Lesser-known Facts about Late George Sidhom on His Birthday Anniversary

Today, May 28 marks the 83rd anniversary of the late actor’s George Sidhom birthday.

Sidhom is more than a comic genius. Born on May 27, 1938, he is also one of the most prominent and iconic actors ever, having risen to fame in the black & white era of Egyptian cinema history.

His comic timing and acting are known and appreciated by the audience and the charismatic actor-comedian has induced fits of laughter among many Arab generations and many more to come.

The late star became a comedy icon through his performance on screen, with a career spanning more than five decades.

Sidhom also has been the definition and benchmark of comedy for a long time now. His seminal works have made the world of theater and cinema laugh, cry and feel for years and still continues to leave its charm.

After Sidhom graduated from Ain Shams University in 1961 with a bachelor's degree in agriculture, he started his career with renowned comedian Samir Ghanem and the late star Al-Deif Ahmed in the stand-up comedy trio 'Tholathy Adwaa Al-Masrah', which had its heyday in the 1960s.

The trio performed in several plays and films as well as presenting their routines and sketches, tailor-made to their traits and abilities. 

During this period, he met Youssef Wahbi and  Adel Imam, both big names in the comedy world. Soon, he started getting recognized and bigger roles came his way. eventually became famous as a comedian in films, he was more well known as a villain in various TV series. He played major roles in famous plays such as  Al-Motazawgoun (Married Couples, 1978), and  Julio & Romiette.

Sidhom is well-known for his seminal works, such as (The Beach of Fun, 1967), 'Talatin Youm Fel Segn' (30 Days in Prison, 1966), 'Al-Qahera Fi Al-Leil' (Cairo by Night, 1963), 'Al-Zawag Ala Al-Tariaa Al-Haditha' (Marriage in a Modern Way, 1968), 'Shantet Hamza' (Hamza’s Bag, 1967), 'Al-Maganen Al-Thalatha' (The Three Maniacs, 1970), 'Al-Ameil 77' (Agent 77, 1969) and 'Shabab Magnoun Gedan' (Very Mad Youth, 1967).

The maven actor is known for appearing in over 59 films, 32 theater plays, and acting over 22 series.

Sidhom's last film was 'Alaa Karim’s Al-Garage' (The Garage), in 1995, in which he starred along with the renowned Naglaa Fathi, the late actors Farouk Al-Fishawi, Tahiya Karioka, Sayed Zayan, and Alaa Walieddin.

In 2020, Sidhom passed away at the age of 82 after nearly two decades of being in a wheelchair since suffering a stroke.