Overview

• Name: Farouk al-Fishawy
• Date of Birth: 5 February 1949
• Place of Birth: Sers al-Layan, Menoufia Governorate, Egypt (a governorate is an administrative region)
• Date of Death: 25 July 2019
• Place of Death: Cairo, Egypt
• Profession: Film, television, and stage actor
• Years Active: Late 1970s – 2019

Early Life and Education

• Grew up in Menoufia Governorate.
• Earned a Bachelor of Arts from Ain Shams University.
• Began performing in university theatre (student productions on campus), then moved into television and, by the late 1970s, into cinema.

Entry into the Industry and Career Growth

• Started with minor roles on television before establishing a strong presence in Egyptian cinema during the 1980s.
• Known for versatile performances across romantic, social, and villainous roles, with a commanding on-screen presence.
• Built a substantial body of work exceeding 150 titles across film, television, and stage.

Notable Works

• Cinema:
• Al-Mashbooh (The Suspect)
• Hanfi al-Obaha (Hanafi and His Splendor)
• Fatat min Israel (A Girl from Israel)
• al-Jasusah Hekmat Fahmy (The Spy Hekmat Fahmy)
• Laylat Hana wa Surur (A Night of Hana and Sorour)
• al-Mar'a al-Hadidiyya (The Iron Woman)
• Milaf Samia Sha'rawi (The Samia Sha'rawi File)
• Maw'id ma'a al-Ra'is (Appointment with the President)
• Ightisab (Rape)

• Qadiyat 'Am Ahmad (Uncle Ahmad's Case)

• Television:

• Shams al-Ansari
• al-Hawi (The Conjurer/Magician; “al-hawi” is a traditional street performer)
• Dumou' Sahibat al-Jalala (Tears of Her Ladyship)
• Ali al-Zaybak (a folk-hero adventure)

• Laylat al-Qabd 'ala Fatma (The Night of Fatma’s Arrest)

• Stage:

• Appeared in a number of theatre productions at various points in his career.

Awards and Honors

• Received several honorary awards in Egypt recognizing his overall contribution to the arts.
• Honored at the Alexandria Mediterranean Countries Film Festival in 2018.

Personal Life

• Married more than once.
• Had two sons: Ahmad and 'Omar.

Illness and Passing

• Announced in 2018 that he had been diagnosed with cancer and continued working during part of his treatment.
• Passed away on 25 July 2019 after battling the illness, at the age of 67.