Ismail Sharaf Reveals His Battle with Cancer and His Experience in "What You See is Not What It Seems"

Ismail Sharaf opened up about his struggle with cancer while filming "What You See is Not What It Seems," sharing details about his health issues, his sports career, and his acting journey.

  Sat , January 03 2026 / 11:35 PM Updated At: 2026-01-03 23:35:00

In an emotional interview on the program "El Setat Ma'arfoush Yekdabo," actor Ismail Sharaf discussed his difficult battle with cancer, which began with a significant fever that reached up to 40°C. His condition persisted for over a month until doctors diagnosed him with a stage two colon cancer, leading to a surgical procedure to remove the tumor.

Sharaf also shared insights about his early career in football, revealing that he played for Al-Maadi Club and aspired to join top clubs such as Zamalek and Al-Ahly. He spoke about the offers he received from both clubs, with Zamalek requesting his release from Al-Maadi and Al-Ahly offering a substantial financial package. Despite these opportunities, he decided to travel to Europe to pursue his football career further.

On the acting front, Sharaf starred in the Egyptian series "What You See is Not What It Seems," specifically in one of its stories, titled "A Broken Light." The series consists of seven standalone stories, each with a different team. It aired on DMC channels and on the Watch It and Shahid platforms, produced by Kareem Abu Zakry in collaboration with United Media Services.

 

Aug 15
مجدي الهواري ونور النبوي

Noor El Nabawy is preparing to begin filming “Gannet Iblis,” one of the stories in “The Full Story” series, alongside Bassem Samra, Faten Saeed and Fadwa Abed.

Aug 15
أبطال مسلسل حب ع ورق

Fans of “Love on Paper” are eagerly awaiting Episode 47 after the shocking ending of Episode 46, which left Lin and Aws trapped after part of Abdul Ghani’s house collapsed on them.

Aug 15
يسرا في فيلم الست لما مع أبطال العمل والمخرج خالد أبو غريب

Yousra returns to Egyptian cinemas with “El Set Lamma” on August 19, portraying a new character in a social drama exploring the relationship between men and women

Aug 15
كزبرة وأحمد غزي

Kozbara and Ahmed Ghazy discuss their experience in “Mahmoud El Tany,” their characters, acting ambitions, career choices, and the film’s human message