Egyptian actor Mahmoud Yassine died Wednesday, October 14, at the age of 79, after a long struggle with illness.
Mahmoud’s son Amr announced the news in a Facebook post. “The great artist Mahmoud Yassine died at the mercy of God,” he wrote.
Mahmoud Yassine has suffered from Alzheimer’s since 2012. His illness forced him to put an end to his acting career after he was no longer able to memorize his lines.
Yassine was born in 1941 in Port Said, northeastern Egypt. He began his acting career in 1963 at the age of 22 after joining Egypt’s National Theater.
Mahmoud Yassine is one of the most prominent names in Egyptian cinema and significantly contributed to its fame. He appeared in more than 150 movies.
Some of Yassine’s most famous appearances were in the movies “Stories from our country” (1969), “Some of scare” (1969), “The liar” (1975), and “The island” (2009).
Mahmoud Yassine’s acting was characterized by his versatility and ability to play various roles. The actor’s movies tackled politics, social issues, comedy, and drama.
Yassine was married to Egyptian actress Shahira for five decades. The couple got together in 1970. They had two children, Amr and Rania.
During his art career, Mahmoud Yassine earned more than 50 awards, including the Ismailia Festival Award and the Tashkent Festival Award in 1980, the Arabian Cinema Award in 1984, and the Algiers Festival Award in 1988.
In 2005, the Egyptian artist joined the United Nations World Food Programme and became a UN Global Ambassador Against Hunger.
