‘Homeland’ actor and Palestinian filmmaker Mohammad Bakri dies at 72

Mohammad Bakri, a veteran Palestinian actor and director known for his roles in international television and politically charged cinema, died on December 24 in Israel. He was 72. As per reports, he had been suffering from heart-related ailments.

Bakri was widely recognised for performances that reflected the tensions and lived realities of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. International audiences may remember him from Homeland, where he played the fictional vice president of Afghanistan, a character whose volatile decisions repeatedly unsettled Claire Danes’ CIA officer Carrie Mathison.

He was born in northern Israel, and his funeral was held the same day in his hometown of al-Bi’neh.

Bakri first rose to prominence with Beyond the Walls, a hard-hitting prison drama that went on to earn an Oscar nomination for best foreign language film. The role cemented his reputation as an actor unafraid of politically complex and morally challenging material.

In recent years, he appeared in season two of House of David, portraying the King of Edom. His television and film credits spanned decades and included HBO’s The Night Of, FX’s Tyrant, Peacock’s Those About to Die, The Cairo Conspiracy (2022), The Stranger (2021), Wajib (2017), The Flowers of Kirkuk (2010), and the upcoming All That’s Left of You (2025).

As a director, Bakri drew both acclaim and controversy. His 2003 documentary Jenin, Jenin, which presented accounts of Palestinian refugees during a period of intense conflict and Israeli military action, was banned in Israel. Bakri fought a prolonged legal battle against the ban, but Israel’s high court rejected his appeal in 2022. He later directed Since You’ve Been Gone (2005), a documentary on the life and work of Arab writer and politician Emile Habibi.

Known for his commanding screen presence and distinctive voice, Bakri remained a significant figure in Arab and international cinema, leaving behind a body of work that consistently engaged with themes of power, displacement, and resistance.