On December 7, the show business community celebrates the birthday of the artist Mahmoud Hemida, who is one of the most important and prominent artists in the history of Egyptian cinema. He is famous for his culture, his love of reading, and his taste for literature and poetry. He is also known for his diverse roles, his distinctive personality, and his different vision of art. He chooses his roles carefully, and is keen to present a variety of characters, so he has a great balance of immortal works. He achieved a brilliant name in art and the film industry with his accomplishments that transcended the field of acting, and reached writing and production. He was keen to adopt young talents and refine them through study and education, so he established the actor’s studio, to advance the film industry in Egypt. In celebration of his birthday, let us review with you in the following article the most important stations in Mahmoud Hemida’s artistic and personal life.
His Birth & Early Life
Mahmoud Hamida Hassan Mahmoud Hamida was born on December 7, 1953, in the Manial Al-Sultan District, Atfih Center, Giza Governorate. In 1970, he joined the College of Engineering, but for 7 years he did not succeed in graduating from it, so he transferred to the College of Commerce, and graduated from it in 1981. He started his working life with a job in the sales management department of an international company.
Early Works
Mahmoud Hemida has loved acting since he was four years old. When he was a student at school, he joined the school theater. He was also a member of the university’s acting club. He worked as a professional dancer in theaters, and the Yousry Hamdi Folklore Troupe.
After graduating, he was keen to continue in the acting field by joining amateur groups. Until TV director Ahmed Khader discovered him, and assigned him his first roles in the series “Al-Azhar Al-Sharif Manarat Al-Islam”, which was shown in 1982, and then participated in the series “Haret Al-Shurafa” in 1986. As for his first work in the cinema, it was the movie “The Wacks” with Mervat Amin and Yahya Al-Fakharani, which was shown in 1986.
His most prominent works
After that, the acting roles of the star Mahmoud Hemida rolled, and he presented many successful artworks. He is distinguished by his wonderful performance, which was praised by the audience and critics, and filmmakers assigned him many difficult roles. With the late artist Ahmed Zaki, he presented the movie “The Emperor” in 1990, “The Pasha” in 1993 and “The Third Man” in 1995, and he also participated in the movie “Era” The Force” in 1991 with the artist Nadia El-Gendy, who also co-starred in the films “Wild Desire”, “Assassination”, “State Security” and “A Woman Who shaked the Throne of Egypt”. He also starred with actress Laila Elwi in the films “Obedience Ultimatum” in 1993 and “I love cinema” in 2004. With Yousra, he presented “A Woman to Fall” in 1992 and also participated in the films “Dantila”, “Strawberry War”, “The Elder” and “The Lady of Cairo”. We cannot forget his creativity in director Youssef Chahine’s films “Al-Muhajir”, “Al-Masir”, “Al-Akhar” and “Alexandria New York”. He also presented a large number of successful TV series, most notably: “Al-Wasiyah”, “Haret Al-Shurafa”, “The Inheritance of the Wind”, and “The Spiritual Father” when we were young. The artist Mahmoud Hamida also had an experience in the field of writing, through the series “The Legacy of the Wind”, which was shown in 2013.
Al-Batriq Art Production Company
Mahmoud Hemida’s artistic contributions were not limited to acting only. In 1996, he established the “Al-Batriq Art Production Company” in order to contribute to the development and support of the film industry in Egypt. During which he presented a group of cinematic and documentary films, including the movie “Gamal Abdel Nasser” in 1998, directed by Anwar Al-Qawadry. The movie “Paradise of the Devils” in 1999 directed by Osama Fawzy. He also produced documentary film about the great Iraqi poet “Nazik Al-Malaika” in 2000 directed by Khairiya Al-Mansour. In addition to the documentary film “Live Skin” in 2010 directed by Fawzy Saleh and the film “Poisonous Roses” in 2018 by the same director. Which won several awards and was shown in more than one international festival. The company also carried out the work of the executing producer for other artistic bodies, including the movie “King and Writing” directed by Kamila Abu Zekry in 2005, in cooperation with the Media Production City and the Cinema Authority.
Seventh Art Magazine
In appreciation of the importance of cinema art and its impact on society, the artist Mahmoud Hamida issued in 1997 an art magazine headed by the editor-in-chief of journalist Mahmoud Al-Kardousi, entitled “The Seventh Art”. It is the first Arab cinematic publication specialized in the film industry in the Middle East. It sheds light on various Arab and foreign issues, films, and cinematic personalities. Being an informative magazine, Mahmoud Hemida refused to advertise alcohol and cigarettes in the magazine, which would have brought him a monthly profit of $40,000. But he preferred not to compromise the great value of the magazine, and decided to fund it at his personal expense. The magazine issued 45 issues, until it was discontinued in 2001 for financial reasons. However, its numbers retained their value, as scholars considered them a historical reference for various local and international works.
Other achievements
The artist Mahmoud Hemida is a connoisseur of art of all kinds. In addition to acting and producing films, he has produced concerts for the international violinist “Abdo Dagher” at the Opera House, the Institute of Arab Music and Egyptian universities. He also produced a large number of poetry evenings for the great poet “Fouad Haddad”, by forming a full task force to present these evenings at the Opera House, the International Book Fair and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.
Because of his strong love for art, and his belief in the necessity of helping new generations to savor art and present it in a refined manner, Mahmoud Hemida contributed to the youth project with the German Agency for Art Cooperation and the Ministry of Planning to support artistic talents, and produced the play “Alwan Riqa’ Buqa’” in 2002. In 1996, he established the actor’s studio, and hired a group of the most important specialists to make this studio a center for training and refining young talents, believing in the need to support talent and mix it with the scientific method. With the aim of financing the art industry with qualified technical cadres. In order to keep pace with the rapid and tremendous development of this industry in Europe, America and various countries of the world
Friendships from the show business
Despite the difficulty of forming real friendships within the artistic community due to competition and jealousy, a strong friendship relationship between Mahmoud Hamida and a group of fellow actors, most notably his relationship with the artist Mahmoud Abdel Aziz, who he felt great sorrow for his death. He also had a good relationship with the actor Farouk El-Fishawy that continued with his family after his death. Ahmed El-Fishawy often stated that Hamida is one of his closest friends despite the age difference between them, stressing that he also considers him his brother and teacher. As for actor Ahmed Zaki, Mahmoud Hamida describes him as the true friend and first support.
Mahmoud Hemida is keen to restore his memories with his friends by commemorating their birth and death through his personal accounts on social media, and by publishing the photos he collected in different situations.
He pulled his teeth out because of a movie
Mahmoud Hemida is an actor who knows the value of art well, and is aware of the need for all elements of artwork to appear natural and to the fullest. He also realizes the importance of the sacrifices made by the artist for the success of the artwork. Therefore, he did not hesitate to pull two of his front teeth to embody the character of “Mounir Rasmi” in the events of the movie “The Paradise of Devis”, which he starred and produced in 1999. This is because the possibilities of make-up and cinematic tricks at this time did not allow him to change his look in the way that pleases him. What is striking is that Mahmoud Hamida was presenting the character of a dead person, and he did not utter a single word during the movie
Hamida was also injured in three vertebrae in his back, after filming the movie “Alexandria New York”, where he was playing the role of a man at the age of eighty-six, which necessitated him arching and bending the back and changing the chest cavity during the filming period, in order to show the features of disability on the character’s body, which Caused injury to the vertebrae.
His Personal life
In 1982, the artist, Mahmoud Hamida, married Mrs. “Suhair” and had four daughters, “Asmaa”, “Iman”, “Omnia” and “Aya”. Ten years after his marriage to her, specifically in 1992, he married for the second time, Mrs. Maha. Mahmoud Hamida spoke in a television interview with the media, Wafaa Al-Kilani, about his second marriage, stressing that it was not because he was bored or because of his lack of love for his first wife, and he explained that he loved his second wife and there was no way to express his love for her other than marriage, because he rejects illegal relations. He described his first wife as “the partner of his whole life”, while he described his second wife as “the partner of half his life”.
An accident that caused his marriage to be announced
Mahmoud Hemida stated that his second marriage was kept secret for several months, out of consideration for the feelings of his first wife and daughters. But he decided to announce it because of a news item published in Al-Ahram newspaper about a person who was injured in a traffic accident. After his death, his wife discovered that he was secretly married to another woman, and he had a child with her. The judge ruled that the second wife and her son should not inherit anything from the husband’s inheritance. He announced his marriage immediately, for fear of repeating the same thing with his second wife after his death. Especially since he raised her children for many years and considers them his own. He confirmed that his daughters have recently become friends with his second wife’s sons.
Awards and Honors
Mahmoud Hemida’s distinguished choices for his cinematic works contributed to making him a prize hunter, as he won many awards during his artistic career, and he was also chosen to be the honorary president of the Luxor Film Festival for several consecutive years. Among the most important awards he received:
- The annual Film Festival award for the movie “The Pasha” in 1995.
- Best Actor Award from the Egyptian Society of Cinematography in 1995 for the movie “The Third Man”.
- Best Production Award from the Cairo International Film Festival for the movie “Paradise for devils” in 1999.
- Best Actor Award at the Eleventh National Festival of Egyptian Cinema for the movie “I love cinema” in 2005.
- Best Actor Award from the Cinema Art Society for the movie “Alexandria New York” in 2005.
- Best Actor Award at the Tetouan International Festival for the movie “Paradise for Devils” in 2006.
- Best Actor Award at the Muscat International Festival for the movie “Heads or Tails” in 2006.
- Best Actor Award at the Catholic Center Festival in Cairo for the movie “Heads or Tails” in 2007.
Artistic recovery
Actor Mahmoud Hemida is experiencing a period of artistic revival recently. He recently celebrated the great success of his latest movie “Arif”, in which he co-starred with Ahmed Ezz, Ahmed Fahmy, and Carmen Basibes. Which achieved great revenues of 63 million pounds during its presentation in cinemas. He also recently showed him the movie “The Washing Machine” with Ahmed Hatem, Hana Zahid and Bayoumi Fouad.
On the other hand, Hamida has finished shooting four films that are expected to be shown in cinemas soon, namely: “People of the Cave” with Khaled Al-Nabawi, Khaled Al-Sawy and Ghada Adel. – “Ritsa” with Ahmed Al-Fishawi and Aisha bin Ahmed. – “The Priest” with Jamal Suleiman, Fathi Abdel Wahab, Iyad Nassar and Dora. – “Top Secret” with Ahmed El-Sakka, Khaled El-Sawy and Mohamed Ramadan. He is also currently shooting three new films: “The Atheist” with Hussein Fahmy, Sherine Reda and Ahmed Hatem. “Their uncle” with Ahmed al-Fishawi and Muhammad Imam. “Wherever you go ” with Karim Afifi, Shaima Seif and Laila Ahmed Zaher. In addition to filming a TV series entitled “General Transfer” with Sawsan Badr, Samiha Ayoub and Dina.
Filming accidents
The star Mahmoud Hemida had many accidents during his career. He almost lost his life more than once because of photographing his artworks. Most notably, the injury he sustained while filming the movie “Shams El-Zanati”. In one scene, the horses were raging because of the fire and he fell off his horse and the fire flew in his face. He almost lost his life in the movie “Wild Desire” when the director asked him in one of the scenes to jump into a well, but he was surprised when he jumped with a mattress and not straw as he expected. He fell on his head, causing a sprain in the neck vertebrae.
Death rumors
Actor, Mahmoud Hamida, is one of the actors about whom death rumors spread from time to time. Death afflicts actor, Mahmoud Hemida, and his official account has become a condolence book. The artist was keen to deny the rumor himself by commenting on the post using a laughing expression next to him, a thumbs down, in reference to his mockery of the rumor.