Youssef Mansour (actor)
Youssef Mansour is an Egyptian martial artist, actor, producer, and director best known for his martial arts films. Born in Cairo, he trained in the style of Kung-fu in China and America before embarking on a film career. He entered the Egyptian film industry by chance when he met director Ibrahim Afifi and was offered his first role in the movie El Agooz Wil Baltagi in 1989. He became famous in the 1990s for starring in Egyptian films that relied on martial arts, such as Qabdet El Hilaly in 1991, El Shares in 1992, and "Desert Cat" in 1995.
Early life and education
Youssef Mansour was born in Cairo in 1966. He immigrated to the US with his family when he was nine years old. He decided to study psychology and trained in the style of Kung-fu in China and America.Career
His first role in an Egyptian film was as a mute person in El Agooz Wil Baltagi, due to his difficulty speaking the Arabic language, as he lived in the US from his childhood until the age of 34.Mansour became famous in the 1990s for his Egyptian films that relied on martial arts, such as Qabdet El Hilaly and El Shares. In 2001, he presented his last film Badr, which he wrote, produced and directed, and co-starred with Miss Egypt 1999, Angie Abdalla.
Mansour is a fan of American action films. He believes the future of Egypt lies in its ability to promote a new face to revive wilting tourism and an unfavorable international image, instead of ancient civilizations and historical treasures. In 2003, it was revealed that he would produce and star in Triple I, an action-packed drama that revolves around a good-looking rescue team of seven women and three men, who will – following the pattern of such adventure-based shows – chase criminals and save lives. "I loved Baywatch and decided it was a good vehicle to promote many things in modern Egypt, to show beautiful beaches and the reefs, our underwater treasures," Mansour said regarding the series.