https://arab.news/rns2b
DUBAI: Legendary Egyptian actor Ahmed Zaki was featured Wednesday in a Google Doodle, for what would have been his 71st birthday.
The actor, widely known as “Black Tiger” after his titular role in a 1984 boxing film, appeared in more than 60 films and two dozen plays throughout his three-decade career.
He was most noted for being one of the first dark-skinned actors to play leading roles in Egyptian films, which inspired a new face for the Arab film industry.
Born in 1949 in a city 50 miles north of Cairo, Zaki began his career acting in stage plays, including the famous comedy “Hello, Shalaby” and “Madrasat Al-Mushaghibin.” He studied dramatic arts and graduated in the early 70s.
Zaki also became famous for taking up 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.
The doodle, illustrated by Cairo-based artist Muhammad Mustafa, had references to Zaki’s most remarkable contributions to Egyptian cinema – boxing gloves for “Al-Nimr Al-Aswad” (The Black Tiger), a crab symbolizing “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).
The actor died of lung cancer complications in 2005.