Ameen al-Heneidi

Ameen al-Heneidi (b. October 1, 1925; d. June 3, 1986)

Birth name

Mahmoud Ameen al-Heneidi

Place of birth

Mansoura, Daqahliyah, Egypt

He was a comedian, whose humor showed in all his work, on stage, on the screen and on the radio.

Al-Heneidi was born to a father who worked in Kutab (a one-class school where only the Holy Quran would be memorized). Early in his childhood years, he would do imitations of the comic monologues of Ismail Yassein and Soraya Helmi. Due to the nature of his father's work, he was forced to move from one governorate to another.

Having finally arrived in Cairo Heneidi enrolled in the Shubra Secondary School, and joined the School Acting Group. Later on he would move between colleges only to settle down in the Institute of Sports and Athletic Training.

After graduation, he worked in Sudan. There he met stand-up comedian Mohammad Ahmad al-Masri (aka Abu-Lam'a). Heneidi took up acting as a profession after he returned home, and after he met comedian Abdul-Men'eim Madbouli and script-writer Youssef Ouf. Together they contributed to the program "An Hour for Your Heart". Heneidi's impersonation of Sheikh Hassan in the play Shafiqa al-Qebteya launched him into the acting profession.

Heneidi formed his theatrical group under the name "United Artists" which staged around 20 plays.

Heneidi gave very little attention to the silver screen, the stage being his ultimate passion.

In 1956, he received a Diploma from the Preparing Leaders Academy.