Farid Shawqi
| Farid Shawqi | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Farid Shawqi Mohammad Abduh Badawi July 30, 1920 |
| Died | July 27, 1998 (aged 77) |
| Occupation | Actor, screenwriter and film producer |
| Years active | 1946–1996 |
| Height | 6 ft 1.5 in (1.87 m) |
Farid Shawqi Mohammad Abduh Badawi (Arabic: فريد شوقي محمد عبده بدوي) (July 30, 1920 in Cairo – July 27, 1998) known as Farid Shawqi (Arabic: فريد شوقي ) was an Egyptian actor, screenwriter and film producer. He acted in 361 films, 12 plays and 12 television series; wrote 22 film scripts; and produced 26 films. He is considered to be one of the greatest actors in the middle east.
He was also known as Malek El Terso ("The King of the Third Class" - a reference to his popularity among the poor, who bought third-class seats in movie theatres), as "Wahsh Ash shashah Al Arabiyah the Monster of the Arab Silver Screen" in honor of his various roles of beloved hero, as Farid Bay ("Sir Farid", an informal title of respect), and as Abu el-Banat ("father of all girls", a reference to his having five daughters and no sons).
In a career spanning almost 50 years, Shawqi starred, produced, or wrote the scenario of over 400 films - more than the films produced collectively by the whole Arab world - in addition to theatre, television and video plays. His popularity covered the whole of the Arab World, including Turkey where he acted in some films there, and directors always addressed his as ' Farid Bay' (Sir Farid) as a sign of respect. As he worked with over 90 Film directors and producers.
For the first ten years he typically cast as a villain. By the late 1940s his name alongside that of the late Mahmoud el-Mileegy guaranteed a box-office success. In 1950 he changed that image forever, playing the leading role in Ga'aloony Mujriman ("They Made Me a Criminal"), his own script in which he tackled the problem of homeless children and the first crime thus exposing the failure of government policy and the corruption of state run orphanages and young offenders institutions.
Disliked by the establishment, the film was later awarded the State Prize; Shawqi went on to collect 10 best actor awards in many festivals, and four other awards for his scripts in the next thirty years.
Critics referred to him as the "John Wayne" or "Anthony Quinn" of Egyptian cinema and of the Arabic speaking World", and to the masses he was the Beast of the Silver Screen, who championed the underdog, especially women, and the dispossessed using an effective mixture of cunning, physical strength, personal charm, and unbending principles, to overcome the wicked aggressors. With an illiteracy of over 80 per cent at the time, the "Screen Beast" personified the masses' dreams of defeating the wealthy, who were above the law thanks to an unjust class system.
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