How did Hesham Selim die? Tributes pour in as Egyptian actor passes away at 64

Well-known Egyptian actor Hesham Selim recently passed away on September 22, 2022, at the age of 64. Selim had been suffering from cancer for a long time.

The news was broken on social media by Ashraf Zaki, the President of the Egyptian actors' guild and an old friend of Selim's. After seeing Selim's Instagram post, many others continued to pay tribute to him.

Selim's funeral will be held in the Greater Cairo district of Sheikh Zayed, where he used to live, according to Zaki.

Hesham Selim’s cause of death explored

Hesham Selim died of cancer after a long battle. He was diagnosed with the disease in May 2022. During a televised phone-in at the time, Selim revealed his cancer diagnosis and stated that he was living in Ain Al Sokhna, a Red Sea beach town on Cairo's outskirts.

Selim's fans were worried about him as the news spread, and while he was undergoing treatment for his health condition, many people were concerned about his health and well-being.

Zaki, his old friend, for instance, admitted in an interview two months ago that he had no contact with Selim. Selim then appeared on Al Tase'a, a national talk show stating:

Hesham Selim’s journey in the entertainment industry

Born on January 27, 1958, Hesham Selim finished his graduation from the College de la Sainte Famille. He then enrolled in London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and the High Institute of Tourism and Hotels.

Selim started his career as an actor with the film Embratoreyyet Meem in 1972 and grabbed his first lead role in Awdat Al Ibn Al Dhaal in 1976. He worked in the film and television industries for over 50 years, appearing in films and shows such as Al Nazer, Enta Omri, Harb El Gawasis, Khaina Mashroaa, Leqaa ala el-hawa, Hoanem Garden City, Arabesque, Layaly Al Helmiya, El Raya El Beeda, and more.

He then appeared on a public show supporting LGBT+ rights in Egypt in May 2020 and revealed that he has a transgender son.

Hesham was the son of Saleh Selim, a popular football player. Saleh was known as El Maestro because of the way he led the Al Ahly football team towards their victories. He worked his way up the ranks to become team manager and a member of the club's board of directors.

Despite his popularity, there is little information available about Hesham's career.

Netizens pay him tribute on Twitter

Hesham Selim became popular for his body of work in all these years. Twitter was flooded with tributes when people heard about his demise.

Hesham is survived by his wife Nadia Al Ghaleb and his three children from his first marriage to Mervat El Nahas.

About the author

Anupal is a pop culture writer at Sportskeeda with a degree in Political Science. He developed a keen interest in the lives of celebrities, films, TV shows, and box office collections since an early age. After accumulating significant experience as a content writer across varied fields at companies such as The Indian Wire, DigiStatement, and QuirkyByte Media, he eventually settled on writing about his favorite genre - pop culture.

Anupal believes in conducting in-depth research while writing about any topic and relies on varied sources to ensure he produces holistic articles. He also often glances through content that was published in the 80s and 90s to gain a better understanding of the subject he is covering.

Anupal admires Robert Downey Jr., who played one of his favorite Marvel superheroes, Iron Man. He is inspired by the actor's resilience and the determination in overcoming past struggles to building a successful Hollywood career and admires the way he articulates his thoughts while speaking in interviews.

If Anupal could travel back in time, he would love to experience James Cameron's 2009 film 'Avatar' in a theatre full of fans. When he's not busy working, he binges on the latest OTT titles across languages.

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