About the Artist

• Name: Mohamed Tawfik
• Profession: Egyptian actor (theatre – cinema – radio – television)
• Born: 24 October 1908 – Cairo, Egypt
• Died: 27 March 2003 – Cairo, Egypt
• Years active: From the 1930s through the early 2000s

Early Life and Training

• He joined Egypt’s emerging theatre movement early on, as part of the first generation to graduate from state-run theatre education institutions.
• He received systematic training in classical performance, which shaped his disciplined craft and the calm, precise delivery that defined his roles.

Career

• He began on stage and in radio before moving into cinema, and later became a steady presence in television drama as it developed and spread.
• Known as a leading character actor—an artist who specializes in distinctive supporting roles—he was celebrated for his dignified features, resonant voice, and poised, nuanced performances. He often portrayed elders and sheikhs (community elders or religious figures), judges, family patriarchs, and men of religion, alongside deeply human roles in social and historical dramas.
• His choices leaned toward literary and classical material, leaving a clear imprint on film and television across successive eras from the 1940s to the 1990s.

Selected Works

• Cinema:
• Shay' min al-Khawf (Something of Fear, 1969)
• Ard al-Ahlam (Land of Dreams)
• al-Suq al-Sawda' (The Black Market)
• Hassan wa Na'ima (Hassan and Na'ima)
• Television:
• Yawmiyat Wanees (Wanees’s Diaries / The Diaries of Wanees)
• Radio:
• Appeared in numerous radio dramas and late-night anthology programs, though he became best known for his work in cinema and television.
  • Note: Radio drama was a major popular medium in Egypt before television, featuring serialized stories and one-off “evening” specials.

Awards and Honors

• He received numerous awards, decorations, and certificates of appreciation in recognition of his artistic contributions.

Notes

• A familiar face of classic Egyptian cinema, he is often cited as a reference point for portraying dignified characters that demand commanding vocal presence and a quiet, deeply internal style of acting.