He was a leading actor who made over sixty films, including Children of Silence. In 2005, he played the titular character in Halim, a film about the Egyptian musician and singer
He studied cinema in Cairo while working as a soft drink vendor.
He became famous for his portrayal of two Presidents in two different movies.
He married Hala Fouad, with whom he had a child named Haitham Ahmed Zaki.
Hosni Mubarak offered to send him to France for medical treatment when he had lung cancer.
