‘Homeland’ Actor Dies: Mohammad Bakri Was 72

Palestinian actor Mohammad Bakri has died. He was 72.

The actor died of heart and lung issues on December 24 in Nahariya.

Bakri, who was described by the Associated Press as a “director and actor who sought to share the complexities of Palestinian identity and culture through a variety of works in both Arabic and Hebrew,” is best known for his recurring role on Showtime’s espionage thriller series Homeland, where he played Afghanistan’s vice president Abdu Qadir G’ulom.

He also directed the famously controversial 2002 documentary Jenin, Jenin, which showcased a war-torn area of Jenin, Palestine after Israeli forces invaded and destroyed a refugee camp there. Bakri was plagued by legal troubles regarding the film for most of his life, with a case surrounding the film’s interviews occurring as recently as 2022.

His last on-screen role was in the 2025 film All That’s Left of You, which also starred two of his sons and is currently on the shortlist for Best International Film at this year’s Academy Awards.

Other roles include an appearance in HBO’s acclaimed miniseries The Night Of, the FX series Tyrant, and the 2017 film American Assassin starring Michael Keaton, Dylan O’Brien, and Sanaa Lathan.

He is survived by his wife, Leila, and six children—including three actor sons, Adam, Ziad and Saleh.