Born on 15 March 1943, Perouz Artin Kalfayan, known as Fayrouz, was an Armenian-Egyptian child actress whose career flourished in the 1950s. She acted in over 10 films gaining the name ‘the child prodigy,’ yet quickly withdrew from the silver screen.
She first made it into the limelight at the age of seven when she starred in Yasmine (1950) alongside renowned actor Anwar Wagdy, who was also the film’s director and producer, and an artist who discovered the young star.
In fact, Wagdy played an important role in Fayrouz’s life during which she appeared in mainroles in several black and white 10 films presenting her multi-array talents as she was acting, singing and dancing. One of her most important roles was in Dahab (1953), which was also directed and produced by Wagdy.
After her marriage to the Egyptian comedian Badreddine Gamgoum in 1959, Fayrouz decided to end her career in cinema with her last movie Bafakkar fi lli Naseeni, by Hossam El Din Mostafa and Lotfy Nour Eldin.
According to Al Ahram Weekly 2015 “Fayrouz made a name for herself independently of Wagdi with Atef Salem’s Deprivation in 1953 and together with her two sisters Mervat and Nelly.”
Though her career lasted for only 10 years, spanning her childhood, she became one of the unforgettable young film stars. Many of her songs in the films are still alive until now, and are remembered by Egyptian of different generations.
In 2001, Fayrouz was honored by Cairo International Film Festival for her lifetime achievements.
In recent years, her health deteriorated and she reportedly suffered kidney and liver problems before passing away.
Fayrouz leaves behind a son and a daughter.
