Egyptian actor Khaled Zaki revealed the reason for his absence from the cinema industry following the release of his film, "The President's Chef," in 2008. Zaki stated that the films presented to him were of poor quality and did not add to his artistic career. Therefore, he declined any roles that were offered to him without proper consideration. Zaki hopes to return to cinema in the future with a well-produced film that he can be proud of and hopes to find roles that focus on elderly characters, as he believes that cinema has been neglecting this aspect lately. During a tribute event at the Alexandria Film Festival, Zaki spoke about the behind-the-scenes of "The President's Chef" with the late Talat Zakaria. Zaki expressed that he initially refused the role offered to him, but the director later informed him that the part was changed to be played by Adel Imam. However, after a significant change in the screenplay, Imam apologized for the role, and Mahmoud Abdel Aziz was later suggested. Zaki then declined the role but was later approached by Talat Zakaria, who asked him to play the president's role. Talat Zakaria informed Zaki that the film would be directed by Saeed Hamid. During the opening ceremony of the 39th Alexandria Film Festival, Khaled Zaki was honored with an award presented by actress Sherine in front of a large audience of celebrities.