Mamdouh Abdul Aleem dead at 59

Egyptian actor was a big name in TV serials and films

Acclaimed Egyptian actor Mamdouh Abdul Aleem, who performed in some of Egypt’s best TV dramas and film classics, died late on Tuesday in Cairo. He was 59.

Abdul Aleem had a heart attack while exercising at a Cairo sports club and was taken to a nearby hospital where he died, according to the broadcaster.

He started his artistic career as a child in the 1960s when he appeared in children’s TV shows. In 1983, he made his film debut in The Virgin and the Grey Hair.

Abdul Aleem soared to stardom when he acted in the multi-part TV drama Al Helmya Nights, an immensely popular star-studded work that traced sociopolitical changes in Egypt from the late 1940s until the early 1990s. Abdul Aleem was due to participate in the sixth part of the drama, to be screened later this year.

He gained further fame by starring in a string of acclaimed films including the 1986 production The Innocent, on police abuse, and the 1988 comedy A Paper Hero. Abdul Aleem acted in a total of 30 films, which also included The Riffraff, based on an epic novel by the Egyptian Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz. His final work was The First Lady, a TV political thriller shown in 2014.

His sudden death triggered an outpouring of tributes. “He was innocent like children,” said celebrated actress Ilham Chahin, who acted along him in Helmya Nights. “He used to deal with everyone innocently and sincerely. I can’t believe he has died,” said Chahin.

He is survived by his wife, TV anchor Shafki Al Munairi, and daughter Hana.