The Crown: Elizabeth Debicki attends premiere
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The Crown season five is on Netflix now and the new season introduces some new characters as the story progresses. Diana, Princess of Wales (played by Elizabeth Debicki) and Prince Charles (Dominic West) are at the heart of the story as their marriage comes to an end. Diana went on to form a relationship with Dodi Fayed and here’s all you need to know about who plays him.
Who plays Dodi Fayed in The Crown?
Dodi Fayed was an Egyptian film producer and the son of billionaire Mohamed Al Fayed (Salim Daw) who was in a relationship with Princess Diana when they both died after a car crash in Paris in 1997.
His father Mohamed is the former owner of Harrods department store, as well as the Hôtel Ritz Paris.
Dodi became romantically involved with Diana in July 1997, and they spent nine days together on holiday in the French and Italian Rivieras.
They had been on board Dodi’s family yacht and had stopped in Paris for a meal at the end of their trip.
Both Dodi and Diana were killed in a car crash in the Pont de l’Alma underpass after leaving the restaurant.
In season five of The Crown, Dodi is played by Khalid Abdalla, an Egyptian-British actor and activist.
The 42-year-old is known for his role in the film United 93, which details what happened on United Airlines Flight 93, which was hijacked as part of the 11 September attacks.
The star is also known for his roles as Amir in The Kite Runner and in the Green Zone.
He was born in Scotland to Egyptian parents and grew up in London, with his father and grandfather being well-known anti-regime activists in Egypt.
In September 2011, he married his long-term girlfriend, Cressida Trew.
Khalid said the Egyptian film producer he played has “never really been mourned because he’s never really been known”.
Speaking about how little is known about Dodi, who was 42 when he died, the actor told The Independent: “Dodi’s name has been on people’s lips for 25 years and yet nobody really knows anything about him.
“When they actually ask themselves, ‘What do I know?’ They might get as far as they know who his father was, and they’ll have the word ‘playboy’, and that’s about it.”
Before the release of The Crown’s new episodes, Khalid appeared on Good Morning Britain alongside hosts Susanna Reid and Ed Balls.
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He shared the story of his friend Alaa Abdel Fattah who since 2011 has been serving a fifteen-year prison sentence for his activism in Egypt.
The actor and activist pleaded the case of Alaa who has been in prison for the past decade and is currently on a 200-day hunger strike to raise awareness about political injustice in Egypt.
Explaining the reason for his friend’s imprisonment, Khalid shared: “The actual reason technically for him being in prison is for sharing a Facebook post, it’s completely absurd. A Facebook post about the torture of a fellow prisoner.”
He shared the importance of Alaa’s release as COP27 begins in Egypt, adding: “Right now we’re facing the possibility of his [Alaa] death in the coming days before COP27 ends, it’s a terrifying prospect.
“All 120 world leaders are descending on Sharm El-Sheikh right now. If all of them can’t result in Alaa being released from prison, then what hope do we have in the climate?”
When asked why he is advocating for Alaa, he said: “I’m here as a friend, I’m here as someone who believes in a better world.
“But look at him [Alaa], he’s been on hunger strike for over 200 days, he is fighting with his body, he is the reason that I am here.
“We need to be doing everything that we can, so that’s what I have to do – regardless of whether I’m in The Crown.”
The Crown season 5 is on Netflix now.
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