Somaya El Alfi: Unforgettable Roles and Continuous Attempts to Escape Stereotyping

The actress Somaya El Alfi passed away after an artistic career that included shining flashes of unforgettable roles. She collaborated with prominent stars of Egyptian drama and worked with distinguished directors and writers until she stopped working in 2010 after participating in the film "Those Days" with her son Ahmed El Fishawy.

Somaya El Alfi participated in many works, exceeding 140 productions across cinema, theater, and television. However, most of her successful and famous roles are more associated with television than any other medium. El Alfi portrayed a variety of characters, ranging from romantic and dreamy young women to strong women.

El Alfi became famous for the character of Princess Norhan in the iconic series "Layali Al Helmeya," which featured a large ensemble cast including Yehia El-Fakharany, Salah El-Saadany, Safia El-Omari, Hassan Youssef, Hesham Selim, Mamdouh Abdel Aleem, Athar El-Hakeem. The series was written by Osama Anwar Okasha and directed by Ismail Abdel Hafiz.

This was not the only princess role she played. It seems the creators saw something in Somaya El Alfi’s features that made her suitable for such roles. She also played Princess Ashraqat in the series "Bawwabat Al-Helwani," written by Mahfouz Abdel Rahman and directed by Ibrahim Al-Sahn, starring Abdullah Gaith, Ahmed Rateb, Leila Taher, Khaled El Nabawy, Hassan Hosni, and Salah Qabil. Additionally, she portrayed a princess in the play "Hekmat Hanem Almaz."

From the pattern of El Alfi’s roles, it appears she was accustomed to participating in major productions by Egyptian television, and her choices during the 1980s and 1990s were characterized by quality.

One of her most prominent roles was that of Amal Sabour in the series "Al Raya Al Bayda," starring Sanaa Gamil, Gamil Ratib, and Hesham Selim. The story involves a complex love relationship between El Alfi’s and Selim’s characters, full of confusion and turmoil. This type of relationship is common in Osama Anwar Okasha’s writings, where love relationships sometimes seem impossible. Other romantic series she participated in include "Al Hob Wal Sabbar," "Al Hayah Marra Okhra," and "Habbeitak Bel Saif."

El Alfi also participated in historical drama through the series "Al-Tabari," portraying the character Munya Al-Nafs bint Obaid Allah. She also worked in comedic drama with Mohamed Sobhi, playing the character Nesma in the famous series "Rehlet Al-Million (Sinbal)."

Despite these many roles where Somaya El Alfi often appeared as a delicate girl or a princess facing many frustrations and problems, she appeared in a completely different role at the beginning of the millennium in the series "Al Attar Wal Sabaa Banat" with Nour El Sherif, playing the character Hajja Sayeda, a domineering and strong woman who controls the lives of her husband and his second wife, causing injustice to both.

It is impossible to talk about Somaya El Alfi’s works without mentioning the projects she collaborated on with her husband Farouk El Fishawy, such as the series "Kanaria Wa Shuraka," the film "Al-Qardati," "Mashwar Omar," and "Al-Tofan."