Mohammad Bakri, the prominent Palestinian actor and director known for “Homeland” and the Oscar-nominated 1984 drama “Beyond the Wall,” died on December 24 in Israel. He was 72 years old.
CNN and other outlets reported that Bakri was suffering from heart disease. As an actor, he is currently starring in season 2 of the Biblical drama House of David on Amazon Prime Video and the Wonder Project. Bakri plays the king of Edom.
Bakri was known for consistently exploring the complexities of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and themes of oppression and liberation in his work. He had a commanding presence on screen and gave a great performance to match. In Homeland, he played the fictional vice president of Afghanistan, who is constantly on guard against the shifting alliances and motives of CIA agent Carrie Mathison, played by Claire Danes.
Bakri was born in northern Israel. “Mr. Bakri’s funeral was held the same day in his hometown of Albine,” CNN reported.
As an actor, Bakri rose to fame with his performance in the intense 1984 Israeli prison drama Beyond the Walls. The film was nominated for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.
As a director, Bakri was known for his 2003 documentary “Jenin, Jenin,” which captured the stories of Palestinian refugees during the conflict and violent attacks by the IDF. The film has been banned in Israel, and he waged a lengthy legal battle to challenge the ban, which was overruled 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 writer and politician Emir Habibi.
Bakri’s numerous television and film credits also include supporting roles in HBO’s The Night Of, FX’s Tyrant, Peacock’s The Dead, 2025’s All That’s Left of You, 2022’s The Cairo Conspiracy, 2021’s The Stranger, 2017’s Wajib, and 2010’s The Stranger. “Flowers of Kirkuk”.
