Amr Waked Biography: Awards, Movies, Age, Net Worth, Siblings, Parents, Son, Wife

Amr Waked is an Egyptian actor and producer who first drew international attention with his portrayal of Mohammed Sheikh Agiza in the 2005 geopolitical thriller Syriana.

A graduate of the American University in Cairo’s political science program, he honed his craft on stage before transitioning to screen roles.

His leading performance in the 2003 drama The Fish’s Tail earned him Best Actor honours at the Alexandria International Film Festival, and his later appearances in Contagion (2011), Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2012) and Lucy (2014) solidified his standing in both Middle Eastern and Hollywood cinema.

Profile

• Full name: Amr Waked
• Date of birth: April 12, 1973
• Age: 52 years old
• Gender: Male
• Place of birth: Maadi, Cairo, Egypt
• State of origin: Cairo Governorate, Egypt
• Nationality: Egyptian
• Profession: Actor, Producer
• Height: 1.73 m
• Parents: N/A
• Siblings: N/A
• Spouse: Married to Sarah Shaheen since 2015.
• Children: He has one son, born of his relationship in Europe, who resides near Barcelona
• Relationship status: Married
• Religion: Muslim
• Ethnicity: Egyptian Arab
• Net worth: $3 million

Early Life and Education

Amr Waked is now 52 years old, having been born on April 12, 1973. Raised in the Maadi district of Cairo, details about his family background remain private.

He attended El Nasr Boys’ School before enrolling at the American University in Cairo, where he earned a degree in political science in 1995. While at AUC, he studied theatre alongside his coursework in economics, laying the foundation for his later work on both stage and screen.

Personal Life

Amr Waked married fellow theatre artist Sarah Shaheen in 2015. He and his wife have one son, whom they split time raising between Spain and France; his son attends school near Barcelona.

Career

Waked began acting in theatre in 1992, joining Cairo’s Temple Theatre Troop and later the Yaaru Theatre Troop in 1999. His film debut came in 1999’s Gannat al Shayateen, but his first significant cinematic role was as Gehad in Ashab wa l Business. (2002).

In 2003, he starred in Deil el Samaka (The Fish’s Tail), for which he won Best Actor at the Alexandria International Film Festival. His performance alongside George Clooney in Syriana (2005) introduced him to global audiences. Subsequent roles included Rafik in Contagion (2011), Sheikh Muhammed bin Zaidi in Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2012), and Pierre Del Rio in Lucy (2014).

He has also produced projects through his company Zad Production and appeared in blockbusters such as Geostorm (2017) and Wonder Woman 1984 (2020). Since 2019, he has portrayed Farouk Hassan in the Hulu series Ramy, and in 2021, he hosted the bilingual web series Decoded, which won a Telly Award in 2022.

Awards

• Best Actor Award – Alexandria International Film Festival (2004) for The Fish’s Tail
• Special Award for Arabs in the International Cinema – Cairo International Film Festival (2006) for Syriana
• Telly Award – Web series Decoded (2022)

Social Media

• Instagram: @amrwaked
• Twitter/X: @amrwaked

Filmography

• Gannat al Shayateen (1999)
• Ashab wala business? (2002)
• Deil el Samaka (The Fish’s Tail) (2003)
• Syriana (2005)
• The Aquarium (2008)
• Contagion (2011)
• Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2012)
• Lucy (2014)
• Geostorm (2017)
• Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
• Firebrand (2023)
• Urchin (2025)
• Eagles of the Republic (2025)