Ahmad Zaki (actor)
| Ahmed Zaki | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Ahmed Zaki Metwally Badawi November 18, 1949 Zagazig, Egypt |
| Died | March 27, 2005 (aged 55) Cairo, Egypt |
| Other names | The Emperor |
| Occupation | Actor, producer |
| Years active | 1974-2005 |
Ahmed Zaki Metwally Badawi (Arabic:احمد زكي متولى بدوى) (November 18, 1949 – March 27, 2005) was a leading Egyptian film star. He was characterised by his talent, skill and ability in impersonating. He was also famous for his on-screen vehemence, often genuinely hitting co-stars during scenes of violence. He is widely regarded as the greatest and most talented male star in the history of Arabian cinema.
Ahmed Zaki was born in the city of Zagazig, 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.
part as a room service attendant in the comedy play Hello Shalabi; (the original actor didn't show up, and Ahmed who was working as Soft Drinks vendor at the time, managed to get the fill-in on one night) 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.
People in the street often hailed him as Sbel, in reference to his role in the classic comedy play Madrast Al-Mushaghebeen (The School for Trouble Makers). His leap to stardom began when he got a leading role in the successful 1978 comedy play Al-Iyal Kibrit (The Children have Grown Up) then his television impersonation of the blind Egyptian littérateur Taha Hussein ("the dean of Arabic literature") in the serial drama of the latter's eponymous autobiography El-Ayyam (The Days).
He made his first film, Abnaa Elsamt (Children of Silence), in 1974. By 1980 he had made six films, including (Alexandria, Why?) with Egypt's best known director, Yusuf Shahin. Zaki appeared in more than 60 films throughout his career.
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