Egypt's Legendary Actress Naglaa Fathy Turns 72

Egypt's legendary actress Naglaa Fathy is celebrating her 72nd birthday today.

Having portrayed different characters in her films, the actress is considered one of the best in the Arab world.

Born in 1951, she appeared in over 80 films like The White Dress and Sabrina.

Fathy made her breakthrough with the 1968 Egyptian film Afrah, produced in Beirut, Lebanon (1968), and many remarkable films and stunning performances followed suit. Her performance in El Garage (1995) won her much praise from her fans and critics alike.

In 1990, she established her own production company and produced films, including Supermarket.

The award-winning actress also wrote the screenplay for Tomorrow I Will Exact My Revenge(1980).

Fathi debuted in Egyptian cinema at the age of 15 when she was approached by producer Adly El-Mowalid, while she was at the beach in Alexandria with her friends.

Later, she dropped out of school in 1967 to get involved in acting.

Throughout the 1970s, she acted in roughly 15 films a year, predominantly romantic dramas.

During the 1980s, Fathi largely departed from this role and began acting in more complicated roles in movies dealing with social and political dimensions like overpopulation issues.

She won several awards with her performance in El Garage (1995), where she played a deserted and impoverished single mother who lives inside a garage with her five children, all of whom she gradually gives up to other families as her health deteriorates.