Mohammed Ramadan Egyptian Actor Known for Lion's Heart

Early life

Mohammed Ramadan is an Egyptian actor and singer, born on 23 May 1988 in Qena Governorate in Upper Egypt. His family later settled in Giza Governorate, and he was the youngest of his siblings. As a schoolboy he was accepted into the youth football academy of the Cairo club Zamalek, but he stepped away from the sport to concentrate on his studies. He began acting in his school's theatre group, where a local critic noticed him, and the attention helped persuade his family to let him continue his training. He went on to study at the Higher Institute of Theatrical Arts.

Career

Ramadan started with small television parts before gaining wider notice in the drama Scheherazade, Tell Me a Story, directed by Yousry Nasrallah. His first film credit in the records is Abdo Mota in 2012. He followed it with Lion's Heart in 2013 and One Upper Egyptian in 2014, and became known for playing tough, street-wise characters in action-driven stories. In 2017 he appeared in Detention Letter. Two of his 2023 films, Brand New and Harley, are the latest in his listed filmography, and in 2026 he took the lead in the historical epic Asad, whose central character is inspired by the slave leader Spartacus.

Television has been equally important to his reputation. Series such as Ibn Halal, Al Ostoura, Al Prince and Gaafar El Omda were built around him, and several of them were broadcast during the month of Ramadan, when Egyptian viewing figures are at their highest. Al Ostoura in particular became a widely discussed programme, and the appearance of its main character was imitated by many young viewers. He also made his commercial stage debut in the play Ahlan Ramadan in 2016.

In parallel he built a career as a singer, combining Arabic pop with hip-hop and Afro-influenced styles. His 2020 collaboration with the French singer Gims, "Ya Habibi", reached the top of the charts in fifteen countries. Later releases include "TMO (Turn Me On)" in 2023, recorded with Gims and Issam Alnajjar, and "Arabi", made with the artists Future and Massari. He has also worked with international musicians outside the Arab world. He became the first Egyptian artist to perform at the Coachella festival and signed with the agency William Morris Endeavor for worldwide representation. His YouTube channel counted about 15.8 million subscribers in January 2025, and in 2020 he became the first Egyptian creator to receive YouTube's Diamond Creator Award after passing ten million subscribers. He also became the first Arab star to appear as a playable character in the mobile game Free Fire.

Recognition

Ramadan has received numerous prizes from festivals and broadcasters in the Arab world. They include the best actor award at the Arab Satellite TV Festival for his role in Al Prince, several best actor honours from the Nile Drama channels, and the Most Popular Arab Star award at the Murex d'Or ceremony in Lebanon in 2022. Outside the region he was recognised with the Most Popular Singer in Africa award at the Africa Music Awards Festival in Nigeria. Earlier in his career, he also won best young talent honours at school.

Personal life

Ramadan has been married twice and has three children.