Today, (Jan. 28) marks the 40th death anniversary of Emad Hamdy, a renowned Egyptian film star popularly known as Jeune premier in his time.
Hamdy was a talented actor who captivated the film industry with his brilliant performances. He portrayed both comedy and leading roles on the silver screen, making him unparalleled in his time.
He was also one of the most popular romantic film stars, appearing in films like 'My Heart' with female lead Aqeela Rateb, 'Chitchat on the Nile' (1971, Hussein Kamal) adapted from Naguib Mafouz’s eponymous novel, and 'The Guilty' (1976, Saeed Marzouk).
He was born in Sohag governorate, Upper Egypt, along with his identical twin brother Abdel-Rahman. His family moved to Cairo and resided in the Shubra district, where Hamdy later graduated from the High School of Commerce.
According to the famous Egyptian actress Nadia El Genedy, Hamdy married four times. His first wife was an Egyptian belly dancer named Horreya Mohamed. The second was a monologist named Fatheya Sherif, who is the mother of his son Nader. After that, he married veteran actress and singer Shadia, and they appeared in many successful movies together. His last marriage was to El Genedy, who is the mother of his second son Hisham.
Although Hamdy didn't show any artistic interests during his conservative early childhood, he later joined the acting group in high school. He began frequenting Emad El-Deen Street, known as the Entertainment Street in Egypt, where he enjoyed plays by famous comedians like Naguib El-Rihani, Youssef Wahbi, and Aziz Eid. It was then that he realized he was moving towards a path that he had never considered before.
After his graduation, Hamdy and his brother opened a small commercial agency which failed shortly after, leading to its closure.
Hamdy's last film was 'The Bus Driver' (1982, Atef El-Tayeb) before he passed away on January 28, 1984.
After his death, the Egyptian government commemorated his talent and legacy by placing a sign on the building where he lived.
Follow the latest news on Google News
