Today Egypt has lost one of its greatest entertainers. Fayrouz, born Perouz Artin Kalfayan, passed away today. Known mostly for her roles in films she starred in alongside groundbreaking actor/writer/director Anwar Wagdy, and immortalized on the silver screen as Dahab, Yasmin and Fayrouz Hanem, she will be dearly missed by generations.
Fayrouz rose to fame when discovered by Anwar Wagdy. Her talents in acting, singing and dancing were well employed by him in scripts that put her in the spotlight. Her wit, charisma and natural beauty garnered her the love of Egyptian audiences, and quickly she was dubbed the Wonder Child, a title that stuck by her until her final days.
As an adult, she has only starred in very few films, making the majority of her legacy the parts she played as a child. Her raw talent was supported by the actors and musicians she has worked with, and the resulting films were instant classics.
Fayrouz is of Armenian descent. And talent seems to run in her family, since actress and dancer Nelly, known for her many iconic “fawazeer”, and actress Lebleba are both relatives of hers.
Egypt’s Wonder Child will never be forgotten, tonight, Egypt mourns one of the greatest talents it has ever seen.
