Mervat Amin — Biography

• Name: Mervat Amin
• Profession: Egyptian film and television actress
• Date of Birth: November 24, 1946
• Place of Birth: al-Minya Governorate, Egypt
• Nationality: Egyptian

Early Life and Education

• Born to an Egyptian father and a British mother of Scottish descent.
• Studied at the Faculty of Arts, English Department, Ain Shams University.
• Her early command of English and the cultural mix at home helped her stand out and shaped her strong screen presence.

Note: “University theater” in Egypt refers to student theater troupes, a common launchpad for many actors.

Career

• Started on the university theater stage before moving into cinema in the late 1960s.
• First drew attention with dreamy romantic roles, then shifted to more layered, mature characters in the 1980s and beyond.
• Considered one of the defining stars of the 1970s generation, she sustained success for decades across film and television, with a rich body of work spanning romance, comedy, and drama.

Notable Works

• In Film:
• Abi Foq al-Shagara (My Father Up the Tree) — 1969
• Al-Hafeed (The Grandson) — 1974
• Hafeya 'ala Gesr al-Dahab (Barefoot on the Golden Bridge) — 1976
• Zowgat Ragol Mohem (The Wife of an Important Man) — 1988
• al-Donya 'ala Ganaḥ Yamama (The World on a Dove’s Wing) — 1989
• al-Aragoz (The Puppeteer)
• Wahda B-Wahda (One by One)
• Morgan Ahmed Morgan
• In Television:
• al-Ragol al-Akhar (The Other Man) — 1999

Awards and Honors

• Frequently honored at Egyptian and Arab festivals for her overall career.
• Al-Hafeed (The Grandson) is widely regarded as one of the most important films in Egyptian cinema history.

Personal Life

• Married more than once.
• Has one daughter: Menna-Allah.
• Speaks English fluently, thanks to her studies and her mother’s background.

Facts and Anecdotes

• An enduring screen icon since the late 1960s: she became synonymous with the gentle, romantic heroine before moving into more complex dramatic roles.
• Starred in several box-office landmarks of their time, helping cement the image of the modern, contemporary heroine on the Egyptian screen.