Egyptian actor Amir El-Masry to play billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed in 'The Crown'

The 'Limbo' star will portray a young Al-Fayed, the former owner of Harrods department store and father of Princess Diana’s partner, Dodi

In this image made from video provided by Focus Features, Amir El-Masry stars as "Omar" in director Ben Sharrock's “Limbo”, a film about refugees waiting on a remote Scottish island for residency. The film is based on writer Ben Sharrock’s own experience of studying and living in Arab countries, visiting refugee camps and rooted in the fact that asylum seekers are often sent to remote areas of northern European countries while they wait to hear their fate. (Focus Features via AP)
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British-Egyptian actor Amir El-Masry is joining the cast of The Crown.

The Limbo star will be portraying a young version of Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed, former owner of Harrods department store and father of Princess Diana’s partner, Dodi, in the fifth season of the hit Netflix show. ‘Oslo’ actor Salim Daw, meanwhile, will portray Al-Fayed in his later years.

El-Masry confirmed his involvement in the project in an Instagram post.

“Feeling honoured and beyond grateful to The Crown team for having me onboard season 5 of the series,” he wrote.

El-Masry stars in Netflix's The One, a 2021 sci-fi drama based on the eponymous John Marrs novel.

His performance in the 2020 film Limbo, in which he portrays a Syrian musician on a remote Scottish island waiting to hear the outcome of his asylum request, earned him the Best Actor prize at the Bafta Scotland Awards in November.

Who else has been cast in season five of 'The Crown'?

Last season, the show followed the story of Prince Charles meeting and marrying Diana Spencer, and ended with their marriage in limbo.

The fifth and penultimate season, due to be released in November, has had another mass recasting to reflect on changes in characters' ages.

Just as Claire Foy and Matt Smith (season one and two) were replaced by Olivia Colman and Tobias Menzies (season three and four) as the queen and Prince Philip, seasons five and six will bring a new batch of actors to portray the royal family.

Colman will be replaced by Harry Potter actress Imelda Staunton to play Queen Elizabeth II.

Lesley Manville will play Princess Margaret, taking over for Helena Bonham Carter, who earned a Golden Globe nomination for her portrayal of the queen's younger sister.

Welsh actor Jonathan Pryce will take over the role of Prince Philip from Menzies, depicting the Duke of Edinburgh for the final two seasons. Olivia Williams will portray Camilla Parker Bowles.

Dominic West will reportedly step into the role of Prince Charles, following on from Josh O'Connor's award-winning turn as the Prince of Wales. Emma Corrin is confirmed to return for part of as Princess Diana for season five, before the role is taken over by Australian actress Elizabeth Debicki.

The Kite Runner star Khalid Abdalla has been cast as Dodi Fayed, while Pakistani actor Humayun Saeed will play the role of Dr Hasnat Khan, the British-Pakistani surgeon who was in a relationship with the Princess following her divorce.

Updated: June 24, 2022, 11:27 AM