Mahmoud Kabil was born on May 19th, 1946, in Alexandria, Egypt. He
became involved in acting when one of Egypt's most famous directors
asked him to be the lead in a film he was working on. Having no prior
acting experience, Mahmoud opted instead to join the Egyptian Military
at age 17. He served from 1964 until 1973 and fought in the Six-Day
War, the War of Attrition, and the Yom Kippur War.
After the military Mahmoud pursued acting, appearing in quite a few
movies in the 1970s. He put his acting career on hold, however, when he
moved to the United States in the early 1980s with his newly married
wife, Leila Moharram. Together with his brother, Hussein, they owned
Kabil Citrus Farms in the Rio Grande Valley, Texas.
In 1993, Mahmoud moved back to Egypt with his wife and two sons in an
attempt to make an acting comeback. Shortly after returning to Egypt,
Mahmoud and Leila divorced. After a few years of little success,
Mahmoud began to gain popularity. His acting was praised by critics as
well as the masses, and Mahmoud became one of Egypt's most popular and
acclaimed actors. Not to be overlooked, however, is Mahmoud's
dedication to helping those in need. After being involved in numerous
charity works, Mahmoud's efforts were recognized by the United Nations,
naming him UNICEF Ambassador to the Middle East and North Africa in
late 2003.
Mahmoud has two sons: Ibrahim, 21, and Ahmed, 16. They live with his
former wife Leila in San Antonio, Texas. Leila and Mahmoud to this day
remain the best of friends.