Naima Akef

Actor

Tanta, Egypt

October 7, 1929

Biography

An Egyptian actress and dancer, born in Tanta, Gharbia Governorate, in 1929. She spent a large part of her life in the circus owned by her family, and became the first heroine of the circus team when she was four years old. She continued working in the circus until she was fourteen, when her father lost all his money, which forced him to mortgage the circus. She moved with her family to Cairo, and from there she began working in Badia Masabni's troupe, but she did not continue working with it for long. She then worked in the Kit Kat nightclub, and from there she began to meet a number of Egyptian directors. From here she began working in the field of cinema in the late forties, where she first appeared as a dancer in the movie (Sett El Beit), but she presented her first acting roles through the movie (Al-Aish Wal-Milh) in 1949. After that, she participated in the lead role in many films until the mid-sixties, including: (Circus Girl, Tamr Hanna, Four Girls and an Officer, and The Newspaper Seller). Naima Akef retired from acting in 1964 to care for her only son. Two years later, she died of cancer complications at the age of 36.