Zeeko Zaki (original) (raw)

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Egyptian-American actor (born 1990)

Zakaria Sherif Zaki (Arabic: زكريا شريف زكي; born January 18, 1990),[1] better known as Zeeko Zaki (Arabic: زيكو زكي),[2][3] is an Egyptian-American actor best known for his role portraying Special Agent Omar Adom "OA" Zidan on Dick Wolf's FBI.[4]

Early life and education

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Zaki was born in Alexandria, Egypt, and emigrated with his parents Emon and Sherif Zaki to the United States at one month of age. Zaki's maternal grandparents emigrated to the US before he and his parents arrived.[5] His extended family remained in Egypt. During his childhood Zaki spent summers in his hometown and his aunt has a villa in Agami Region where he and his relatives gather.[6] He grew up in West Chester, Pennsylvania. His mother manages a salon in Wilmington, Delaware, and his father is a stylist. Zaki has two younger siblings: a brother, Zeyad, and a sister, Zeina.[7]

Zaki discovered a passion for acting during his freshman year high school performance of Seussical at Unionville High School. He also acted in the community theatre group Unionville Players. He briefly attended Temple University in Philadelphia.

In 2010, Zaki moved to North Carolina, where he worked in theater before auditioning for television roles. He appeared in bit part roles in various films and television series before landing recurring roles in Six and 24: Legacy, portraying antagonists, and in Valor, in which he portrayed a door gunner of a U.S. Army special operations aviation unit. Zaki was cast in his first lead role playing Special Agent Zidan in Dick Wolf's procedural show FBI. The role was originally written for a Latino actor but Wolf, impressed by Zaki's audition tape, changed the character's ethnicity to mirror Zaki's background.[8][9]

Zaki has said that he wants to prove to the world that Muslims and Arabs are not terrorists.[10]

Zaki is a Muslim.[3][11][12] Zaki spoke Egyptian Arabic at home until the age of six.[11]

1. ^ Rose, Mike (January 18, 2023). "Today's famous birthdays list for January 18, 2023 includes celebrities Kevin Costner, Dave Bautista". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
2. ^ "CBS Press Express | FBI". CBS Press Express (Press release). Retrieved November 18, 2018.
3. ^ a b "Arab American stars in new CBS prime-time series". Arab American News. July 28, 2018. Retrieved November 18, 2018.
4. ^ "Connie Nielsen Cast in Dick Wolf's CBS Drama FBI". ComingSoon.net. March 6, 2018. Retrieved November 18, 2018.
5. ^ "FBI star Zeeko Zaki details extraordinary 100lb weight loss", hellomagazine.com, July 11, 2022
6. ^ "بطل مصري لمسلسل أمريكي.. حكاية زيكو زكي" (in Arabic). elsaha.com. November 4, 2019.
7. ^ "Delaware Today magazine Women in Business: Emon Zaki is operations manager at Sherif Zaki Salon & The Oasis Spa". Delaware Today. November 9, 2011. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
8. ^ "Zeeko Zaki Finally Gets to Play the Good Guy". Harper's Bazaar. October 29, 2018.
9. ^ "Muslim 'FBI' star advocates for better TV representation". New York Post. October 10, 2018.
10. ^ حصريا .. قصة زيكو زكى النجم المصرى العالمى في هوليوود .. بدأ كومبارس وبقى بطل مسلسل "FBI", retrieved June 14, 2022
11. ^ a b "Actor Zeeko Zaki Is Ready to Change the Narrative of Arab Men on the Small Screen". Town & Country. September 25, 2018. Retrieved November 18, 2018.
12. ^ "I'm a Muslim American and I Play the Hero in a TV Show. Here's What My Experience Has Taught Me About How We Can Change Hollywood". Time. October 16, 2018. Retrieved November 18, 2018.

• Zeeko Zaki at IMDb