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CAIRO: One of the most famous comedians in Egypt, Samir Ghanem (84), died in hospital on Thursday of a coronavirus (COVID-19).

Ghanem wore many hats – he was an actor, entertainer, and most importantly, a comedian.

His career spanned six decades and his many roles made him a household name.

He will be best remembered for his role as beloved Fatota, a short man in a light green oversized suit and large yellow shoes who first hosted Ramadan Riddles (Fawazeer) in 1982.

Ghanem was first known in the 1960s as a member of the stand-up comedy trio Tholathy Adwa’a El-Masrah (Stage Lights Trio) with comedians George Sidhom and El Deif Ahmed.

One of Ghanem’s most notable roles was Masoud in the 1978 drama Al-Motazawegoon (The Married Couples) directed by Hassan Abd Al-Salam with Sidhom, a member of the Stage Lights Trio.

He starred alongside actress Elham Shahin in 1985 in Goha Yahkom Al-Madina (Goha rules the city) and in 1995 in Bahlool Fi Istanbul (Bahlool in Istanbul).

“Samir Ghanem was an unprecedented comedian I worked with on the ‘Hekayet Mizo’ series, which led to my success,” said Sami Fahmy, Ghanem’s co-star on the 1977 TV show Hekayet Mizo ( The Story) by Mizo).

“Samir was a person with a high degree of humility and my days with him were some of the happiest days of my life,” Fahmy told local news outlets.

“Today I lost a friend and a wonderful comedian who will never be replaced. The world will never forget Samir Ghanem. “

Many celebrities have mourned Ghanem’s death on their social media accounts.

Actor Adel Emam has shared two pictures with Ghanem on his Instagram account, one of them from the age of black and white television and another recent picture with the title: “Goodbye Samir … Goodbye, my love … I will miss you so much.”

Egyptian culture minister Ines Abdel-Dayem said the Arab world has lost an icon who created works full of joy and humor. She said his distinctive style had attracted the public for decades.

Ghanem was born on January 15, 1937 and graduated from the Faculty of Agriculture at Alexandria University. After meeting Sidhom and Ahmed, they formed the famous Trio, a comedy singing group that has participated in several hit films and plays.

He has received a number of awards for his achievements, including the Faten Hamama Honorary and Excellence Award 2017 for his contribution to Egyptian cinema at the Cairo International Film Festival.

Ghanem’s wife, actress Dalal Abdel Aziz, is also being hospitalized after being infected with COVID-19.

His two daughters Donia and Amy will continue his legacy of making Egyptians laugh through their performances.