Google Doodle celebrated, on Wednesday, the 71st birth anniversary of Egyptian legendary actor Ahmed Zaki, one of the all-time greats in the Arab cinema.
Zaki was one of the first dark-skinned actors to play leading roles in Egyptian films, paving the way for similar actors to enter the Arab film industry.
The Egyptian actor was nicknamed the “Black Tiger” after his titular role in the 1984 film of the same title. He starred in more than 60 films throughout his three-decade career.
Born on 18 November 1949 in Zagazig city, Zaki graduated from Zagazig’s Crafts School, and then he traveled to Cairo to study arts and graduated in the early 1970s. He began his career by playing small roles in famous plays, including “Hello, Shalaby” and “Madrasat Al-Mushaghibin.”
He was famous for playing roles in films that tackled socio-political issues, and was lauded in his portrayal of prominent Egyptian figures, including Presidents Gamal Abdel Nasser and Anwar Sadat.
He passed away of lung cancer complications on 27 March 2005. He was 56.
The Google Doodle of Zaki, illustrated by Cairo-based artist Muhammad Mustafa, had references to the actor’s most remarkable contributions to Egyptian cinema, including “El-nemr El’eswed” (The Black Tiger), “Kaboria” (The Crab), “Edhak El-Sora Tetlaa’ Helwa” (Smile, the Picture Will Come Out Fine), and “Arba’a Fi Muhimma Rasmiya” (Four on an Official Mission).
