Veteran Egyptian actor Mohamed El Tagy dies at 72 after illness

Dubai: Egyptian actor Mohamed El Tagy died on Sunday at the age of 72 after a period of illness, ending a decades-long career spanning television, cinema and theatre, Egyptian media reported.

A source at Egypt's Actors Syndicate confirmed his death, saying El Tagy had suffered from several health problems in recent months. He underwent critical spinal surgery several weeks ago.

His family said funeral prayers would be held on Monday at Al Thawra Mosque in Cairo's Salah Salem area, followed by burial. El Tagy, the grandson of prominent Egyptian actor Abdel Warith Assar, came from a family with deep roots in the country's performing arts.

He previously spoke about his grandfather's influence on his career, saying he had spent considerable time with Assar during the final years of his life and would read scripts and other works to him as his eyesight deteriorated. The experience helped steer him towards acting.

El Tagy built a long career portraying a wide range of dramatic, comic and social characters, becoming a familiar face to Egyptian television and cinema audiences.

His most recent television appearance was in the series "Baba Wa Mama Giran", which was broadcast during the latest Ramadan season.

In the period before his death, El Tagy had been the subject of repeated false reports claiming that he had died, prompting his family to issue several denials. The reports had affected his morale, according to the account of his final months.

News of his death prompted expressions of grief on social media, with viewers and colleagues recalling his long contribution to Egyptian drama and cinema.