Renowned Egyptian actor Mahmoud Yassin died on Wednesday at the age of 79 after a struggle with illness.
A pillar of the country’s film industry during the second half of the 20th century, Yassin was involved in more than 250 productions over a period of four decades.
Yassin’s son and artist, Amr, on Wednesday posted a picture of his father on Facebook, and said: “He passed away, to the mercy of God, the father of the artist Mahmoud Yassin. I ask for your prayers.”
Yassin had been suffering from age-related health problems that had prevented him from working and appearing on screen for eight years.
His last movie appearance was in the 2012 comedy drama “Geddo Habibi” (“Grandpa, My Darling”) and he had been scheduled to participate in the Egyptian comedy series “Sahebat Al-Saada” with Adel Imam in 2014, but was unable due to illness and the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
Egyptians and the Arab world knew Yassin through a number of important roles in cinema and television, particularly during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. These included the films “The Thin Thread” with Faten Hamama, “A Nose and Three Eyes” with Magda Al-Sabahi, “Bottom of the City” with Nadia Lutfi, “Mawlid Ya Dunya” with singer Afaf Rady, and “Remember Me” with Naglaa Fathi.
Among his most notable cinematic works was the movie “The Bullet is Still in My Pocket,” which told stories from the 1973 Arab-Israeli October War, and “Something from Fear,” an Egyptian cinema classic.
