Youssef Abdallah Wahbi Qotb () (14 July 1902 – 17 October 1982) was an Egyptian stage, film actor and director, a leading star of the 1930s and 1940s and one of the most prominent Egyptian stage actors of all time, who also served on the jury of the Cannes Film Festival in 1946.
He was born to a high state official in Egypt but renounced his family's wealth and traveled to Rome in the 1919 to study theatre, married with Elena Lunda. Besides his stage work, he acted in around 50 films in Egyptian cinema, starting with Awlad al-Zawat (Sons of Aristocrats, 1932) to "Iskanderiya... lih?" (Alexandria... Why?, 1978).
Early life Youssef Wahbi was born into an Egyptian family, from the Fayoum region. He was named after the place where he was born, Bahr Yussef and his father worked as the chief inspector in Fayoum for the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation.
Career In 1926, Turkish filmmaker Vedat Örfi Bengü approached Wahbi to play the role of the Prophet Muhammed in a European film which would be financed by the Turkish government and a German producer. Whilst the President of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and the Istanbul council of ulamas gave their approval to the film, the Islamic Al-Azhar University in Cairo published a juridical decision stipulating that Islam forbids the representation of the prophet and his companions. Thereafter, King Fouad warned Whabi that he would be exiled and stripped of his Egyptian citizenship if he took part in the film. Consequently, the film was later abandoned.
Wahbi started acting in the golden age of the Egyptian Cinema in 1932, he has also starred in several plays which he translated into many languages due to his fluency in English, French, and Italian, along with his native Arabic tongue. He played many roles that were different and unusual for both Egyptian film and plays. He once played the Devil and he later on wanted to play Muhammad but the media and Al-Azhar University, the authoritative institution on Sunni Islam, were opposed to the idea and he was forbidden from going through with it.
Social Advocacy As a playwright, director, and actor, Wahbi, had critiqued colonialism as well as Egyptian social customs and norms. He also was a strong social advocate with his calls to repeal the then mandated rule that a married women must live with her husband in a house of his choice. He advocated for women to have a choice in where they lived as well as for equal labor rights for women.
Death He died in 1982 at the age of 84 in Cairo, Egypt, sick with arthritis and with a fractured pelvis. He was survived by his wife.
Even though he came from a very rich family, throughout his career and life his focus was the film industry.
Selected filmography Year Film Role International English Name(s) 1932 Awlad el zawat Actor a.k.a. the Spoiled Children or Sons of Aristocrats 1935 Al Defaa Actor and director a.k.a. The defense 1937 El Magid el khalid Actor a.k.a. Eternal Glory 1938 Saet el tanfiz Actor a.k.a. The Hour of Fate 1940 Leila momtera Actor a.k.a. Stormy night 1941 Leila, bint el rif actor a.k.a. Leila, the schoolgirl Areess min Istambul Actor a.k.a. A Suitor from Istanbul 1944 Gharam wa intiqam Actor and director a.k.a. Love and RevengeBerlantiActor, writer and directora.k.a. Berlanti 1945 Safeer Gohannam Actor and director a.k.a. The Ambassador of Hell 1946 Malak Elrahma Actor and director a.k.a. The Angel of Mercy 1949 Ghazal Al Banat Actor (as himself) a.k.a. The Flirtation of Girls1951AminaActora.k.a. Amina 1955 Hayat ou maut Actor a.k.a. Life or DeathBahr El-GharamActora.k.a. Sea of Love 1960 Mal Wa Nissa Actor a.k.a. Money and Women1960Isha't HubActora.k.a. A Rumor of Love1967Come rubammo la bomba atomicaActor1973Al-Bahth 'An FadihaActorSearching for a Scandal 1979 Iskanderija... lih? Actor a.k.a. Alexandria... Why?
References
External links "Youssef Wahby Dead at 84; Dean of the Egyptian Stage", The New York Times, October 17, 1982. Youssef Wahbi at IMDb