Zeeko Zaki facts for kids

Zakaria Sherif Zaki (born January 18, 1990), known as Zeeko Zaki, is an Egyptian-American actor. He is most famous for playing Special Agent Omar Adom "OA" Zidan in the TV show FBI. This show was created by Dick Wolf.

Zeeko Zaki's Early Life

Zeeko Zaki was born in Alexandria, Egypt. When he was just one month old, he moved to the United States with his parents, Emon and Sherif Zaki. His grandparents had already moved to the U.S. before him.

Zeeko grew up in West Chester, Pennsylvania. His mom manages a salon, and his dad is a stylist. He has two younger siblings, a brother named Zeyad and a sister named Zeina. Even though he grew up in the U.S., Zeeko spent his summers in Egypt, visiting his family.

Zeeko Zaki's Acting Career

Starting Out in Acting

Zeeko found his love for acting in high school. He was in a play called Seussical during his first year at Unionville High School. He also acted with a local theater group called Unionville Players. After high school, he briefly went to Temple University in Philadelphia.

In 2010, Zeeko moved to North Carolina. There, he worked in theater and started trying out for roles in TV shows.

Big Roles on TV

Before getting his big break, Zeeko appeared in small roles in many movies and TV shows. He then got recurring roles in shows like Six and 24: Legacy. In these shows, he often played characters who were against the main heroes. He also played a door gunner in the show Valor.

His first main role was as Special Agent Zidan in the crime show FBI. The character was first written to be from a different background. But the show's creator, Dick Wolf, was so impressed by Zeeko's audition that he changed the character to match Zeeko's Egyptian-American background.

Zeeko has shared that he wants to show the world that Muslims and Arabs are not terrorists. He wants to break down stereotypes through his acting.

Zeeko Zaki's Personal Life

Zeeko Zaki is a Muslim. When he was a child, he spoke Egyptian Arabic at home until he was about six years old.

Movies and TV Shows

Zeeko Zaki has been in many movies and TV shows since 2012.

• In movies, he has appeared in:
  • Stuck in Love (2012)
  • Max (2015)
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip (2015)
  • The Divergent Series: Allegiant (2016)
  • Escape Plan 2: Hades (2018)
  • He also voiced Ra the Sun God in the animated movie Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again (2022).

• On television, he has had roles in:
  • Homeland (2012)
  • Under the Dome (2013)
  • Six (2017)
  • 24: Legacy (2017)
  • NCIS: Los Angeles (2017)
  • Valor (2017–2018)
  • Since 2018, he has been a main character as FBI Special Agent Omar Adom ‘OA’ Zidan in FBI.
  • He has also appeared as his character OA Zidan in spin-off shows like FBI: Most Wanted (2020–2023) and FBI: International (2021).

See also

In Spanish: Zeeko Zaki para niños