Today marks the 92nd birthday of legendary Egyptian actor and comedian Fouad el-Mohandes (1924–2006). The son of esteemed Egyptian linguist Zaki Mohandes, el-Mohandes got an early start performing on stage as a child. He later decided to leave business school to follow in the footsteps of his idol, actor Naguib el-Rihani, launching his professional career on the radio program “Sa’a li-Qalbak.”

Over the next five decades, el-Mohandes performed in dozens of plays, TV shows, and motion pictures. He co-starred with then-wife Shwikar in many of his most popular films, and gained fame for his role as “Mr. X” in two movies about “the most dangerous man in the world.” El-Mohandes was also famous for his trademark black-rimmed glasses.