Mohammad Bakri, a former actor, producer, and director, passed away at the age of 72 on Dec. 24. His son, Saleh Bakri, made the announcement via his Instagram page, per CNN. Bakri passed away after suffering from issues with his heart and lungs.
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During his career, Bakri worked on multiple movies and TV shows. However, he's likely best remembered for his role as Abdul Qadir G'ulom on the hit TV show Homeland. He also played roles in American Assassin (2017) and Strange Cities Are Familiar (2019), among others.
Bakri's latest work, All That's Left Of You, was recently nominated for the 2026 Academy Awards for a potential Best International Feature nomination.
Before making the move to the big screen, Bakir began his career in Palestinian and Israeli theaters and productions. He worked on both Arabic and Hebrew productions. He first transitioned into movies when working with Academy Award-winning director Costa-Gavras on the movie Hanna K.
Mohammad Bakri Was No Stranger to Controversy
In 2003, Bakri released a documentary called Jenin, Jenin. The work captured stories of Palestinian refugees during a time of conflict with the Israel Defense Forces. The film quickly became controversial in Israel and was subsequently banned by the Israeli Film Board. In 2022, Judges rejected Bakri's appeal, upholding the ban.
"[Bakri] remained steadfast, both in his upright stance for the rights of his people, and his commitment for a shared life and peace for Israeli and Palestinians," Israeli director Sinai Peter told Ynet of the late director, per CNN.
Mohammad Bakri Is Currently on Screen in an Amazon Prime Drama
Even now, Bakri still has new work being shown. The recently deceased actor has a role in the Amazon Prime drama House Of David. He has appeared in two episodes of the highly-rated show, which has earned a 7.4 star rating on IMDB.
Prime is just the latest credit in Bakir's name. He's previously held credits with HBO, FX, and Peacock. His range allowed him to morph into multiple roles, as proven by his work in three different languages, all ranging in topic and seriousness.
Bakri's funeral has already taken place, with CNN reporting that it occurred on the same day of his passing, in his hometown of al-Bi'neh, in northern Israel.
