Ferial Karim (; 16 April 1938 – 4 July 1988) was a Lebanese actress and singer. Ferial was introduced to show business at a very young age by her father, she garnered popular acclaim and traveled back to Lebanon where she continued performing until she died on stage at the age of fifty.
Early life Ferial Karim was born Vera Semaan to a Christian family on April 16, 1938, to Bechara, a postal office clerk and Marie, a housewife. Karim had five siblings, four girls and a brother; she received preferential treatment from her parents ever since she was diagnosed with rheumatic heart disease; she enjoyed and got away with mimicking her parents' guests and her teachers.
Karim's maternal cousin Alexandra Badran was an actress and singer who was known as Nour al-Hoda. Alexandra encouraged Karim's father Bechara to pursue a singing career for his eldest daughter Isabelle in Egypt. Bechara took both his daughters with him where the ten-year-old Karim took on the stage while a band was practicing and began singing Thuraya Helmi songs. Karim attracted attention of Egyptian movie producers and was cast as a child prodigy Ferial in Ibrahim Lama's movie Sikkat as-Salamah (The safety track); Karim adopted the nickname for her artistic career.
Marriage Karim's acting career in Cairo's Farouq theater introduced her to a Lebanese singer Mohammad Karim. In 1954, the sixteen-year-old Karim married Mohammad who was many years her senior. Mohammad quit his singing career and dedicated his life to promote Karim's talent. The couple had two children, Mona and Samir.
Career Karim and Mohammad moved to Damascus where she performed on stage for seven years before returning to Beirut where her sister Isabelle who was working in the national radio introduced her screenwriter Mohammad Chamel with whom she would have a long lasting artistic cooperation beginning with Ya mudir on the radio and ending with el-dunia heik on Lebanese national television.
Death Karim died of heart failure while performing on stage on July 4, 1988, and was buried in Saint Elias Btina church in Beirut two days later.
Filmography + Film and television Year Title Role Notes 196? Kawakeb Sabah's maid 1962 Abu Salim el Tabel Um Nasra TV series 1964 'itab 1965 Layali el Sharq 1966 Sultana 1967 Ya Saber Ayoub Sett Safi TV series 1967 Lahib al jasad 1967 Msahar Ramadan TV series 1967 Karm el hawa 1968 Funduq al ahlam Leila 1968 Siyaret el Jamiyyeh TV series 1969 Mokhtar el sabeh bahrat Um Sayyah TV series 1969 Shareh el ezz Yasmin TV series 1971 Alam al shohra 1972 Junun al morahiqat 1973 Misk w ambar 1975 Bye bye ya helwa 1975 Helwa ktir Play 1975 Ustath Ayyoub Umm Ayyoub 1976 El-dunia heik Zmorrod TV series 1983 Ayyouq w rifqato Nabiha TV series 1986 Ibrahim effendi Nadia TV series
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