Khaled Abol Naga

Khaled Abol Naga
Khaled Abol Naga at Doha Tribeca Film Festival 2009
Born	Khaled Mohammed Sami Abol Naga Cairo, Egypt
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1972–present

Khaled Abol Naga (Arabic: خالد ابو النجا‎‎, IPA: [ˈxæːled æbonˈnæɡæ]; is an Egyptian actor, TV host, producer and director. He is a Human and Child rights activist and has been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since his appointment in 2007. He has worked across a variety of media, including theatre, radio, television and film.

Early years

During his childhood, Khaled Abol Naga spent a lot of time with his elder brother, Tarek, whom he quoted many times as having a major influence on his character growing up. Khaled was naturally interested in acting at an early age. He was only twelve years old when he became a film actor. Khaled Abol Naga went to St. George College school for his primary education, attended Ain Shams University and American University in Cairo for his early education. He later graduated with a degree in telecommunication engineering from Ain Shams University. Meanwhile, he dedicated his time to acting and participated in the Theatre Department of American University in Cairo. This gave Khaled the opportunity to discover his acting talent in the University’s drama productions. Over time, Khaled realized his passion for acting and eventually decided to leave for the United States. There he studied film acting, cinematography, and directing.

Mid years

In 1999, Khaled was offered several opportunities to host different TV programs. In 2000, he was awarded Best New TV Announcer. He was later chosen to host a very popular TV program in Egypt, Good Morning Egypt, which he hosted until the end of 2001. His acting career took off when he was selected by Daoud Abdel Sayed, a well-known and respected director, to act in Mowaten We Mokhber We Haramy. At the end of 2002, Khaled acted in a comedy musical called Wust El Balad, where he had the opportunity to demonstrate his talent for singing.

Recent Work

After the musical, Khaled was offered the role of one of the lead characters in Sahar El Layali (Sleepless Nights), which became a hit in the summer of 2003. Later that same year, Khaled was awarded Best Actor at the ‘Damascus International Film Festival’, then awarded Best Actor Award in Paris from the Institute du Monde Arabe film festival. He also won the Egyptian equivalent of an Oscar in 2004. After Sahar El Layali, Khaled acted in five more movies in a very short period of time. In 2004, he acted in Yom El Karama (Dignity Day) and Hob El Banat (Girl’s Love). In 2005, he released three more movies: Harb Italia (Italian war), Malek wa Ketaba (Heads and Tails), and Banat West El Balad (Downtown Girls). In 2006, he starred in The Game of Love and Civic Duty. In 2007 and 2008, his work in Kashf Hesab gained much critical attention. He also acted in an action thriller drama for the first time in Agamista, and even a totally unexpected comedy Habibi Naeman, a remake of an American movie in an Egyptian setting. In 2009, he recorded a record while touring and won awards for One-Zero and Heliopolis, which he co-produced for first-time director Ahmad Abdalla. In 2007 he stated that, "I am heading to writing and producing and even directing" an announced project in 2011.

Abol Naga has a record of presence in International Film Festivals, either as a jury member or as an actor with his critically appraised feature films, In 2007 the North American audiences & critics praised his role in "Civic Duty" co-starring Peter Krause & directed by Canadian director Jeff Renfroe In 2009-2010 he set a record of 12 international film festivals (Venice Film Festival, Toronto's tiff, Vancouver's VIFF, Cairo's CIFF, Abu Dhabi's ADIFF, Doha Tribeca Film Festival, London's BFI, Thessaloniki FF, and more) inviting him either as a Jury member or as an actor in his two award winning movies "One-Zero" or "Heliopolis".

In 2010 he co-produced and starred "Microphone", that is touring festivals internationally now (Toronto's tiff10, Vancouver's VIFF, rumored to be at Cairo's CIFF, Abu Dhabi's ADIFF, Doha Tribeca Film Festival, London's BFI, Thessaloniki FF, and more)

Abol Naga is known for winning Best Actor awards every year in Egypt and internationally from International Film Festivals. He is also known as a stand up comedian, an Egyptian film maker and producer, and a television host, as well as an interviewer for radio and television.

Khaled also created and hosted BBCe! a weekly bi-lingual radio program in Arabic and English. This is a co-production with the BBC World Service and airs on several ERTU radio stations within Egypt.

He is leading a "Team in Cairo" that is the seed of a new movement of film making altogether coming out of the region. In Cannes Film Festival 2011 : Team-Cairo among a group of leading independent Arab world filmmakers anaounced PACHA pictures : an international sales company based in Paris, Cairo & Abu Dhabi; as the regional vehicle for Film and TV Arab content to the world. Mr. Naga as a social and human rights activist has been one of the early outspoken icons from Egypt promoting social justice, freedom and democratic change to the Arab world in general and Egypt under Muabarak’s regime in specific, Mr Naga played a pivotal role in explaining to the world media and supporting the Egyptian Revolution Jan 25’th till now.

Mr. Naga has a very admirable record of social & human rights advocacy (specially children), He is also the appointed UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for Egypt since 2007.

Khaled has also been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2007, with an already outstanding resume of humanitarian activities even before his UNICEF UN post. On April 21, 2008 the UNICEF partnership was renewed. Throughout his involvement, Abol Naga has addressed several taboo issues affecting children in Egypt, including HIV/AIDS, female genital mutilation (FGM), children's rights, street children, and adolescents’ development.

Now Co-Producing & Directing "The BuSSy Monologues" 2011 and “Tahrir el Tahrir” a documentary about the inside story of the Egyptian Revolution.

Stage

Year	Title	Role	Director
1989	Oliver!	Bill Sikes	Larry P. Caitlin & Walter Eysselinck
1990	Mahfouz-yat	Multiple characters	Tarek Ghaleb
1991	Oghneiet Elmot Death Song	Elwan	Ihab Shawi
1994	2 Underground Etnen taht Elard	Dr Labeeb and Maazoun	Ahmed Zaki
1996	Rosasa fil Kalb Lovestruck	Naguib	Mahmoud El Lozy
2002	West El Balad	Ramadan/Romeo	Naser Abdel Menem

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2000	Leh khaletny ahebak, Why Did You Make Me Love You?	Himself
2000	Rendez-Vous	Ashraf
2001	Mowaten we Mokhber we Haramy, A Citizen, A Detective and A Thief	Selim
2003	Sahar el layaly, Sleepless Nights	Ali
2003	El Banat	Seif El Daly	TV mini series
2004	Hob el banat, Girl's Love	Kimo (Karim El Sharkawy)
2004	Youm el karama, Dignity Day	Hasan Hosny
2005	Malek wa ketaba, Heads and Tails	Tarek
2005	Harb Atalia	Fouad
2005	Banat west albalad, Downtown Girls	Chef Samir
2006	Civic Duty	Gabe Hassan
2006	Leabet el hob, A Game of Love	Essam
2006	Mafeesh gher keda, None But That!	Nader
2007	Fi Shaket Masr El Gedeeda, In the Heliopolis Flat	Yehia
2007	Kashf hesab	Farid
2007	Agamista	Ez
2008	Habibi Naeman, Sleeping Habibi	Ramez
2009	One-Zero	Sherif
2009	Heliopolis	Ibrahim	Co-producer
2010	Microphone	Khaled	Co-producer
2013	Villa 69	Hussein
2014	From A to B	Senior Syrian Officer
2014	Eyes of a Thief	Tarek
2014	Decor	Sherief
In production	The BuSSy Monologues		Co-producer/Director
In production	Tahrir el Tahrir	a documentary about the inside story of the Egyptian Revolution.	Co-producer/Director
In production	Citizen Brando

External links

• http://www.Nagatime.com/
• Your Health in Your Hands UNICEF Documentary narrated by Khaled Abol Naga