Alaa Walay Al-Din

Brief Biography

• Name: Alaa Walay Al-Din
• Date of birth: 28 September 1963
• Place of birth: Minya, Egypt
• Date of death: 11 February 2003
• Profession: Egyptian comic actor
• Years active: from the 1990s until his early death
• Standing: a comedy star who rose from supporting roles to leading roles in the late 1990s

Early Life and Beginnings

• He came from a family connected to education and the arts: his grandfather Sheikh Sayed Wali El-Din founded a school in his village at his own expense, and his father Samir Wali El-Din was an actor and General Director of Cairo Entertainment Venues.
• He attended Masr El-Gedida Military Secondary School and received a B.Sc. in Commerce from Ain Shams University.

Career

• He rose through supporting roles in Adel Emam films, including «Terrorism and Kebab» and «Letter to the Governor».
• He moved into leading roles and delivered several box-office successes.
• «The Headmaster» featured the screen debut of Mohamed Saad's El Lemby character, helping launch Saad's career.
• He also helped advance the early careers of Ahmed Helmy and Karim Abdel Aziz.

Selected Works

• Terrorism and Kebab (1992)
• Letter to the Governor (1998)
• Aboud on the Border (1999)
• The Headmaster (2000)
• Son of Pride (2001)

Artistic Style

• He was distinguished by a youthful comic presence that moved him quickly from supporting parts to leading roles.
• His screen image was linked to a popular comic wave that opened the way for new faces.

Personal Life

• His father Samir Wali El-Din was an actor and General Director of Cairo Entertainment Venues, and his younger brother Moataz Wali El-Din also worked in entertainment.

Passing

• He died in 2003 in Cairo on the first day of Eid Al-Adha, after complications of diabetes suffered since childhood, hypertension, and arteriosclerosis; he was 39.
• «Son of Pride» was his final completed film, while «Arabi Ta'reefa» remained unfinished at his death, and theatres and cinemas closed for his funeral.