Mahmoud Kabil

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Mahmoud Kabil (born May 19, 1946) is an award-winning Egyptian actor. He is also the UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for the Middle East and North Africa. He is known for having lead a life filled with eclectic career paths; He served as an officer in the Military of Egypt before becoming one of the young heartthrobs of Egyptian cinema, choosing to abandon the latter profession for that of a businessman in the United States, only to return 14 years later and make a successful acting comeback. Along the way, Kabil actively supported the United Nations, eventually leading him to be named a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in November 2003.

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[edit] Biography

One of Egypt's most popular actors, Mahmoud Kabil was born in Alexandria, Egypt to Sadaya and Ibrahim Kabil; he has two brothers, Ismail and Hussein. Kabil and his family lived in relative affluence until the death of his father, when Kabil was 11.

Kabil joined the Military of Egypt in 1964 at the age of 17, and served as an officer until 1973. He fought in both the Six Days War and the War of Attrition.

After this period of military service, Kabil turned to acting, starring in his first role in 1972. Since then, he has starred in more than 50 films and TV series. After a brief first marriage, Kabil married his second wife, Leila Moharram, in 1979. In 1980, Kabil placed his acting career on hold and moved to the United States. He would not return to Egypt or to acting for another 14 years. During Kabil's stay in the States, his wife Leila gave birth to two sons, Ibrahim (in 1986) and Ahmed (in 1988). Kabil and Moharram divorced in 1993.

Kabil returned to Egypt in 1993 and made a successful acting comeback. After years of involvement with the United Nations, Kabil was named UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for the Middle East and North Africa in November 2003. He has spoken publicly about several important issues concerning children in the Middle Eastern region, including Female Immunization, Female Genital Mutilation, HIV/AIDS, and the education of young girls. He has also been an outspoken critic of the Darfur genocide. Following a visit to the region, Kabil appealed to the Arab countries to play a more active role in offering support to UNICEF activities designed to help the women and children who have carried the brunt of the conflict.[1]

Kabil currently resides in Cairo, Egypt.