Mohammad Bakri, a prominent Palestinian actor and director who was known for his work in “Homeland” and the Oscar-nominated 1984 drama ‘Beyond the Walls’, passed away on December 24 in Israel, reported Variety. He was 72.
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CNN and other outlets reported that Bakri had been suffering from heart problems. He was seen in Season 2 of Amazon Prime Video’s Biblical drama House of David and the Wonder Project, portraying the King of Edom.
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Throughout his career, he was recognised for exploring the complexities of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, themes of oppression, and struggles for liberation. In Homeland, he portrayed the fictional Vice President of Afghanistan, a character noted for keeping Claire Danes’ CIA agent Carrie Mathison on edge with his unpredictable decisions.
Bakri was born in northern Israel. “Bakri’s funeral was held the same day in his town of birth, al-Bi’neh,” CNN reported.
He rose to prominence with Beyond the Walls, an intense prison drama that earned an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film, as per the outlet.
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As a director, Bakri was known for the 2003 documentary “Jenin, Jenin,” which captured the stories of Palestinian refugees during a period of conflict and violent attacks by the Israel Defence Forces. The film was banned in Israel. He waged a long legal battle against the ban, but it was rejected by Israel’s high court in 2022, according to CNN.
Bakri also directed the 2005 documentary film “Since You’ve Been Gone,” about the life and work of Arab author and politician Emile Habibi.
Bakri’s television and film career spanned decades, with notable credits including HBO’s The Night Of, FX’s Tyrant, Peacock’s Those About to Die, All That’s Left of You (2025), The Cairo Conspiracy (2022), The Stranger (2021), Wajib (2017), and The Flowers of Kirkuk (2010). His commanding on-screen presence and stentorian delivery left a lasting mark on both Arab and international cinema, according to Variety.
