Soad Hosny

Lore & Background

Soad Hosny was born in the Boulaq district of Cairo to an artistic family. Her father, Mohamed Hosni, was a renowned calligrapher, and her half-sister was the singer Nagat El-Sagheera. She began her career at age three singing on the children's TV program Papa Sharo. Her film debut was in Hassan and Naima (1959), and she quickly rose to stardom at the end of the 1950s. Her most famous film is Watch Out For Zouzou (1972), which led many to nickname her 'Zouzou'. Her final screen appearance was in The Shepherd and the Women (1991), directed by her ex-husband Ali Badrakhan.

Hosny was married four times, including to film director Ali Badrakhan and to Zaki Fatin Abdel Wahab. Persistent rumors claimed she secretly married singer Abdel Halim Hafez, but her family denied this. She died on 21 June 2001 after falling from the balcony of a friend's apartment in Westminster. British authorities ruled her death a suicide, but the ruling was disputed by some due to allegations surrounding the case.

Reader's Guide

Soad Hosny is significant as one of Egypt's most iconic female performers of the 20th century, with a career that spanned over three decades and 83 films. She worked with every important Egyptian director of the 1960s and 1970s, playing complex roles that ranged from light comedies to political satire. Her films often gave voice to the oppressed, and she was seen as part of the intelligentsia. Nine of her films are among the greatest 100 in Egyptian cinema history. Her legacy endures as a symbol of Egyptian cinema's golden age, though her death remains controversial.

Did You Know?

• Soad Hosny began her career at age three singing on the Egyptian children's TV program Papa Sharo.
• Her father, Mohamed Hosni, was one of the best Egyptian calligraphers.
• Her 1972 film Watch Out For Zouzou is widely considered her most famous film, earning her the nickname 'Zouzou'.
• Her death from a balcony fall in London was ruled a suicide by British authorities, but the ruling was disputed.