Adel Imam is an Egyptian comedic actor and one of the most iconic figures in Arab cinema Hes starred in over 100 movies and 10 plays earning the adoration of audiences and critics alike He was born in Mansoura on May 17 1940 but at an early aged moved with his family to Sayyed Zeinab where he grew up The actor got his bachelors degree in agriculture from the University of Cairo where he became passionately involved in college theatre productions He joined a television troupe in 1962 while still a student and began starring in TV plays like Ana wa Howa wa Heya He She and I and Al Nassabin The Swindlers which was performed at the Al Hakim Theater In the following years he acted in several well received plays like Al Bijamma Al Hamra The Red Pajamas Fardet Shamal Left Shoe and Gharammiyat Afeefy Afeefys Love Affairs In the 1970s he starred in the hit play Madrassat Al Mashaghbeen Mischief at School which screened from 1971 to 1975 He then did Shahid Mashafsh Hagga The Witness Didnt See Anything which was screened over a period of seven years Afterwards he did Al Wadd Sayyid Al Shaghal which screened from 1985 to 1993 Imam has had one of the longest acting careers More recently he starred in The Yacoubian Building adapted from Alaa AlAswanys celebrated novel The film a poignant piece of social commentary is known to be the highestbudgeted film in Egyptian cinema history In 2012 an Egyptian court convicted Imam for defamation of Islam not the first time this has happened The films targeted in this particular case were Al Irhabi The Terrorist and Al Zaeem The Leader in which he satirizes Arab autocratic rulers Imam however won his appeal against the conviction In 2000 the United Nations named him a Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR
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