Zubaida Tharwat

Zubaida Ahmed Tharwat (; 15 June 1940 – 13 December 2016), was an Egyptian film, stage and television actress. She started her acting career in 1956, and quickly rose to stardom in Egypt. After six years hiatus in the 1960s, she returned to acting in 1969, and retired in the 1980s. Tharwat was known as "the most beautiful eyes in classic Egyptian cinema".

Tharwat was born into a prominent Egyptian family in Alexandria. She won a beauty contest in an Egyptian teen magazine in 1955, which widely published her photograph and brought her attention of filmmakers in the Egyptian film industry. Tharwat made her film debut in Dalila (1956) and gained stardom from her roles in Hekayt 3 Banat (1957), El-Malak el-Sagheir (1957), and Bent 17 (1958).

During the late 1950s, Tharwat established herself as a leading lady and one of the era's top stars with films like A'ashat lelhob (1959), Shams La Tagheeb (1959), Ehtrsi mn el-Hob (1959). In one year, she starred in Inni Attahem (1960), opposite Salah Zulfikar, Youm min Omri (1961), opposite Abdel Halim Hafez, followed by There is a Man in our House (1961), opposite Omar Sharif, and all films were commercially successful. After seven years hiatus from film, she returned by starring in How to Get Rid of Your Wife (1969). In the 1970s, she also had notable roles in; El-Hob El-Daea (1970), The Other Man (1973), and The Guilty (1975).

Early life Zubaida was born in Alexandria, Egypt on 15 June 1940, into an Egyptian family. Her father, Ahmed Tharwat, was an Egyptian Navy officer. As a teenager, she won a beauty contest in an Egyptian teen magazine which widely published her photograph and got her the attention of directors and producers. She studied at the Faculty of Law, Alexandria University.

Career

After winning a beauty contest organized by El-Geel magazine in 1955, Tharwat made her film debut in Dalila (1956). She subsequently appeared in Women in My Life (1957), The Little Angel (1957), Girl 17 (1958), Inni Attahim (1960), There is a Man in our House (1961) and Youm Min Omry (1961).

After an acting hiatus from 1962 to 1969, she appeared in the films Zawga Ghayoora Gedan (1969), How to Get Rid of Your Wife (1969), El-Hob El-Daea''' (1970), Me, My Wife and the Secretary (1970) Hadset Sharaf (1971), and Shams w Dabab (1973).

In 1973, she appeared alongside box-office star Salah Zulfikar in Al-Rajul Al-Akhar (1973) and the film was a box-office success. She also starred alongside singer and actor Farid Al-Atrash in Zaman Ya Hub (1973). She had a notable role in Al-Mothneboon (1975) among other works on stage such as; Shahrzad we 8 staat and 20 Farkha we deek, both in 1977. In 1976, Tharwat starred in Lkaa' Honak, and her last film was Zahret el-Banafseg (1977). Tharwat starred in only one television miniseries; Wafaa' Belaa Nhaaya, aired for the first time in 1978.

She starred in the play Ana we Heya we mrati (1978). One of her last works in which she participated was a play; A Very Happy Family (1985) with Amin El-Hunaidi and El-Muntaser Billah, written and directed by El Sayed Badir. She also starred in her last play; Meen Ye'dar ala reem (1987) and decided to retire in the same year. During her career, she was given many nicknames such as "The Pussycat of Arabic Cinema", Magic Eyes and "The Queen of Romance''".

Personal life and death

Tharwat had 3 siblings, including her twin sister Hikmet. She got married five times, her first marriage was in 1960 to an officer in the Egyptian Navy named Ihab El-Ghazawi, then the Syrian producer Sobhi Farhat, with whom she gave birth to her four daughters.

Her third husband was Mohamed Ismail. Tharwat's last husband, the actor Omar Nagi, which was her last marriage. She stated in her last interview that she did not know that Abdel Halim Hafez had proposed to her, he asked to marry just after her second marriage, and she recommended that she be buried next to him after she dies. After retiring from films, she made the decision to migrate to the United States, and lived there for a while, but eventually returned to Egypt and died at the age of 76 in Cairo after a long battle with cancer and aging-associated diseases.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1956 Dalila 1956 Hekayt 3 Banat Shahira 1957 El-Malak el-Sagheir Doha 1957 Nessa' fi Hayati Sanaa' 1958 Bent 17 Safaa' 1959 A'ashat lelhob Zeinab 1959 Shams La Tagheeb Soha 1959 Ehtrsi mn el-Hob Laila 1960 Inni attahem Naemat 1961 Yum mn omri Nadya 1961 Nesf Azraa''' Zeinab 1961 Fi Baituna Ragol| Nawaaal 1962 Salwa fi mahab el-reeh| Salwa 1969 Zawga Ghayoora Gedan| Fatma 1969 Kaifa ttakhalas mn zawgatak| Fatma 1970 El-Hob El-Daea'| Samya 1970 Ana we Zawgti we el-Sekrtera| 1971 Hadest Sharaf| 1973 Shams w Dabab| 1973 Zaman Ya Hob| Abeer 1973 Al-Rajul Al-Akhar| 1974 Al-Ahdan Al-Dafe'a| Madiha 1975 Habebe Magnon Gdn| 1975 El-Mothneboon| Mona 1975 La Shy' yohem| 1976 El-Hob el-Haram| Aydaa 1976 Lkaa' Honak| Laila 1977 Zahret el-Banafseg'' Hayaat

Theatre Year Title Role Notes 1977 Shahrzad we 8 staat 1977 20 Farkha we deek 1980 8 staat 1985 Aaa'ela Sa'eeda Gedaan 1987 Ana we Heya we mrati 1987 Meen Ye'dar ala reem

Television Year Title Role Notes 1978 Wafaa' Belaa Nhaaya