Egypt
Actor
(1920 - 1998)
In a career spanning almost 50 years, Farid Shawqi, AKA The King of Terso (meaning third-class theatres) starred, produced, or wrote the script for over 400 films, in addition to other works in theatre and television. His popularity spread across the Arab World, and even in Turkey where he played roles in some films.
Critics referred to him as the "John Wayne" or "Anthony Quinn" of Egyptian cinema and the Arabic speaking world. To the Egyptian audience, he was the “Beast of the Silver Screen”, who defended the underdog, especially women, and the marginalized using an effective mixture of cunning, physical strength, personal charm, and unbending principles, to overcome wicked aggressors and villains. With illiteracy levels reaching 80% at the time, Shawqi personified the masses' dreams of defeating the greedy wealthy, who were above the law because of the unjust class system at the time.
