Born to a Coptic Orthodox family in Minya Governorate, she moved to Cairo to pursue her acting career and changed her name to Sanaa Gamil. One of her most notable roles was Nefisah in front of Omar Sharif in the movie Bidaya wa nihaya (A Beginning and an End) directed by Salah Abouseif in 1960. The movie was based on a novel with the same name by the Nobel Prize winner Naguib Mahfouz. Sanaa Gamil won the best supporting actress award at the Moscow Film Festival in 1961 for her role in this movie. Not only a movie actress, but more importantly one of the best Egyptian theater actresses. She has also played a number of roles on the French Stage for La Comedie Francaise. She was married to the famous Egyptian journalist Louis Greiss and had no children. She also acted in a number of TV series like Oyoun (Eyes) with Fuad Al Mohandes, and in a number of plays such as The Visit with Gamil Rateb
Dawn of a New Day
(Nayla)
The Great Clown
Mr. K
أحلام الربيع
Good News
(Noura نورا)
The Cursed
(baheria)
The Second Wife
(Hafiza حفيظة)
The Impossible
(فاطمة)
The Lady on the Train
(Afaf)
الأم القاتلة
The Sky Devils
(Head Nurse)
The Basement
Iidini eaqlak
(Bahiga)
Adam and Eve
(Magdy Siddiq Sami's fiancée)
Marret El-ayam
The Lady from Cairo
April Fool
في شرع مين
شريك حياتى
(سهير)
Zeinab
(مسعودة)
Your Wisdom, God!
A Beginning and an Ending
(نفيسة)
Smile, The Photo Comes Out Better
(Sayed's Mother)
The Lady's Driver
(لطيفة هانم شوكت باشا)
Have Mercy
Nessa Khalf Al Qodban
I'll Never Cry
(Samiha)
Nisaa Fi Hayaty
Al Shaytan wal Kharif
Money slaves
(فتاة المنحلة بالكباريه)
The Unknown
(Om Nagy)
Al-Shakk ya Habibi
(بهيجة)
Ana Wi Habibi
(Fake Lover)
توحيدة
Ya Zalemni
Back Streets
Belal Moa'zen Al-Rasool
(زوجة المرابي اليهودي)
زهرة الصبار
(الآنسة جيهان)
No Tears
Nahed
(Gamalat)
Heart of Gold
(Awsaf)
الحب وسنينه
قلوب فقدت الحب
إصلاحية جبل الليمون
Aunt Safiya & the Monastery
An Escape Night
اللعبة المجنونة
The White Flag
(فضة المعداوي)
Saken Osady
(سلوى)
Eyes
أزواج لكن غرباء