Ahmed Muhammad Helmy Abdel Rahman Awwad (; born November 18, 1968) is an

Egyptian ''Egyptian'' describes something of, from, or related to Egypt. Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to: Nations and ethnic groups * Egyptians, a national group in North Africa ** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of year ...

actor, comedian, film producer, author, TV host and diplomat. He started his career in 1993 on the Egyptian satellite broadcast in a program called ''Leib Eyal (

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

: لعب عيّال)''. In 1998, he made his first movie ''Aboud Ala El Hedoud (

: عبود على الحدود)''.

Early life

Helmy was born in

Banha Banha ( ) is the capital of the Qalyubiyya Governorate in north-eastern Egypt. Between the capital of Cairo and the city of Tanta, Banha is an important transport hub, as rail lines from Cairo to various cities in the Nile Delta pass through it ...

Qalyubiyya Governorate Qalyubia ( ' ) is one of the governorates of Egypt, located in Lower Egypt. It is situated north of Cairo in the Nile Delta region. Its capital is Benha, Banha. Name ''Qalyubia'' is derived from the city of Qalyub, whose name is an arabization ...

. He is the middle child between 3 siblings: Khaled, Ahmed and Sally. He traveled to the Kingdom of

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

at the age of eight due to his father's work there. He lived in

Jeddah Jeddah ( ), alternatively transliterated as Jedda, Jiddah or Jidda ( ; , ), is a List of governorates of Saudi Arabia, governorate and the largest city in Mecca Province, Saudi Arabia, and the country's second largest city after Riyadh, located ...

for 10 years before returning to Egypt and studied there. In 1993 graduate of the Academy of Arts, High Institute for Theatre Art.

Career

Helmy has starred in 18 films, one series and participated in a play. He has won awards, including

Damascus International Film Festival The Damascus International Film Festival () is a biannual November film festival hosted by the government of Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It ...

Award for Best Actor, Cairo National Festival for Egyptian Cinema's Horus Award, and Best Actor award from the Biennale Festival in Paris. He has presented programs, including ''Leib Eyal'', ''Darbaka'', ''Mn Sairbah El-Bonbon'', ''Sawayet Eyal'' and ''Helmy Online''. As an actor and performer, Helmy is notable for his fast-thinking and witty comedy. His career in mainstream Egyptian film began when director

Sherif Arafa Sherif Arafa () (born on December 25, 1960) is an Egyptian director, writer and producer. He graduated from the Higher Institute of Cinema in 1982. Sharif Arafa participated in the making of many of the movies in the history of Egyptian cinema, ...

spotted him on the children's program '' Leib Eyal'' (''Kids' Play'') on the Egyptian Satellite Broadcast. Sherif found in him the comedian actor he was looking for to star his film, '' Aboud Ala El Hedoud'' (''Aboud at the Frontier''). In that film, Helmy made his first big screen appearance, co-starring alongside Alaa Wali El Din. Thereafter, he quickly made a jump to leading roles in films such as '' Omar 2000'', '' El Nazer'' (''The Headmaster''), '' Elsellem Wel Te'ban'' (''Snakes and Ladders''). In 2007, Helmy topped the Egyptian comedian market in the number of audience and revenue, mostly due to the success of his movie ''

Keda Reda Keda Reda is a 2007 Egyptian romantic comedy film starring Ahmed Helmy, Menna Shalabi. It has a very simple story about 3 identical triplets. Keda Reda stars comedian Ahmed Helmy as Semsem (an introvert), Bibo (a soccer fan) and Prince (a 1900s ...

''. Helmy was a judge on ''Arabs Got Talent'' for its third season. He joined Lebanese singer

Najwa Karam Najwa Karam (; ; born 26 February 1966) is a Lebanon, Lebanese singer, songwriter, producer, fashion icon, and television personality. She has sold over 60 million records worldwide and was recognized as the highest-selling Lebanese people, Leba ...

, Lebanese journalist, TV personality

Ali Jaber Ali Jaber () (born 1961) is a Lebanese journalist, media consultant, TV personality and the Group TV Director of MBC, the Arab world's largest satellite broadcaster. Academic and leadership Mr. Jaber completed a bachelor's degree in business ad ...

, and Saudi actor and comedian

Nasser Al Qasabi Nasser bin Qassim Al Qasabi (, born 28 November 1961 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) is a Saudi Arabian actor. He started his acting career in 1984 and is known for his various roles in the series ''Tash Ma Tash'' (Arabic: طاش ما طاش). He gr ...

. He participated in seasons 4, 5, and 6.

Work

Personal life

In 2002, Helmy married Egyptian actress

Mona Zaki Mona Ali Mohamed Zaki (; born 18 November 1976) is an Egyptian actress and producer. Early life and education Mona Ali Mohamed Zaki was born in Cairo to her parents Ali Mohamed and Tahini Zaki on 18 November 1976. Her father was a university ...

. They have 3 children. Helmy is the founder of Shadows Communications and the author of the book ''28 Harf''. He was diagnosed with cancer and was treated in 2014 by removing the tumour from a muscle in his back. Helmy has previously collaborated with the United Nations

World Food Programme The World Food Programme (WFP) is an international organization within the United Nations that provides food assistance worldwide. It is the world's largest humanitarian organization and the leading provider of school meals. Founded in 1961 ...

(WFP) to help promote its "Food for Education" project, launched in association with the " Chipsy" food products company.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Helmy, Ahmed Ambassadors of supra-national bodies Egyptian male film actors Egyptian male television actors Egyptian male stage actors Egyptian male voice actors Egyptian film producers Egyptian comedians Living people World Food Programme people 20th-century Egyptian male actors 21st-century Egyptian male actors 1968 births People from Benha Egyptian diplomats