Saudi ambassador of arts: Rakan Abdulwahid
King Abdul Aziz lookalike to star in new Saudi movie ‘Born a King’
pre-war and celebratory dance for over a century, before the founding of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
His uncle, Salah Abdulwahid, is featured in the movie, as the main Al-Ardeh performer. The Saudi actor felt a connection to the founder of the Kingdom, not only physically resembling the king, but also embodying his charisma. Before the shooting of the movie, he began reading up on anything he could get his hands on to learn more about the founder’s personality, to try and perfect his character and do him justice on the big screen.
Born in the US and raised in the Kingdom, and an avid athlete in his youth, he was a soccer player until he broke his hip in a tournament. The multitalented actor not only shines through on the big screen, but is a rapper, singer, model and designer. As a lover of the arts in all forms, he believes that culture can build bridges across the world. He has vowed to represent his country in a positive manner while breaking stereotypes about Saudi Arabia. He also speaks French, English and Spanish fluently.
The actor obtained four degrees in just 7 years, having majored in industrial engineering with a minor in business and math from Northeastern University.
He later continued his education and received his master’s in engineering project management and an MBA certificate in global supply chain management. However, that did not stop him from taking law classes at Harvard for a semester.
As a child he would write 300-page stories, cooked passionately and danced with abandonment. He returned to his homeland to play the most influential person in the Kingdom’s history: Its founder King Abdul Aziz.