Egyptian actor Zaki dead at 55

CAIRO, March 28 (UPI) -- Egyptian actor Ahmed Zaki has died in Cairo after an extended battle with lung cancer at age 55, the BBC reported Monday.

Zaki was diagnosed with cancer early last year and fell into a coma several weeks ago, the BBC said.

The actor was born into a poor family in rural Zagazig, north of Cairo, in the Nile Delta. His critically acclaimed 35-year career spanned comic, romantic and tragic roles.

Over the course of his career, he played two Egyptian presidents, Gamal Abdul Nasser and Anwar Sadat, in two films widely regarded as landmarks of Arab cinema.