Ahmed Zaki Metwally Abdelrahman Badawi, usually known as Ahmed Zaki, was an Egyptian filmactor. He was characterized by his talent, skill and ability in impersonating. He was also famous for his on-screen intensity, often genuinely hitting co-stars during scenes of violence. He is widely regarded as the greatest and most talented male star in the entire history of the Arabic and Egyptian cinema.
Early days
Ahmed Zaki was born in the city ofZagazig, about 50 miles 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 Cairo Higher Institute for Drama Studies in 1974. For 30 years, Ahmed Zaki impressed his audiences by playing comic, romantic and tragic roles in theater, cinema and on television. He was considered a superstar among his generation. Zaki had his first chance to professionally act while he was still studying at the Theatre Institute in 1969: he was cast in a small part as a room service attendant in the comedy playHello Shalabi; he managed to make an impressive comic sketch, notably impersonating the celebrated villain actor Mahmoud el-Meliguy which managed to let everyone take note of his impressive, natural performance. Such impersonation was Zaki's favourite hobby, and it was a skill he developed over time. There is also a road in Maadi called Ahmed Zaki road on his behalf. People in the street often hailed him as Sbel, in reference to his role in the classic comedy play Madrast Al-Mushaghebeen. His leap to stardom began when he got a leading role in the successful 1978 comedy play Al-Iyal Kibrit then his television impersonation of the blind Egyptian littérateur Taha Hussein in the serial drama of the latter's eponymous autobiography El-Ayyam. https://scoopempire.com/celebrities-pay-tribute-to-egyptian-legend-ahmed-zaki-in-a-heart-wrenching-ad-for-500-500-cancer-hospital/
Career highlights
He made his first film, Abnaa Elsamt, in 1974. By 1980 he had made six films, including with Egypt's best known director, Youssef Chahine. Zaki appeared in more than 60 films throughout his career. Many of his films were written by screenwriter Wahid Hamed and had a strong political message that exposed governmental and police corruption. He also starred in the famous 1980s television comedy musical series Howa we heya with actress Souad Houssni. Zaki also starred in a series of successful action 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 in Nasser 56, 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 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. He is also known for portraying prominent characters in Egyptian history like Taha Hussein. Zaki was seen as an icon and spokesperson for the average Egyptian youth, he was also considered the heir to Farid Shawki as Malek El Terso 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 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 granting 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. The book features details of his acting career and includes a compilation of articles by different critics including Tareq Al Shinawi, Mohammad Al Shafe’ee and Waleed Saif.
