat / Jalal

See also List of Egyptian films of the 1980s List of Egyptian films of the 1990s

References

External links

Ahram Weekly, 31 March – 6 April 2005