Concise Biography

• Name: Hussein Fahmy
• Date of Birth: 22 March 1940
• Place of Birth: Cairo, Egypt
• Profession: Egyptian actor and filmmaker
• Years Active: Late 1960s to the present

Early Life and Education

• Graduated from the Higher Institute of Cinema (Directing Department) in Cairo.
• Note: The Higher Institute of Cinema is Egypt’s national film school.
• Completed postgraduate studies in directing at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
• Later taught at the Higher Institute of Cinema.

Entry into the Industry

• Initially pursued directing, then shifted to acting in the late 1960s/early 1970s.
• Rose to widespread fame in the 1970s and became one of the most recognizable faces of Egyptian cinema in that era.

Career and Roles

• Sustained a multi-decade career, delivering dozens of roles across romance, drama, and social realism.
• Known for composed, nuanced performances—often playing elegant leads or layered, complex characters—with a magnetic presence on both the big and small screens.

Notable Works

• Khally Balak Men Zouzou (Take Care of Zouzou, 1972)
• Amira Habibi Ana (Amira, My Love, 1974)
• al-'Aar (The Shame, 1982)
• Mafia (2002)
• Genaayat 85 (85 Crimes)
• Zawgeti wal-dhi'b (My Wife and the Wolf)
• Dammi, Dumoo'i wa Ibtisamati (My Blood, My Tears, and My Smile)

Notes on titles: - Using a simple transliteration for Arabic titles. Apostrophes (') mark Arabic letters like ‘ayn/hamza where relevant (e.g., al-'Aar).
- Where a common English title exists, it’s provided in parentheses.

Television and Theatre

• Appeared in numerous television series and stage productions over the years, with several projects becoming landmarks of contemporary Egyptian drama.

Positions and Roles

• Served as President of the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) for several editions in the early 2000s.
• Took on cultural and artistic roles promoting Egyptian and Arab cinema at international forums.

Awards and Honors

• Honored by multiple festivals and arts organizations across Egypt and the Arab world throughout his career.

Personal Life

• Hails from an Egyptian aristocratic family.
• Brother of the late actor Moustafa Fahmy.

Facts and Tidbits

• Dubbed “Don Juan” by the Egyptian entertainment press—a nod to his stylish image and on-screen charisma (in local usage, a “Don Juan” suggests a suave, heartthrob persona).
• Bridges academic training and hands-on practice in both directing and acting, which has shaped his role selection and character interpretation.