View source for Soad Hosny

==Career==

[[File:SoadHosny&SahZulfikar.jpg|thumb|upright|Soad Hosny with [[Salah Zulfikar]] in ''[[A Date at the Tower]]'' (1962)]]

At the age of three, she began her career when she sang in the popular Egyptian children's TV program, ''Papa Sharo'', hosted by prominent kids' shows presenter Mohamed Shaaban. Her work included a wide range of genres, from light comedies and romances through to political satire.<ref name="Ginsberg, T 2010, p. 181">Ginsberg, T. and Lippard, C., ''Historical Dictionary of Middle Eastern Cinema'', Scarecrow Press, 2010, p. 181</ref> Her film debut was in ''[[Hassan and Nayima]]'' (1959).<ref name="Lentz III 2002, p. 146">Lentz III, H.M., ''Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2001: Film, television, Radio, Theatre, Dance, Music, Cartoons and Pop Culture'' McFarland, 2002, p. 146</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=It is unclear where Lentz sources this information.|date=May 2025}} She is credited with acting in films with the most notable Egyptian film stars, such as [[Omar Sharif]], [[Salah Zulfikar]], [[Rushdy Abaza]], and [[Shoukry Sarhan]]. 

In the early 1960s, Hosny starred in ''[[A Rumor of Love]]'' (1960) alongside [[Omar Sharif]] and [[Youssef Wahbi]]. She also starred in ''Mafish Tafahom'' (1961), ''El-Do' el-Khaft'' (1961), ''El-Saferia Aziza'' (1961) alongside Shoukry Sarhan. She was also paired with [[Ahmed Mazhar]] in ''El-garema el-Dahka'' (1963). Other important film credits include her role in [[Hassan el-Imam|Hassan El-Imam]]'s ''[[Money and Women]]'' (1960) opposite Salah Zulfikar, whom she was paired with for the second time in ''[[A Date at the Tower]]'' (1962) directed by [[Ezz El-Dine Zulficar]]. In 1964, she starred alongside [[Nadia Lutfi]] in [[Mahmoud Zulfikar|Mahmoud Zulfikar's]] ''[[For Men Only (1964 film)|For Men Only]]'', where she played a role of a girl disguised in a man's appearance to have the opportunity to work in an oil exploration project; the film was a box office hit. In 1966, she starred in 10 films including ''Mabka el-Oshak'', ''His Excellency'', ''The Ambassador'', ''El-Talata Yhbonha'' and ''Leilat El Zefaf''. In the same year, Hosny starred in ''[[Too Young for Love (1966 film)|Too Young for Love]]'' (1966) opposite Rushdy Abaza.

[[File: Soad Hosny in 1972.jpg|alt= Soad Hosny in 1972|thumb|upright|Soad Hosny in a publicity photo for ''[[Watch Out for ZouZou|Watch Out for Zouzou]]'' (1972)|left]]

In 1970, she starred alongside Salah Zulfikar and Rushdy Abaza in the political film ''[[Sunset and Sunrise (film)|Sunset and Sunrise]]'' (1970) by [[Kamal El Sheikh]]. She worked in two films directed by [[Youssef Chahine]] during her career, the first one being ''[[The Choice (1970 film)|The Choice]]'' (1970), and the second ''[[Those People of the Nile]]'' (1972) in which she was paired with Salah Zulfikar for the fourth time. One of her most well-known roles was that of a college student who fell in love with her professor in [[Hassan el-Imam|Hassan El Imam’s]] film ''[[Watch Out for ZouZou]]'' (1972).<ref>Ginsberg, T. and Lippard, C., ''Historical Dictionary of Middle Eastern Cinema'', Scarecrow Press, 2010, pp 181–182; It may be worth noting that this source repeats stories occasionally published in the Arabic media, that her father was cruel and denied her an education until age 16 years. Her brother, in a media interview, dismissed this and other rumors about his family life, promulgated by the Arabic media, stressing that he and his siblings were raised in a supportive and artistic household where their talents were nurtured. See: Al-Samahi, A., "Najat's small brother and Suad Hosni: I learned to survive singing", (Interview with composer, Ezzidin Hosny), ''Al-Ahram'', (Arabic newspaper in Egypt), 6 December 2012, Issue No. 46021, [http://www.ahram.org.eg/archive/Stars-Arts/News/186880.aspx Online:] (translated from Arabic)</ref> In 1974, she starred in [[Kamal El Sheikh|Kamal El Sheikh's]] ''[[Whom Should We Shoot?]]'' (1974) alongside [[Mahmoud Yassin]], whom she shared the lead with in ''[[Where Is My Mind? (film)|Where is My Mind?]]'' (1974). Her next role was a student and political activist who was tortured in ''[[Karnak (film)|Karnak]]'' (1975), the film was based on the novel by [[Naguib Mahfouz]].

In the films ''[[Shafika and Metwali]]'' (1979) with [[Ahmed Zaki (actor)|Ahmed Zaki]] and ''[[People on the Top]]'' (1981) with [[Nour El-Sherif]], she transformed the musical numbers into scathing satires which gave voice to the oppressed. For this and her other hard-hitting, politically relevant roles, she was seen as part of the intelligentsia.<ref name="Ginsberg, T 2010, p. 181" /> She starred in ''[[A Dinner Date]]'' (1981), in which she played a dramatic role. She also starred in ''[[Al Qadisiyya]]'' (1981), ''[[The Suspect (1981 film)|The Suspect]]'' (1981), ''A Stranger in My House'' (1982), ''Love in a Jail Cell'' (1983) and ''[[The Hunger (1986 film)|The Hunger]]'' (1986).

[[File:A Shooting at the scene of "People on the Top" - 1981.jpg|thumb|230px|Soad Hosny and [[Nour El-Sherif]] in ''[[People on the Top]]'' (1981)]]

During her lifetime, she was known as the "Cinderella of the Screen". She starred in the films of every important Egyptian director during the 60s and 70s and played women in complex plots. In her later career, she played women who had been abused or victimized.<ref>Marks, L..U., ''Hanan Al-Cinema: Affections for the Moving Image'', MIT Press, 2015, p. 185</ref> Due to illness and health issues, she retired from acting in 1991.<ref>"Egyptians Mourn Screen Cinderella", BBC News, [https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1412284.stm Online:]</ref> Hosny's final screen appearance was in ''[[The Shepherd and the Women]]'' (1991).<ref name="bbc">{{cite news|title=Egyptian screen star dies|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1403302.stm|access-date=24 February 2012|publisher=BBC News|website=bbc.co.uk|date=22 June 2001}}</ref>