Biography

She quit acting in 1986.

She made over a hundred films and recorded hundreds of songs in a career that started in the late 1940s.

Shadia also starred in three adaptations of Egyptian Nobel Laureate Naguib Mahfouz's literary works: 'El less wal kilab' (The Thief and the Dogs) (1962), 'Zouqâq al-Midaqq' (Midaq Alley), and 'Miramar' (1969). Mahfouz himself praised Shadia's portrayals of his heroines, stating "Shadia is a top-quality actress who managed to give the prose of my novels body, blood and a distinctive form.".

Shadia was an extremely versatile actress, willingly taking on roles in various genres. Her earlier films were mainly musical comedies, alongside actors like Egyptian comedy great Ismail Yassine. As the fifties ended, Shadia began taking on more serious roles in dramas, thrillers and plays. In 'El murra el maghoula' (1960s), an adaptation of Madame X, she gives one of her finest performances and convincingly portrays her co-star's mother (she was a few years younger than he). She is also known for her portrayal of Fu'ada in 'Shey min el khouf' (1969), an Egyptian classic with heavy political undertones. One of her last performances was her only play 'Raya W Sakina' about the notorious serial killers of the same name.

Shadia was also one of Egypt's singing greats. Many of her earlier movies were musical comedies which utilized this talent. She also co-starred and co-sang with Egyptian singing legend Abd El Halim Hafez in three films: ' Lahn el Wafaa' (1955), 'Dalila' (1956),and 'Mabodet el Gamahir' (1967). 'Mabodet el Gamahir' (meaning the people's idol) became one of Shadia's nicknames by the Egyptian and Arabic press. Shadia has an impressive repertoire of songs, some about love, some light-hearted, and some nationalist songs (most notably 'Ya Habibty Ya Masr' (Egypt, my beloved).