Adel Emam

May 17, 1940 — El Mansoura, Egypt

Adel Imam is an Egyptian actor known for his long-standing career in comedy and drama. Born on May 17, 1940, in Mansoura, he moved at an early age with his family to Sayeda Zeinab in Cairo. He earned a degree in agriculture from the University of Cairo, where he became active in student theatre. He began his professional acting career in the early 1960s, joining a television troupe and performing in stage plays such as Ana wa Howa wa Heya and Al Nassabin. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Imam gained widespread popularity through iconic stage roles in Madrassat Al Mashaghbeen, Shahid Ma Shafsh Haga, and Al Wad Sayed Al Shaghal. Imam has appeared in over 100 films and numerous television series and plays, often blending comedy with social and political themes. Notable film roles include The Terrorist (1994), Al Zaeem (1993), and The Yacoubian Building (2006), the latter of which became one of the most prominent films in modern Egyptian cinema. In 2000, he was appointed as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), recognizing his influence and humanitarian efforts.