Mohammad Bakri, Palestinian Actor and Director Known for ‘Homeland,’ ‘Beyond the Walls’ and Docu ‘Jenin, Jenin,’ Dies at 72

Mohammad Bakri, a prominent Palestinian actor and director who was known for his work in “Homeland” and the Oscar-nominated 1984 drama “Beyond the Walls,” died Dec. 24 in Israel. He was 72.

CNN and other outlets reported that Bakri had been suffering from heart problems. As an actor, he is on screen at present in Season 2 of “House of David,” the Biblical drama from Amazon Prime Video and the Wonder Project. Bakri plays the King of Edom.

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Bakri was known for consistently exploring the complexities of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and themes of oppression and liberation in his work. He was a commanding presence on screen with a stentorian delivery to match. In “Homeland” he played the fictional Vice President of Afghanistan who kept Claire Danes’ CIA agent Carrie Mathison on her toes with his shifting alliances and motivations.

Bakri was born in northern Israel. “Bakri’s funeral was held the same day in his town of birth, al-Bi’neh,” CNN reported.

As an actor, Bakri gained prominence with his work in the 1984 Israeli drama “Beyond the Walls,” an intense prison drama. The film earned an Oscar nomination for best foreign language film.

As a director, Bakri was known for the 2003 documentary “Jenin, Jenin,” which captured the stories of Palestinian refugees during a period of conflict and violent attacks by the Israel Defense Forces. The film was banned in Israel, He waged a long legal battle to against the ban, but it was rejected in 2022 by Israel’s high court, per CNN.

Bakri also directed the 2005 documentary film “Since You’ve Been Gone,” about the life and work of Arab author and politician Emile Habibi.

Bakri’s numerous TV and film credits also included supporting roles in HBO’s “The Night Of,” FX’s “Tyrant,” Peacock’s “Those About to Die,” 2025’s “All That’s Left of You,” 2022’s “The Cairo Conspiracy,” 2021’s “The Stranger,” 2017’s “Wajib” and 2010’s “The Flowers of Kirkuk.”