Renowned actor Salah El-Saadany dies at 80
One of Egypt’s most renowned actors Salah El-Saadany passed away in the early hours of Friday at the age of 80. His passing comes after a decade of stepping away from limelight due to illness.
Salah El-Saadany was born on 23 October 1943 in Giza, Egypt.
Born to a family with rural roots he first studied at the faculty of agriculture, graduating with a bachelor’s degree.
As a student, he joined a variety of amateur theatre troupes, often performing hand in hand with another up-and-coming talent, Adel Imam, on the university campus stage.
He found recognition in theatre and radio acting before slowly making his way to numerous films and television series.
He landed roles in The Victim (1964), La Tutfei al-Shams (The Sun Will Never Set, 1965), Shayateen El Leyl (Devils of the Night, 1966), and The Departure (1967), among others.
In 1970, he played in Youssef Chahine’s El-Ard (The Land), and then embarked on dynamic work with many renowned directors and well-known actors, often appearing in more than six productions in a year.
Among the most significant titles of the 1970s and the 1980s are Oghnia Ala Al-Mamar (A Song on the Passage, 1972), Shelet El Moshaghbeen (The Troublemakers, 1973) , Al-Rasasa la Tazalu fe Gaibi (The Bullet Is Still in My Pocket, 1977), Le piège (1982), Layali Al-Helmaya series (Al-Helmiya Nights, 1985-1990), Zaman Hatem Zahran (The Time of Hatem Zahran, 1987), Beggars and Noblemen (1991), among dozens of others.
This was paralleled with several highly successful theatre plays, with El-Saadani taking the leading roles in plays such as Ballo (1995), and The King Is the King (2006), among others.
Throughout his five-decades-long career, El-Saadani appeared in countless radio series, more than 20 theatre plays, 70 films, and double that number of TV series.
In the 2000s, El-Saadani focused more on TV series, including The Yacoubian Building (2008)
His health deteriorated, and since 2013 he has spent most of his days at home, in bed. His last work was a leading role in the TV series Al-Qasirat (The Minors, 2013).
SIS
