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Actor

1946-04-28 · Cairo, Egypt · Male

1 series in the catalog

Nour El-Sherif (Arabic: نور الشريف; 28 April 1946 – 11 August 2015), born Mohamad Geber Mohamad Abd Allah (Arabic: محمد جابر محمد عبد الله) was a prominent Egyptian actor. He has 6 films in the Top 100 Egyptian films list.

Over the course of his 47-year career, El-Sherif starred in and contributed to some of the most acclaimed Arabic films and television productions. His film credits included Youssef Chahine’s *Hadouta Masreya* (*An Egyptian Story*) (1982) and *Al Massir* (*Destiny*) (1997), as well as the 2006 adaptation of Alaa Al-Aswany’s novel *A’amaret Yacoubian* (*The Yacoubian Building*), followed by *Masgoon Transit* (*Prisoner in Transit*) and *Leilat Al Baby Doll* (*Night of the Baby Doll*) in 2008.

El-Sherif was equally prominent on television, where his series attracted audiences throughout the Arab world. Among his most notable television roles were in *Haroon Al Rasheed*, *Omar Bin Abdel Aziz*, *A’aeilat Al Hag Metwally* (*The Family of Haj Metwally*), and *Lan A’aeesh Fe Gelbab Aby* (*I Will Not Live in My Father’s Shadow*).

Biography

El-Sherif was born in the working-class neighbourhood of Sayeda Zainab in Cairo. El-Sherif was married to Poussi (1972–2006) and together they had two daughters, Sarah and Mai. He got divorced from Poussi in 2006 and they reunited in early 2015 during the difficulty of his illness. He also played soccer before choosing acting as a career. Nour El-Sherif is sometimes credited as Nour El Cherif, Nour El-Cherif or Nour Al-Sharif. He died on August 11, 2015, Cairo, Egypt.

Career

After graduating from high school, Nour El-Sherif initially enrolled in the Faculty of Commerce before transferring to the Higher Institute for Theatrical Arts. He was introduced to Sa’ad Ardash, who recommended him for a small role in the play *Shaware’ al-Khalifa* (*The Streets of al-Khalifa*). Director Kamal E’id later cast him in *Romeo wa Juliet*. While rehearsing for the production, Nour met Adel Imam, who introduced him to director Hassan Imam. This led to his role in the film *Qasr al-Shawq* (*Fort of Passion*), for which he received his first special honor.

El-Sherif subsequently built an extensive career across film, television, and theater. His television credits included *Al-Qahira wa al-Nas* (*Cairo and its People*), *Adeeb* (*The Scholar*), *Lan A’eesh fee Galbab Abby* (*I Will Not Live in My Father’s Robes*), *Al Tha’lab* (*The Fox*), *U’mar bin A’bd Al A’zeez*, *Haroun al-Rasheed*, *Ibn Rushd*, *A’ailat al-Hajj Metwally* (*The Household of al-Hajj Metwally*), *Al A’ttar wa al-Bannat al-Sab’* (*The Perfumer and the Seven Girls*), and *Ragol al-Aqdar* (*Man of Destiny*). He also hosted the television program *Shouf Bakhtak* and appeared in stage productions including *Kont Feen Ya ‘Aly* (*Where Were You, Aly*) and *Al-Muttafael* (*The Optimist*).

During the 2000s and at the height of his career, El-Sherif continued working with prominent directors, including Marwan Hamed on *The Yacoubian Building* (2006), Sandra Nashaat on *Transit Prisoner* (2008), Adel Adib on *The Night of the Baby Doll* (2008), and Amir Ramses on *Cairo Time* (2015).

Nour made his directorial debut at Al-Hanajir Theatre with *Al-Kahin* (*The Priest*). He received numerous honors throughout his career, including recognition for *Qitt’a A’la al-Nar* and awards for films such as *Ya Rab Tawba*, *Da’ Al U’mr Ya Walady*, *Habeeby Daeiman*, *Al Karnak*, *Hadouta Massriyah* (*An Egyptian Tale*), *Al Taouss* (*The Peacock*), *Al A’ar* (*The Shame*), and *Ahl al-Qimma* (*Those of the Summit*). He also won an award at the New Delhi Film Festival for *Sawwaq al-Autobis* (*Bus Driver*) and the 1996 Cairo Cinema Festival Award for Best Actor for *Leyla Sakhina*. In 2001, he directed the film *Al-A’ashiqan* (*The Two Lovers*).

Cairo Time marked his final film appearance. Following the film, El-Sherif experienced an ongoing health crisis before his death on 11 August 2015.

El-Sherif’s contributions to Egyptian cinema continued to receive recognition toward the end of his career. In 2014, the Alexandria International Film Festival, with which he had been associated since its establishment, honored him with a Lifetime Achievement Award. The same year, he was also honored at the 11th edition of the Dubai International Film Festival.

His lasting influence was further recognized after his death. In 2016, the 9th edition of the National Theatre Festival was named in his honor. Five years later, in 2021, Google marked what would have been his 75th birthday with a Google Doodle celebrating his career and achievements.

Death

Nour El-Sherif died from lung cancer in Cairo at the age of 69 in 2015 after a severe struggle with the disease.

Acting style

Nour El-Sherif was known for an acting style characterized by realism, emotional depth, and versatility. Rather than relying on superficial performances, he carefully immersed himself in his characters, portraying their psychological and emotional complexities with sincerity and restraint. He frequently chose roles that explored social issues, family relationships, corruption, ambition, and moral conflict, using his performances to reflect the realities of Egyptian society.

His versatility allowed him to convincingly portray a wide range of characters, from historical and religious figures to self-made businessmen, fathers, working-class men, and politically powerful figures. In roles such as Abdel Ghafour El-Borai in *Lan A’ish Fi Gilbab Aby* and Yehia in *Al-Ragol Al-Akhar*, he demonstrated his ability to balance strength with vulnerability and authority with humanity. His performances were often praised for making his characters feel authentic and relatable, allowing audiences to connect with them on an emotional level.

El-Sherif also distinguished himself through his preference for meaningful, socially conscious projects. His approach combined entertainment with deeper commentary on society, while his collaborations with prominent writers and directors further strengthened the intellectual and emotional quality of his work. His ability to fully inhabit contrasting roles established him as one of the most versatile and respected actors in Egyptian television and cinema.

List of Egyptians

List of Egyptian films of the 1980s

List of Egyptian films of the 1990s