Ahmed El-Shenawi, an Egyptian-born actor who is best known for his role in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, has reportedly passed away at the age of 75.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, El-Shenawi passed away on Feb. 1 in Chelsea, London. His daughter Eman El-Shenawi stated he had been hospitalized for surgery to repair a fracture. However, he ended up developing an infection, which led to sepsis.
Along with the Indiana Jones franchise, Ahmed El-Shenawi was known for his roles in Midnight Express and The Element of Crime. His daughter spoke about his acting career. “I believe his brief but impactful moments of fame resonated so much among many,” she stated.
Shenawi appeared in Temple of Doom as a large man sporting pearl necklaces. He also had a thick black mustache as well as noticeable sideburns. He sat next to Kate Capshaw’s Willie Scott at a long banquet table when the dinner’s main course arrived. It was a huge snake that was sliced open to reveal another snake inside.
Ahmed El-Shenawi’s Daughter Said Steven Spielberg Described Him As a ‘Shakespearian-Type Actor’
In 2011, Ahmed El-Shenawi’s daughter Eman El-Shenawi spoke about her father’s career. She recalled what Indiana Jones Temple of Doom director Steven Speilberg told El-Shenawi.
“Legendary film director Steven Spielberg once told my father, quiet inspiringly, ‘Ahmed, you are a Shakespearian-type actor.’” she explained. “My father was saying his lines in a British-tinged articulate accent, and director Steven Spielberg took note of his eloquent style.”
Speaking about her father’s big scene in the film, Eman said, “Watching it back with my father beside me and seeing a very chubby man with a heavy fake mustache on the television screen, heavily dressed in embellished Indian clothing and a turban in keeping with the film’s setting, I always feel overwhelmed with pride. And I also cannot help but laugh a little.”
Eman also said she went with her father to an Indiana Jones memorabilia event. “He did a signing and created an immediate rapport with the fans and even after almost 30 years since the film was released, they were queuing up to see the man who introduced one of the most gruesome dinner table scenes in cinematic history.”
Although her father didn’t have an acting career for very long, Eman said her father continuously acted for her. “We impersonate people; their actions and accents,” she shared. “We randomly look at each other with the most peculiar facial expressions as if auditioning for a theater production.”