Arabic Actors Female
My Favorite Female Arabic Actors
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- Although she had no interest at all on being an actress, Mona Zaki is now a remarkable leading star. Mona started her career in acting accidentally, when she met Mohamed Sobhi, the famous Egyptian Actor and Director. Mona is a Mass Communication student at the fourth grade. Her dream is to prove herself as a good actress. She wants to make good remarkable roles in her career as a Super Star. 'There is a lot to do'.
- Nadine Tahseen Beck is known for Al Haqaeb (2014), Big Dreams (2004) and Breaking Bones (Kaser Adem) (2022).
- Nelly Karim is an Egyptian actress, fashion model and ballerina. She was born December 18, 1974 in Alexandria, Egypt for An Egyptian father and Russian Mother. Nelly Karim has drawn attention for her 2006 refusal to portray "seductive roles". She won Best Actress award in the Cairo International Film Festival in 2004 for her role in Enta Omry. She also won Jury Grand Prize at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards for her role in 678 and Best Actress at the Arab Film Festival in 2012 for 678.Nelly Karim has four children, the last of which was born in 2011.
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With a significantly eminent talent and undeniable powerful presence, Menna Shalaby managed to establish a name for herself in the cinema and television industries early on, thanks to her exceptional talent and commanding attitude. She rose to become one of the most recognized, admired, and sought-after Arab cinema and television actresses.
Menna began her acting career in 2001 with a role in Hadeeth Al Sabah Wal Masaa, one of the most popular and widely viewed television dramas at the time (Morning and Evening Talk). This was only the beginning of her meteoric climb to stardom, as she soon landed roles in well-known films and television series.
Her natural charm and acting talent, which shone through in each of her performances, catapulted her to unprecedented heights in her career. She has flourished in a wide range of genres, including romance, drama, thrillers, and comedy, due to her incredibly diverse aptitude and acting ability.
Menna performed a variety of roles in comedy, drama, action, and romance films. Her famous cinematic roles include El Saher (The Magician) (2001), Baheb El Cima (I Love Cinema) (2004), Ahla al Awqat (Best of Times) (2004), Heya Fawda (Chaos) (2007), screened at Venice International Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival, Al Ma' wal Khodra wal Wajh al Hassan (Brooks, Meadows and Lovely Faces) (2016), screened at Locarno Festival, Baad El Mawkeaa (After the Battle) (2012), screened at Cannes Film Festival, Microphone (2010), Nawara (2015), as well as Marwan Hamed's hits, Al Aslyeen (The Originals) (2017), and Diamond Dust (2018), which won three awards at the 1st Casablanca Arab Film Festival in Morocco. The film generated more than 32 million EGP (1.8 million USD).
Keen on supporting emerging filmmakers, Shalaby performed the lead role in director Adam Abd ElGhaffar's short film Fork and Knife, which competed in the Short Films Competition at the 2nd El Gouna Film Festival in 2018. Furthermore, Menna's filmography includes Khayal Ma'ata (Scarecrow)(2019), which marks her reunion with Ahmed Helmy after 11 years of their first work together in sorry for the disturbance (2008).
Shalaby's most successful TV roles include Neeran Sadeeqa (Friendly Fire) (2013), Haret El Yahoud (Jewish Quarter) (2015), and Wahet El Ghoroub (2017). Aside from her acting profession, Menna has participated in various charity initiatives for persons with disabilities, raising awareness about the difficulties these people experience in Egyptian society.
Menna has previously won numerous awards at local and international film festivals, including the Faten Hamama Excellence Award at the 41st Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF), where she was also hosted in an in-conversation moderated by American film critic Jay Weissberg on the sidelines of the CIFF, where she reflected on her acting career and milestones along the way. She also won the Best Actress Award at the Egyptian National Film Festival for her roles in El Saher (2001) and An El Eshq Wel Hawaa (2006), as well as the Arabian Cinema Awards (ACA) and the Arab Star Festival for her role in Diamond Dust (2018), as well as the Dubai, Tetouan, Oran, and Cairo Film Society festivals for her role in Nawara (2015), and the Egyptian Catholic Center Cinema Festival for her role in Banat West El Balad (2005), for which she also won a Special Award at the Damascus International Film Festival.
Menna was also voted 'Best Actress' by the public in a number of surveys held by Arab and Egyptian publications and radio stations. In addition, she was honored by the Tetouan International Mediterranean Film Festival in Morocco and received an Honorary Award at the Aswan International Women Film Festival (AIWFF) in 2019 for her remarkable cinematic career in Egypt and the Arab globe.
She also received multiple honors for her television roles, including the Critic's Award for Best Actress at the Arab Satellite Channels Festival for her performance in Wahet El Ghoroub (2017).
Menna has also served on juries for some of the world's most prestigious film festivals, including the Cairo International Film Festival, the Carthage Film Festival (Official Competition), the Malmö Arab Film Festival in Sweden (Feature-Length and Short Film Competition), and the El Gouna Film Festival (Feature Narrative Competition).
Menna Shalaby showed a strong presence online by having three different hit projects which premiered on ShahidVIP. Every Week Has a Friday, which led her to become the first Arab actress to be nominated for an International Emmy Award; Nemra Etnein drama series, in which she starred in an episode, under the title: Awel Embareh (The Day Before Yesterday), opposite Ahmed Malek, directed by Mohamed Shaker and written by Mariam Naoum. And last but not least, the second season of Leh La'a (Why Not?) which was written by Mariam Naoum and directed by Mariam Abou Ouf, the series received huge audience acclaim and won Menna an honorary mention at the Egyptian Catholic Center Cinema Festival.
In 2021, she collaborated with OPPO on the Reno6 Series ad, with the theme "Every Emotion, In Portrait." The goal of this campaign is to urge people to treasure their treasured experiences and memories. The promotional campaign included a short film titled "Photograph: The Space Between Us," starring Menna Shalaby and Nabil Issa.
Menna's most recent projects include Al'Ins W AlNems (2021), in which she co-stars with comedian Mohamed Heneidy. As well as, two box office hits; El Gareema (The Crime), starring Ahmed Ezz and directed by Sherif Arafa, and Men Agl Ziko, starring Kareem Mahmoud Abdel Aziz and directed by Peter Mimi, the film is now available for streaming on Netflix.
Her latest 15 episode series Betlou' Al-Rouh', directed by Kamla Abou Zekry, screened in Ramadan 2022 on MBC and ShahidVIP, garnered her the Best Actress Award at the 2022 Cairo Drama Festival and Best Actress Award in The Arab World at the 2022 Murex D'or ceremony.
Shalaby's latest work is Shahid's TAGHYEER GAW series, which aired during the 2023 Ramdan season to terrific audience reception. Earlier in 2023, the megastar was also honored at the second edition of the Cairo Drama Festival alongside directors Kamla Abo Zekri and Peter Mimi, as well as acclaimed actors Maged El-Kidwany, Mona Zaki, and Karim Abdelaziz.
As for the Ramadan 2024 race, Shalaby will be opting for the radio instead of the small screen; the star is hosting a radio series titled BEIT OM EL GHOLAM airing on NRJ, Egypt's 92.1 radio station. The series is directed by Moustafa Mounir and written by Mohamed Ismail.- Actress
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Donia Samir Ghanem is an Egyptian actress and singer. She was born in January 1,1985 in Cairo, Egypt. She is the eldest daughter of the Egyptian cinema icon Samir Ghanem, and Egyptian actress Dalal Abdel Aziz; and the sister of Amy Samir Ghanem who is an actress too. She graduated from Modern Sciences & Arts (MSA) University, Faculty of Mass Communication Major in broadcasting in 2008. She started her acting career when she was 10 in a movie entitled "Emra'a wa Emra'a" (1995). She attracted attention while acting in an Egyptian TV series called "Justice has many faces" in 2001. She got her breakthrough role in "Ya ana ya khalty" (2005) which starred the comedy actor Mohamed Henedy. Her collaboration with Ahmed Mekky in rom-com movies "Teer Enta" (2009) and "La Tarago Wa La Esteslam" (2010) achieved huge success. She co-starred with Ahmed Mekky in four seasons of "El Kabeer Awy", an Egyptian sitcom, which was a huge hit in the Middle East. Donia is an UNICEF Egypt Ambassador and she took part in the #FightUnfair social media campaign in 2015 which aimed at shedding the light on the challenges facing children and young people in Egypt, and she urged for ending the use of violence as a form of discipline for children. She has also participated in a UNICEF Regional campaign in 2016, in support of Syria, alongside UNICEF's prominent Goodwill Ambassadors. The campaign, #FIVE years, showcased the impact of war on the Syrian citizens and a call to end the suffering of children. She made a contribution to the social media campaign 'A Child is A Child' on social media, during Ramadan 2017 and posted on her Instagram account encouraging her community to donate through UNICEF website to help save and change children refugees' lives. In October 2017, Donia gave her first musical performance for kids titled "Donia's World". She invited a group of 70 children, benefiting from shelter and protection services of UNICEF's partner, FACE for Children in Need, to attend her musical show. She was a judge on the 4th season (2015) of The X Factor Arabia. She won a fair amount of awards for her roles in movies and TV series such as El Farah (2009), Lahfa (2015) and Nelly & Sherihan (2016). She did 2 singles; "Mesh Adra Asad' Enaya' and "Khalas Ertaht" in 2005 and featured in 2 songs by Ahmed Mekky ("Dawar Bi Nafsak" in 2009 and "Ehlam" in 2010). "Wahda Tania Khales" is her debut Album which was released in 2014 and gained success in the Middle East. She got married in June 13, 2013 to TV presenter Ramy Radwan and gave birth to her daughter Kayla in March 2014.- Actress
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Hend Sabry is a Cairo-based Tunisian actress and lawyer. She was born in Tunis on 20th November and received her license in law at the Faculty of Law of Tunis in 2001. Later she completed her masters in law intellectual property and copyright in 2004. Her acting debut was at the age of fourteen in the Tunisian production "Les Silences du Palais" (Silence of Palaces) in 1994. After starring a number of Tunisian productions, Hend's breakthrough was through "Muzakirat Murahiqua" (A Teenager's Diary) that was considered the most controversial film in 2002. Her role gave her immediate stardom across the Arab world and in a short span of time she became one of the most prominent Tunisian actresses in Egypt and the Arab world. Sabry is prominently involved in social and humanitarian work; since 2009, she has been working closely with the UN World Food Programme on raising awareness about hunger in the region. In 2010, Sabry had officially become a WFP Regional Ambassador. She is also one of four women who have contributed in the Facebook campaign inspired by the Arab spring titled "The Uprising of Women in the Arab World" which promotes gender equality in accordance with the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights and calls to grant freedom, independence and security for Arab women."- Ghada Abdel Razek was born on 6 July 1965 in El Sharqia, Egypt. She is an actress, known for An el-Ishq wa el-Hawa (2006), Ma'a Sabq Alesrar (2012) and Azmat Sharaf (2009).
- Yasmin Abdulaziz is an Egyptian actress. She started in commercials at age 15 because of one of her mother's friends who owns an advertising company. She soon started to act in cinema and television, then focused more on cinema. Abdulaziz is not always the funny, naughty girl; she has made many dramatic films.
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Sulaf Fawakhrji is known for Asmahan (2008), Cleopatra (2010) and Born from the Flank: Wilada Min Alkhasira (2011).- Mona Wassef was born on 1 February 1942 in Damascus, Syria. She is an actress, known for The Message (1976), Al Tareq (2004) and The World in the Year 2000 (1972).
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Yousra is Egypt's most renowned multi-faceted celebrity that has been gracing the silver screen for more than 30 years. Since the 1970s, Yousra starred in some of the most important films in the history of Egyptian cinema. Her roles in films and TV series are trailblazing and continue to influence and inspire generations.
Yousra was also named one of the World's 100 Most Powerful Arab Women and is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (The Oscars), given her rich cinematic history.
Her social stands and opinions have impacted the public domain in Egypt and the Arab world like no other actress of her generation.
Furthermore, she has received over 80 awards and certificates of appreciation from international film festivals all over the world, most notably the Beirut, Cairo, and Cannes international film festivals.
Yousra also received significant honors from the Royal College of Physicians in London, the Arab World Institute in Paris, and America Abroad Media (AAM) in Washington.
The multi-talented star shines bright in the world of music as well, with several chart-toppers under her belt, including the late hit by Abu, 3 Daqat (3 Heartbeats).
No stranger to fashion, she was Christian Dior's ambassador in the Middle East. Many of Yousra's dresses were tailored by international fashion designers like Stéphane Rolland, Elie Saab, Hany El-Behairy, and Rami Al-Ali.
Yousra's exquisite taste in fashion qualified her to be a judge in various fashion shows, such as the Arab world version of the famous reality TV show Project Runway Middle East alongside Elie Saab.
She was also appointed as an International Advisory Board member of the El-Gouna Film Festival in 2014. Yousra's first appearance in cinema was in A Castle in the Air, which was directed by Abdel Halim Nasr. While a true master of her trade, capable of carrying any film on her own, for many of her fans, her roles with the legendary superstar Adel Emam are the closest to their hearts. The duo worked together in 17 films with sweeping box-office success, including Al-Ensan Yaeesh Mara Wahida (Humans Only Live Once) by Simon Saleh in 1981, Ala Bab El Wazir (On the Minister's Door) by Mohamed Abdel Aziz in 1982, Al-Avokato by Raafat Al-Mihi in 1984, Humans and Djinns by Muhammad Rady in 1985, and Karakon fe Al-Sharea (Station on the Street) by Ahmed Yehia the following year. The last of these films was the 2009's hit Bobbos.
Her countless collaborations with the late screenwriter Wahid Hamed were also a favorite, spanning over nine TV shows and blockbusters such as El Mansy (The Forgotten), The Yacoubian Building, Terrorism and Kebab (El Erhab Wel Kabab), and Birds of Darkness (Toyor El Zalam).
Yousra also starred opposite the late veteran actor Ahmed Zaki in five films and appeared in four of Youssef Chahine's films - An Egyptian Story in 1982, Alexandria: Again and Forever in 1990, Alexandria... New York in 2004, and The Emigrant in 1994. Chahine had a really powerful impact on Yousra, to the extent that she said: "Youssef Chahine's impact on me [was significant] on a personal and a professional level. He was considered more of a school to all the people who worked with him." Yousra also starred alongside renowned international Egyptian actor Omar El-Sharif and superstar Amr Diab in Dehk Wa Le'b Wa Gad Wa Hob (Laughter, Games, Seriousness, and Love).
Additionally, Yousra did an outstanding performance in the 2006 film Yacoubian Building, which is based on the best-selling Arab novel of the same name, in which she portrayed the owner of a restaurant that is favored by what's left of Cairo's aristocrats. with a budget that was the largest in Egypt at the time. Variety magazine characterized Yousra's performance in the film as "effortlessly evoking old romantic memories when she sings La Vie en Rose".
On TV, and particularly in Ramadan, Yousra's TV series has always been a must-see. since Ayna Qalbi (where's my heart" in 2002 and Malak Rohi (my soul, Malak), in 2003, Yousra has always been keen on addressing the most pressing social issues of the hour on her TV series.
Her series also usually showcase fresh talents and promising young stars. One of Yousra's most prominent series is Adiyyeit Raie Aam (A Public Opinion Case), Fi Aid Amina (In Amina's Hands), Sharbat, the Cunning, Foq Mostawa El Shobohat (Above Suspicion), Kheyanet Ahd (The Betrayal of Ahd), and Harb Ahlia (Civil War).
Her serial drama Kheyanet Ahd (The Betrayal of Ahd) aired on TV during Ramadan 2020 to huge success, winning her the DG Best Actress Award and the DG Best Series at the Dear Guest Awards in December 2020.
In the same year, she was honored at the Arab Satellite Festival and the Negm El-Arab Festival. Additionally, Yousra was featured in the official music video of Dokki Ya Mazzika of the fourth El-Gouna Film Festival, where she launched her Hareef Tamsil Campaign (Talented Actor) in collaboration with Orange Egypt. The new service was exclusively dedicated for Orange users, with participants submitting videos in which they played a character inspired by any of Yousra's famous roles. The winner was selected to perform with her in her new series, Harb Ahlya (Civil War) in Ramadan 2021. The serial drama was written by Ahmed Adel, produced by El-Adl Group, and directed by Sameh Abdel-Aziz. Additionally, in Ramadan 2021, she took part in the ad campaign for ZED Park alongside a plethora of Arab stars, including Shereen Reda, Karim Abdel-Aziz, Nelly Kareem, Tara Emad, and Huda El-Mufti. Yousra's film career amounts to over 100 films, the most recent of which is the feature film Saheb El Maqam (The Enshrined Saint), which was directed by Mohamed El-Adl and premiered on Shahid to tremendous success. The film starred Asser Yassin, Amina Khalil, and Bayoumi Fouad opposite Yousra, marking her comeback to films since Game Over in 2012. Using her fame for a good cause, Yousra is a social activist who gives back to the community and helps raise awareness and supports many social causes.
"Poverty is one of the most important issues in the world, and it is the key to agony; therefore, if we can decrease the forms of poverty that we come across, I believe our sorrow will also decrease, and so will violence against children and women, which is a major concern, along with education and the environment," she once said. She was chosen by the United Nations to be the Regional UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador, as she has been known for her participation in social activities with many civil society organizations. Consequently, Yousra received more than 50 awards in recognition of her work as a UNDP goodwill ambassador. She contributed her time and effort to Coptic Orphans - a non-profit organization based in Merrifield, Virginia, in order to support Egyptian orphans. In 2007, the organization presented her the Ideal Award as a tribute for her efforts and time spent aiding children. "Out of over 50 awards that I've received, this one is the one closest to my heart," Yousra stated. Yousra also took part in the 500-500 Ramadan campaign to support cancer patients. Recently - within her role as a Goodwill Ambassador - Yousra participated in the opening ceremony of a 16-day campaign under the theme 'Orange the World: #HearMeToo; End Violence against Women and Girls' at the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States in collaboration with the UN to highlight the issues of gender equality and the empowerment of women. Most recently, Yousra participated in the third Awladna International Forum for Arts of the Gifted, which aims to provide gifted children with special needs with a platform to enrich and showcase their artistic talents and empower them and their families. During the opening ceremony, Yousra performed her new song Anta Qadha (You Can Do It) amid a large number of children with special needs on stage. Additionally, Yousra attended the first edition of Red Sea International Film Festival (RSIFF), delivering a masterclass to educate movie enthusiasts and talk about her amazing journey, which was held after the screening of one of her most iconic films, Strawberry War, which was restored with the support of the Red Sea Film Festival Foundation. Yousra also continued her strong Ramadan streak by starring in Ahlam Saeeda (Happy Dreams) in 2022 alongside Ghada Adel, Mai Kassab, and Shaimaa Seif. The comedy series was written by Hala Khalil and directed by Amr Arafa. In 2022, Yousra was honored at the opening ceremony of the second edition of the RSIFF, receiving the GOLD YUSR Honorary Award. Most recently, she also starred in the 2023 Ramadan season drama 1000 HAMDELLAH A'LA EL SALAMA. Moreover, she's expecting the release of her latest off-season show ROSE & LAILA and film LEILET EL EID, both of which are due for release sometime in 2023.- Layla Olwi was born on 4 January 1962 in Cairo, Egypt. She is an actress, known for Girl's Love (2003), I Love Cinema (2004) and Little Love, Much Violence (1995). She was previously married to Mansour Aljammal.
- Mervat Amin was born on 24 November 1946 in Minya, Egypt. She is an actress, known for Al-Ragol Al-Akhar (1999), El-Ketaar (1986) and The School of Mischief (1973).
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Faten Hamama (known as "The Lady of the Arabic Screen") has become an icon and the most important actress of Egyptian and Arabic cinema. She is also the most honored actress in the Middle East. Every decade of her life represents a new era of acting and witnessed the reshaping and progression of Egyptian cinema. The progress in her different characters when she started as a child in 1938 until today parallels the progress that modern Egyptian women have made during the 20th century and their interaction with the public, culture or political life. During the celebration of 100 years of Egyptian cinema on 1996, she was chosen as the country's most important actress, and 18 of her films were selected as among the best 150 made to that time. It was no surprise that in 2000 the Egyptian Organization of Critics and Writers named her the Star of the Century.
She was born in 1931 in Elmansoura, Egypt, the daughter of Ahmed Hamama, an employee of the Egyptian Ministry of Knowledge. Her legendary journey started as a secret statement between a six-year-old girl and her father after they watched a film in their neighborhood theater, at which leading actress and producer Asya Dagher was present. Faten told her father that she felt the audience was applauding for her as the leading actress, and her father gave her a hug with a vision of helping his daughter to become a movie star. She won a contest for the most beautiful child in Egypt, and her dad sent her picture to director Muhammad Karim (a pioneer of Egyptian cinema). Karim was looking for a child for his new film with Egyptian musician Mohamed Abdel Wahab. Faten auditioned for and got a role in this movie, Yom said (1940) ("A Happy Day"). She impressed the filmmakers so much during shooting that she was actually given more lines and scenes in the picture than were originally scripted for her. Karim put her under contract, and four years later he gave her a role in a film with Mohamed Abdel Wahab again, Russassa fil kalb (1944) ("A Bullet in the Heart"). With her third movie with Karim, Dunia (1946), Faten showed filmmakers and audiences alike that she was was an actress ready for bigger roles. Her father, along with her family, moved to Cairo to help her in her career. She also began studying her craft at the High Institute of Acting in 1946.
With actor and director Youssef Wahbi (known as the dean of Egyptian theater), Faten started a new stage of her career, in melodramas. Yousef saw her talent in Karim's movies and was able to showcase it to even better advantage in his next film, Malak al rahma (1946) ("The Angel of Mercy"), in which she played his daughter. Although only 15 years old at the time, it was generally agreed that she stole the film. This teenager was soon the talk of the Egyptian cinema, and her star hasn't set since then. She made more films with Wahby, such as Confession Chair (1949) ("The Chair of Confession"), in which she played a lover of the cardinal's brother who mistakenly goes to jail for her father's murder. She had another box-office hit with El yatimatain (1948) ("The Two Orphans"), followed by a successful comedy of the travails of a wife and her mother in law in Sitt el beit (1949) ("The Lady of the House"). She was the favorite of novelists because she could attract the best writers and directors to a project, and it wasn't soon before her name alone would pretty much guarantee success for whatever film she was in.
The 1950s brought new directors to Egyptian cinema and was the beginning of what was to become known as "The Golden Age of Egyptian Cinema". Faten appeared in a number of films by these new directors, such as Salah Abouseif's first realism picture, Laka yom ya zalem (1951) ("Your Day Will Come"), which was a box-office hit and was shown at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival in France. She appeared in such successful films as El tarik el masdud (1958) ("The Barred Road") and won a Best Actresss award for her performance in the romantic political movie La wakta lil hub (1963) ("No Time for Love"). She also supported director Youssef Chahine in his first movie, Baba Amin (1950), then again in his even more successful The Blazing Sun (1954), a realistic work that was also featured at the Cannes Film Festival (Youssef is on record as saying that Faten is his favorite actress and the best Egyptian actress of all time).
She also worked with director Kamal El-Shaikh in his first movie, which introduced the mystery genre to Egyptian cinema, House No. 13 (1952) ("House No. 13"), and again in Lan aataref (1961) ("I Will Not Confess"). Their film El-Lailah el-Akhirah (1963) ("Last Night") captured at least 10 awards in the 1965 national competition and was also shown at the Cannes festival. She excelled at comedy, as evidenced by her astonishing role in El-Ustazah Fatmah (1952) as lawyer Fatma. She also worked closely with two other directors of this period, Ezz El Dine Zulficar and Henry Barakat, and made successful films with both. In fact, she married Zulficar in 1947 while shooting Abu Zeid el Hilali (1947). He was known as the king of "romantic" movies and together they worked to further that vision, as in Khulud (1948) ("Immortality") by Ezz El-Dine Zulficar. They formed a production company and made Moawad ma al hayat (1953) ("Appointment with Life") also directed by Ezz El Dine Zulficar, which was voted movie of the year and received both critical and box-office success (it was this film that caused critics to name her the "Lady of the Arabic Screen", a title she has kept to this day). Faten soon became the highest-paid actress in Egyptian cinema, and remained so until her final feature, Ardh el-Ahlam (1993) ("Land of Dreams") and TV series, Wagh el qamar (2000) ("Face of the Moon"). More successful romantic roles with Ezzel Dine followed, such as Mawad ma al saada (1954) ("Appointment with Happiness"). It was during this period that Ezz El-Dine Zulficar made his famous quote about Faten: "The distance between Faten and the next runner-up is like the distance between 1 and 10". Although they were divorced in 1954, and Faten married Omar Sharif in 1955, she and Ezz El Dine Zulficar continued to make films together, many of which are considered classics of Egyptian romantic cinema, such as Bain el atlal (1959) ("Among the Ruins") and what many consider their masterpiece, Nahr el hub (1960) ("The River of Love"), their version of Lev Tolstoy's great story "Anna Karenina", opposite Omar Sharif, and the two became one of the classic romantic couples of Egyptian cinema, appearing again in Our Best Days (1955) ("Our Best Days"), Sayedat el kasr (1958) ("Lady of the Castle"), Sleepless (1957) ("Sleepless") and The Blazing Sun (1954) ("Struggle in the Valley"). Sharif and Faten divorced on 1974. He made what became a famous statement about Faten, that he only married once because he only loved once, and that was Faten.
Director Henry Barakat specialized in musical romantic movies, social commentary and women's rights in society. During the making of Lahn al khouloud (1952) ("Immortal Song"), they developed a close professional bond, and Barakat used Faten to explore all his talent and all his visions. The success of the romantic musical Lahn al khouloud (1952) that became the movie of the year challenged both of them to make more successful musical romantic films, which they did with such pictures as Daiman maak (1954) ("With You Forever") and Mawad gharam (1956) ("Appointment with Love"). IT was with Barakat that Fatan made her most famous and beloved picture, with her role as Ammna in Doa al karawan (1959) ("The Nightingale's Prayer"), which describes differences between revenge and culture through a romantic story. It was nominated for Best Film at Berlin's International Film Festival and almost made it to the Oscars in the US. This film was chosen as one of best ten movies ever made in Egypt. After this picture Faten made several more films that promoted women's rights in society and created more cultural awareness, such as El bab el maftuh (1963) ("The Open Door"), for which she received the Best Actress award at the Jakarta (Indonesia) International Film Festival. One year later they did it again in El haram (1965) ("The Sin"), which was shown at the Cannes festival that year and was chosen as one of best five movies ever made in Egypt. Faten and Barakat continued their journey together through decades for more outstanding roles as Kheit al rafeigh, -al (1971) ("The Thin Thread"), Mouths and Rabbits (1977) ("Mouths and Rabbits"); Faten won Best Actress awards from two international festival for her role in this movie, and it was the highest-grossing Egyptian film ever made until that time. Their last picture together was a remarkable hit, Leilet al quabd al Fatma (1984) ("The Night of Fatma's Arrest"). Their journey was crowned by a lifetime achievement award for their films together from the Montpellier International Film Festival on 1993. Barakat's was quoted as saying, "If I could get Faten in my films, I will guarantee us the best picture".
Faten left Egypt from 1966-1971 because she resisted political pressure that was applied to her. She divided her time between Lebanon and London, England. During this period Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser asked some prominent critics and writers to try to persuade her to return to Egypt, saying that "Faten Hamama is a national treasure". Her return to Egypt on 1971 breathed life back into Egyptian cinema. She insisted that her films reflect the values of the society through the family relationships. Her first film upon return was Sahera (1971) with Salah Zulfikar. Her role in Imberaturiyyat Mim (1972) ("Empire M") as a widow with six children and the struggles she endured to raise them made the film a success both critically and financially, and she earned a special award from an organization of Soviet Union women when the film was shown at the Moscow International Film Festival. Her film Orid hallan (1975) ("I Need a Solution") which was produced by Salah Zulfikar was not only a big hit but resulted in changes to Egyptian marriage and divorce laws. Faten won the Best Actress award at the Cairo International Film Festival and a Prize of Recognition at the Teheran (Iran) Film Festival. She continued to make films that commented on society, such as Oghneyat elmoot (1973) ("The Song of Death"), Ualla azae lel sayedat (1979) ("No Condolences for Ladies"), Bad Day Good Day (1988) ("Bitter Days, Sweet Days") and her last feature, Ardh el-Ahlam (1993) ("Land of Dreams"), and her TV series, Conscience of Teacher Hikmat (1991) ("The Consciousness of Teacher Hekmat") and Wagh el qamar (2000) ("The Face of the Moon"), which was shown in 23 countries in the Middle East.
Faten Hamama is the fourth Pyramid in Egyptian cinema, a legend in her platinum anniversary, the diamond that remained shining and kept its glowing over the decades on the silver screen.- Actress
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Laila Mourad was born on 17 February 1918 in Cairo, Egypt. She was an actress, known for The Flirtation of Girls (1949), Shati el gharam (1950) and Leila, bint el rif (1941). She was married to Fatin Abdulwahhab, Wageeh Abaza and Anwar Wagdi. She died on 21 November 1995 in Cairo, Egypt.- Actress
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Shams El-Barudy is known for Hob 'ala shati Miami (1976). She has been married to Hasan Youssef since 1972. They have four children. She was previously married to Prince Kaled Bin Saud Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud.- Actress
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Souad Muhammad Kamal Hosny Al Baba was born on January 26th, 1942 in Ataba, Cairo, Egypt. She was the 10th sibling of 17 brothers and sisters. Husni was known as the "Cinderella" of Arab cinema and one of the most influential actresses in the Arabic art world. She ascended to stardom in the end of the 1950s, performing in more than 83 films between 1959 and 1991. A majority of her films were shot in the 1960s and 1970s. Souad was nicknamed the "Cinderella" of Arab Cinema and was one of the most influential female icons in the Arab Acting World. She first ascended into stardom in the late 1940s with her debut in "Hassan & Naima," which was the Arabic version of Romeo and Juliet. She performed in more than 83 films between 1948 and 1991... majority of them being in the 1960s and 1970s. Some famous include "Saghira El Hob," "Khally Balek Min ZouZou," and many more! And, in many of her films she acted alongside many famous actors like Hussein Fahmy, Salah Zulfikar and Roshdy Abaza, and the late belly-dancing legend Taheya Karioka. Souad was also infamous for her love affairs and many marriages which always ended in failure and divorce. Sadly, on June 22nd, 2001, she fell from a window from her best friend's London flat and died. Ironically, the same day as Abdel Halim Hafez's birthday, the one she loved.
Her final screen appearance was 10 years before in 1991, with the movie "Al Ra'i We El Nissa." To this day, she goes down as one of the most legendary and most classically beautiful actresses in Middle Eastern history.- Actress
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Naglaa Fathi was born on 21 December 1948 in Cairo, Egypt. She is an actress and writer, known for Alexandria... Why? (1979), Supermarket (1990) and El Maganin El Talata (1970). She has been married to Hamdy Kandil since 19 September 1992. She was previously married to Seif Abol Naga.- Actress
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Saba Mubarak is trailblazer star with a distinguished repertoire that includes a number of successful and internationally recognized works. From the Gulf, the Levant, Egypt and the Maghreb, Saba has won many titles and awards that reflect her ability to present the issues and conditions of Arab women with contemporary and historical variations in more than 60 works between cinema, TV and theater.
Mubarak was born in Jordan to a Jordanian father and a Palestinian mother, Hanan Al-Agha, a writer, painter and poet. Saba was greatly influenced by her mother, who shaped her artistic personality and helped her set goals at an early age. She graduated from the faculty of Fine Arts at the Yarmouk University in Jordan where she studied Theatre and Directing. While still studying, Saba made her acting debut in the Jordanian play Al Sarkha (1996) and the TV drama Qamar W Sahar (1998).
In 2003, Saba landed her first film role in the Jordanian film Travel of the Wings, followed by Out of Service, Mamlakat Al Naml (The Kingdom of Ants), and the award-winning film Transit Cities. In 2007, Mubarak starred in Al Ijtiyah (The Invasion) TV drama by director Shawqi Al Majri. The TV series won the International Emmy Award, becoming the first TV production in the Arab world to receive the prestigious award. Following her powerful performance as the Queen of Sheba in the historical TV drama Balqees (2009), produced by Dubai TV, Saba became one of the A-list actresses in the Arab film and TV industry.
In 2010, Saba made her foray into Egyptian cinema through the film Bentein Min Masr. After that, she turned to Egyptian TV dramas, starring in Sharbat Louz, Mouga Harra (Heatwave), Asia, and Khalaf Allah, in addition to two seasons of Hekayat Banat, produced by MBC. In Ramadan 2016, Saba dazzled audiences with her performance of Dorria in director Mohammed Yassin's TV drama Afrah Al Qobba (Wedding Song), a role for which she received critical and audience acclaim.
During Ramadan 2018, Saba played the lead role in director Amr Salama's TV series Tayea, alongside star Amr Youssef. For the first time, Saba played the role of a woman from Upper Egypt. Tayea was widely discussed on Twitter after the episode of her murder and the episode exceeded 5 million views on YouTube.
On the international level, Saba starred in the Swedish action/thriller films Agent Hamilton: But Not If It Concerns Your Daughter and Hamilton: I Nationens Intresse, alongside star Mikael Persbrandt in 2012.
Saba broke into the film production business by founding her production house Pan East Media in Dubai with the main objective of creating genuine Arab audio-visual content and presenting first-rate artistic works on both regional and international levels. The company's debut production is the film The Guest: Aleppo-Istanbul by Turkish director Andac Haznederoglu, where Mubarak stars playing a Syrian refugee on a journey from Turkey to Germany.
Through Pan East Media, Saba produced Obour TV series, where she starred alongside a large number of Syrian and Jordanian stars and real-life refugees. Premiered on TV in Ramadan 2019, Obour shed light on the daily struggles of refugees through some real-life stories of those who joined El Wasl Refugee Camp in search of a better life. Saba's next TV series was the Jordanian drama Haris Al Jabal (The Mountain's Guardian) which aired during Ramadan 2020. The big-budget series marked Saba's return to the Bedouin drama in years. With her great ambition, Saba will soon be making her directorial debut.
Mubarak received several awards and accolades, including the Special Jury Award at the Arab Theatre Festival, Best Actress Award at the Middle East Now Festival in Italy, two-time Best Jordanian Actress in 2009 and 2010, Dubai Drama Award for her role in Balqees, and the Jordanian Tyche Awards for Best Arab Actress in 2012. Most recently, Mubarak won the Best Actress Award at the Silk Road International Film Festival in Ireland for her role in The Guest: Aleppo-Istanbul that also won five other awards at international film festivals, including the Antalya Film Festival, Arab Film Festival in Korea, and the European Film Market (EFM), held as part of the Berlin International Film Festival. The film also screened at more than 10 international film festivals.
Besides being an actress and producer, Mubarak has wide experience as a jury member at international film festivals. She was selected as a jury member of the International Emmy Awards for two times, a jury member of the Feature and Short Competitions at the Malmo Arab Film Festival in Sweden, a jury member at the 38th Cairo International Film Festival, as well as a jury member of the Short Film Competition at the 2nd El Gouna Film Festival in 2018.
Her Majesty Queen Noor Al-Hussein honored Mubarak while attending the 37th International Arab Youth Congress (IAYC), organized by the National Centre for Culture and Arts (NCCA) in Jordan, as a guest of honor. Moreover, the feature film project Daughters of Adbulrahman by actress and producer Saba Mubarak and director Zaid Abu Hamdan won a production grant from the Jordan Film Fund (JFF), organized by The Royal Film Commission Jordan - RFC, as one of 13 cinematic projects. Recently, Saba finished working on Daughters of Adbulrahman film by Zaid Abu Hamdan, which she co-produces along with Film Clinic. Also, in Sep.2021, she attended the world premiere of her film Amira, by Mohamed Diab, at the 78the Venice International Film festival. The film, written by the trio Mohamed, Khaled and Amira Diab and co-produced by several big Arab production companies, won three awards at the Venice festival: the Lanterna Magica Award, Enrico Fulchignoni Award and 10th INTERFILM Award for Promoting Interreligious Dialogue.- Hind Rostom(November 11, 1929 - August 8, 2011) was one of the most popular Egyptian actresses.
Actress Hind Rostom, is a star from the golden era of Egyptian cinema.
With her blond hair and good looks, Rostom often played the sultry seductress, and she quickly rose to become one of Egypt's best-known actresses.
She won popular acclaim for her 1958 film "Cairo Station," about the city's underclass and their struggles to survive. She starred in it with Youssef Chahine, one of Egypt's most lauded movie directors.
Among her other well-known films were "Love Rumor" and "Struggle on the Nile" with Omar Sharif -- the country's most celebrated actor.
Born in Alexandria, Rostom defied her conservative upbringing to stake out a career in film. She was dubbed by fans the Marilyn Monroe of the Arabs and "the queen of seduction" of Egyptian cinema.