Veteran Egyptian actor Gamil Rateb dies at age 92

CAIRO – 19 September 2018: Prominent Egyptian actor Gamil Rateb died at the age of 92, Rateb’s agent announced on Wednesday, September 19.

Rateb's funeral prayer will be held on Wednesday afternoon at Cairo's Al-Azhar Mosque.

After getting his treatment in France, he returned to Egypt to be under the medical observation at the Anglo American Hospital.

His business manager Hany el-Tohamy revealed that the prominent actor had entirely lost his voice.

Rateb was known for the countless roles he played in the French, American and Egyptian cinema.

Born in 1926 in Cairo, He began acting when he was a student and in the 1940s he was titled the best actor in Egyptian and foreign schools.

He had his acting debut in 1946 in the movie “I am the East”, and then went to France to continue his studies in theatre.

After returning to Egypt in the mid-seventies, he began to appear in the Egyptian cinema and starred in many films, including "Kafany Ya Kalb", " La Azaa' Lel Sayedat" (No Consolation for Women), "Hob Fel Zenzana" (Love in the Prison), "El-Bedaya" (The Beginning), and "Toyoor el-Zalam" (The Birds of the Dark).

Rateb also played unforgettable roles in a number of TV series such as "Yawmiat Wanees", "El-Raya al-Bayda", "Al-Asdekaa", and "Wajh el-Qamar".

Furthermore, the iconic actor appeared in French and Tunisian cinema and took part in many distinguished international movies such as “Lawrence of Arabia”, “Trapeze” and “To Commit a Murder”, among others.

He was honored during the seventh edition of the Luxor African Film Festival that took place on March 16-22, 2018 as well as in the 29th edition of the Cairo International Film Festival.