Hesham Saleh Selim (January 27, 1958 - September 22, 2022) was an Egyptian film and television actor. He graduated from the High Institute of Tourism and Hotels in Cairo and later studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Hesham was the son of Saleh Selim, an Egyptian football legend and former president of Al Ahly Sporting Club. His sister-in-law was the iconic actress and singer Yousra.
He began his acting career at the age of 12, playing one of Faten Hamama’s children in Empire M (1972). Four years later, he played a lead role in Youssef Chahine’s Return of the Prodigal Son (1976), which embedded in him a passion for acting for the rest of his life. Selim acted in many TV shows, among them El Helmeya Nights (1987-1995), Arabesque (1994), and The White Flag (1988). He has appeared in many known films such as Alexandria Again and Forever (1989), The Puppeteer (1989), and Land of Dreams (1993). In the wake of the 2011 Egyptian revolution, Selim became the host of the talk show Hiwar Al Qahira (Cairo Dialogue), a weekly program featuring live discussions with guests on political, social, and economic issues on Sky News Arabia in 2012.
On May 5, 2020, he spoke on television about having a transgender son, in a rare public show of support for LGBT+ rights in Egypt. This segment and Selim’s acceptance of his son Nour in a country where gender issues remain taboo have won praise on social media, with many applauding Selim for his position and his decision to speak about it on Egyptian television.
Hesham Selim passed away at 64 after a long battle with lung cancer. He is survived by two daughters and a son.
