Palestinian actor and filmmaker Mohammad Bakri has died aged 72 after a long illness. Bakri passed away at a hospital in Nahariya after a lengthy battle with heart disease, his family confirmed. The actor gained widespread recognition as a pioneering figure in Palestinian cinema, with a career spanning four decades. He starred in a number of Hollywood productions throughout his career, including Showtime’s Homeland. Bakri portrayed Abdul Qadir G’ulom alongside Claire Danes in the series, which aired on Channel 4 in the UK.
He also made an appearance in Peacock’s historic drama Those About to Die, starring opposite Anthony Hopkins and Iwan Rheon. He shared the screen with Ray Winstone in Of Kings and Prophets and took on the role of King of Edom in Amazon Prime Video’s House of David.
Born in the village of Bi’ina in northern Israel, Bakri pursued acting and Arabic literature at Tel Aviv University. He kickstarted his career on stage, performing at some of Israel’s most prestigious venues, including Habima Theatre in Tel Aviv, Haifa Theatre, and the Khan Theatre.
He gained international recognition in 1983 when he portrayed a Palestinian refugee seeking to reclaim his family’s home in Costa-Gavras’s 1983 film Hanna K.
His major breakthrough came the following year, when he landed the lead role in the prison drama Beyond the Walls.
Bakri went on to become a major Palestinian film star, appearing in both Israeli and international productions while also directing documentaries centered on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Despite his impressive career, his work was not without controversy. His 2002 documentary, Jenin, Jenin, was banned in Israel after Israeli soldier Nissim Magnaji filed a libel lawsuit after he was depicted in the film as stealing money from an elderly Palestinian man – an allegation he denies.
An Israeli court also said it found that some of the representations in the film, which is about the 2002 deadly confrontations between armed Israeli soldiers and Palestinians in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin, were untrue.
Bakri is survived by his six children; five sons and one daughter. Tributes have flooded in for the late star, with one writing: “Very sad news. RIP.”
“A towering figure in Middle Eastern cinema, his legacy endures,” penned a second as another posted: “My love for all of Mohammad Bakri’s works is profound. He lived his truth out loud and that echo is forever. Rest in power, king.”
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