U.K.-Egyptian-born Khalid Abdalla has recently taken television audiences by storm. Widely praised by critics and fans, the actor recently played Dodi Al-Fayed on the critically acclaimed Netflix series, “The Crown”. Aside from his notable acting accolades, Abdalla is also one of the founding members of the Mosireen Collective in Cairo, a group of revolutionary filmmakers and activists dedicated to supporting citizen media across Egypt.
Khalid Abdalla’s early steps into fame.
He attended King’s College School, an independent school for boys, in Wimbledon, southwest London. The vibrant drama scene at his school inspired him to pursue acting. During the 1998 Edinburgh Festival, at the age of 18, he directed “Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me” by Frank McGuinness which won five stars in The Scotsman, making him the youngest director ever to earn such an honor.
In 2003, Abdalla played the title role in Christopher Marlowe’s “Tamburlaine the Great” at the Rose Theatre in Kingston, London. His first screen role was in a 2005 episode of “Spooks” entitled “Infiltration of a New Threat”.
Becoming a household name
As a young actor in Hollywood, Abdalla was excited to be cast in nearly any role. However, when the opportunity for the lead role in “United 93”, the critically acclaimed film about the 9/11 attacks, came his way, he was not interested. Not wanting to further stereotypes about Arabic people, he initially refused the role. He stated, “The reputation of representing Arabs by Hollywood is a stereotype, and it’s an incredibly hurtful stereotype,” to the L.A. Times.
After speaking in length with director Paul Greengrass, Abdalla changed his mind. After being assured this was not a film to bring harm and persecution, Abdalla rose to fame as Ziad Jarrah in “United 93” in 2006. Following this, he was cast as Amir Qadiri in “The Kite Runner.” He studied Dari Persian and kite-flying in Kabul as part of his preparation for the role. In the year following its premiere, the film was nominated for 29 awards.
Khalid Abdalla and “The Crown”
Abdalla’s latest role as Dodi Al-Fayed in the wildly popular Netflix series, “The Crown”, set him on a stage for a wider audience. Abdalla felt a responsibility to tell Dodi’s story the correct way. He went as far as to examine articles and detailed CCTV footage of Dodi and Princess Diana’s last day. He even spoke with some of Dodi’s friends.
Khalid Abdalla has a great deal of respect for the character he portrayed and his relationship with Princess Diana. “I had no idea at the beginning quite how much I would love playing him and the extent to which he would be a gift to me,” he told Arab News. His depiction of Dodi Al-Fayed has been praised by both fans and critics alike, earning him nominations for the Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. It’s evident that Abdalla’s dedication to evoking the character accurately and with integrity has paid off as his work has been recognized and celebrated by his peers in the industry. Everyone is excited to see what’s next for the talented actor.
