The class Crown
London teacher lands part in hit Netflix show as Al-Fayed’s brother
A TEACHER has told of his dream coming true after he bagged a key role in the new series of The Crown.
By day, aspiring actor Mohammed Kamel, 46, teaches English at the Functional Skills Educational Centre in Wembley, North West London.
But after impressing casting directors during auditions, he has landed the part of Ali Al-Fayed, Mohamed Al-Fayed’s younger brother and uncle to Dodi Al-Fayed.
He said: “I teach English to students from all over the world. But film has always been my passion and I’ve long dreamt of being an actor. I was over the moon, my dream had come true.”
After graduating from London’s Brunel University, he went on to train as an actor at ArtsEd, one of the top independent performing arts schools in the UK.
He started writing and directing short films in 2015 but carried on working as a teacher to pay the bills.
Then he got a call to say that Netflix were looking for a British-Egyptian actor to play the role of Ali Al-Fayed.
And Mohammed revealed how he saw Australian actress Elizabeth Debicki transform into Princess Diana after she befriended him over coffee.
He said: “I was sitting in the hair and make-up chair on set in Berkshire when Elizabeth walked in, began making her own coffee and kindly asked me, ‘Would you like one too?.’
“I told Elizabeth, ‘Shouldn’t they be making you a coffee, as you’re the star?’. She modestly replied, ‘I like making my own coffee and I’m happy to make you one too’.
“She was so sweet and down-to-earth, I couldn’t believe how instantly friendly she was when I’d never met her before.
“The hair and make-up team did an amazing job. I’m completely bald, and the team had to design a specialised wig to match my character’s appearance.
“While they were working on me, another brilliant team were fixing a wig on Elizabeth’s head. I couldn’t believe my eyes. She looked the spitting image of Princess Diana.
“The resemblance was so uncanny, it sent shivers down my spine. It was as though Princess Diana was standing in front of me. She looked absolutely stunning.”
Talking of the drama, directed by Christian Schwochow, he said the writers had sought to “humanise” the Al-Fayeds.
Mohammed said a key part of the character was “to shine a light on their humble beginnings and the younger years that shaped the hugely successful businessmen they ultimately became”.
He added: “Ali Al-Fayed is Mohamed Al-Fayed’s ‘wise counsel’. Ali was instrumental in helping him acquire Hotel Ritz Paris in 1979 and Harrods.
“I have come to respect the family’s hustle when they were starting out. Mohamed
Al-Fayed may be a divisive character, but his love for his family is undeniable.”
Mohammed will reprise the role of Ali Al-Fayed in Series 6 when it airs next year.