British-born Egyptian actor Khalid Abdalla is set to star in the award-winning Netflix series The Crown.
Abdalla will play Dodi Fayed, the boyfriend of Princess Diana in the much-anticipated fifth season of the hit show.
Best known for his roles in films such as The Kite Runner and Green Zone, Abdalla will star alongside Elizabeth Debicki. The Australian actor is taking over the role of Princess Diana from Emma Corrin for the last two seasons of the show.
Abdalla and Debicki will re-enact the relationship between the Princess of Wales and the Harrods heir that ended with both of their sudden deaths.
The role will pose a challenge for Abdalla as he tries to get into character. Dodi Fayed was incredibly private and never gave an interview in his life, according to Variety magazine.
Dodi's father will also feature in the coming season of the show. Playing the role of Mohamed Al Fayed will be Israeli Arab actor Salim Dau. The Oslo star will portray the Egyptian billionaire and former Harrods owner on screen.
Season five of The Crown is set to begin in the 1990s and while producers are staying tight-lipped over what storylines will be featured on the show, viewers can expect a glimpse into Diana's life after Charles.
The princess became romantically involved with Dodi in the summer of 1997, a few years after her famous interview with Martin Bashir in which she said that there were “three people” in her marriage, referring to Camilla Parker Bowles, who is now wed to Prince Charles.
The brief union between Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed caused a paparazzi frenzy that ended only when the pair died in a tragic car crash in Paris a few months later. Creators of The Crown have not yet said whether the crash will feature in the show.
On Monday, The Crown scooped all of the major acting accolades at the 2021 Emmy Awards. Olivia Colman and Josh O’Connor took home awards for their portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles in the British royal family saga.
