Who is Khalid Abdalla? Meet Dodi Fayed actor in The Crown
The actor takes on a prominent role in The Crown season 6 part 1.
More than any other run of the show before it, The Crown season 6 part 1 focuses on one particular storyline - the final days and death of Princess Diana.
This means a very prominent role for Elizabeth Debicki as Diana, while Khalid Abdalla also gets increased screen time as Dodi Fayed, the son of Mohamed Al-Fayed and the man who Diana had a relationship with in her final days.
It was during their trip to Paris that Diana and Dodi both died in a car crash, with the series dramatising this moment in its new four-episode outing. But who is Abdalla, the actor playing Dodi?
Read on for everything you need to know about The Crown star Khalid Abdalla.
Who is Khalid Abdalla?
Khalid Abdalla is a British actor and activist best known for playing Dodi Fayed in The Crown.
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After some theatre roles and an appearance in an episode of Spooks, he rose to international prominence for his role in the film United 93.
He went on to play the lead role in The Kite Runner, and last year made an appearance in Marvel series Moon Knight.
He first starred as Dodi Fayed in two episodes of The Crown season 5, but takes on a more prominent role in season 6.
He is also an activist, who has campaigned on a number of issues. He set up the Mosireen media collective in Cairo, a group of filmmakers and activists which documented the Tahrir Square protests in Egypt.
How old is Khalid Abdalla?
Khalid Abdalla is 43 years old.
He was born on 26th October 1980.
What nationality is Khalid Abdalla?
Khalid Abdalla is British.
He was born in Glasgow, Scotland, to Egyptian parents, who immigrated to the UK before he was born, and he was brought up in London. He went to King's College School in Wimbledon, where his classmates included Ben Barnes and Tom Basden.
What has Khalid Abdalla previously starred in?
Abdalla has previously had roles in series including Spooks, Hanna and Moon Knight.
He has also appeared in films such as United 93, The Kite Runner, Green Zone, The Square, Our Kind of Traitor and Assassin's Creed.
What has Khalid Abdalla said about his role in The Crown?
Abdalla has called playing Dodi Fayed "a huge responsibility" with "a huge sense of privilege".
He explained: "If you're speaking about Dodi in particular, all you get is one adjective: 'Playboy'. That's it. Imagine if your entire life has been reduced to an adjective?
"That’s part of the reason, when I was first approached for the role, I was like, 'What, really? Me? I'm not sure, I don't – that adjective doesn't work.'
"But then, of course, you enter his real story, and you find out how much more fascinating it is, how rich, how moving, and – from an actor's perspective – how much there is to live up to in it, and what I hope is a kind of resolution.
"It's a return of dignity. At the end of the day, he's someone who died who wasn't really mourned. He wasn't really known. And there are very big and important questions for all of us about that."
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Is Khalid Abdalla on Instagram?
He is, although he hasn't posted on it in a while.
You can find his profile at @k.ab81.
Is Khalid Abdalla on Twitter?
He is - you can find his account on Twitter here - @khalidabdalla.
The Crown season 6 part 1 is streaming on Netflix now. Sign up for Netflix from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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