Egyptian actor Youssef Shaaban dies after contracting Covid-19

Beloved 'Miracle' actor dies in Cairo, aged 89

Egyptian actor Youssef Shaaban has died of Covid-19 complications aged 89. AFP 

Celebrated Egyptian actor Youssef Shaaban has died aged 89.

His family said that he was taken to hospital in Cairo on Tuesday last week after contracting Covid-19.

Shaaban was best known for his roles in films There is a Man in our House (1961), The Miracle (1962) and Cairo (1963). Later in his career he made his way into TV dramas, soaps and theatre. Between film and television roles, he appeared in more than 250 productions throughout his career.

Born in Shubra, Egypt, on July 16, 1931, Shaaban's career launched in 1958 after attending the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts, part of Egypt's Academy of Arts, in Cairo. His first movie role was in 1961's There is a Man in our House, opposite Omar El Sharif and Rushdy Abaza.

In 2017, Shaaban announced his retirement.

He was first admitted to Dokki Hospital, Cairo, but was later moved to the Agouza Hospital in the Egyptian capital, where he died.

On February 24, his daughter Iman Shaaban confirmed to ET Bil Arabi he had been hospitalised, at the time she said her father remained stable but was breathing through a ventilator.

Egyptian actor Ashraf Zaki has paid tribute to Shaaban in a post, saying: "Goodbye my mentor, my friend, my beloved."