El-Shenawy was born in Mansura, 120 km northeast of Cairo, on December 26, 1921. He lived in the Cairo district of Sayeda Zeinab and obtained a bachelor’s degree in art. He later worked as an art teacher after joining the Arabic Music Institute.
He began his career as a film actor in 1948 by participating in the film “Ghoni Harb” (War Profiteer), which was a big success. In that same year, he appeared in two more films: “Hamamat Salam” (The Dove of Peace) and “Adalat Al-Samaa” (Justice of Heaven).  In 1965, he produced his first and only film.
During the past six decades, El-Shenawy played different roles in films and dramas. According to one report, he acted in 272 films. He was very good in romantic roles, as viewers could see his sincere love toward his wife or girlfriend.
According to critic Tareq El-Shinnawi, it was the actor’s unending desire for perfection that helped him achieve continuous success. “If stardom’s vehicle is smartness, then yes, he looked smart. If it is artistic impact, again yes, his acting made a deep impression on old and young viewers. He was a man of many talents,” said El-Shinnawi.
When he played a part, he created a beautiful portrait, full of feeling, attraction and beauty. He knew how to deal with those surrounding him and was aware of colors, nuances and dimensions. Dignity and perfection were his trademarks.
El-Shenawy did not want to take the role of a single personality. As a result, he played serious roles, putting in a lot of effort. Consequently, his performance in films such as “Hubbi Al-Waheed” (My Only Love), “Al-Maraat Al-Majhoula” (The Unknown Woman) and “Alliss Wal Kilab” (The Thief and the Dog) was excellent. During his later years he preferred a comedian’s role in most films he appeared.
El-Shenawy had announced that he had not done well in 20 films, adding that his participation in those films was a big mistake. He had played leading roles in many television series including “Dawae Amniya” (Security Reasons) Zainab Wal Arsh (Zainab and Throne) and “Awlad Hadrat Al-Nazer” (Children of Nazer). The last series he acted in was “Akhir Mishwar” (The Last Journey).
He also participated in a number of duals with Ismail Yaseen, Faten Hamama and Shadia, the beautiful actress and singer. He acted with Shadia in 32 films featuring love, social and political stories and the two thought that they could not separate. “Hamamat Salam” was his first film with Shadia. They also acted together in “Zalamuni Al-Nas” (Calumnied by People), which was produced by Hassan Al-Imam. Producers Helmi Rafla and Hassan Ramzi also brought together the two actors in a number of popular films. In most of these films, they were cast as hero and heroine and the public wholeheartedly appreciated their roles.
El-Shenawy was seen as a Don Juan in the 1950s and 1960s, as he starred with famous actresses like Shadia, Faten Hamama, Nahed El-Sherif and Samya Gamal. In fact, El-Shenawy and Shadia were a famous couple in the 50s and 60s. “His screen persona was perfectly partnered with Shadia’s sparkling nature,” said one commentator.
They were lovers in more than 30 films. The most successful were Youssef Maalouf’s comedies “Fel Hawa Sawa” (Together in Love) in 1951 and “El-Hawa Maloosh Dawa” (Love Has No Cure) in 1952.
“No other film succeeded in fully taking advantage of El-Shenawy’s talents like “El-Karnak,” Badrakhan’s harrowing adaptation of Naguib Mahfouz’ 1971 novel about Nasser’s secret police state,” one critic pointed out.
In one of the greatest screen performances in Egyptian film history, El-Shenawy played Khaled Safwan, the sadistic, smooth-talking head of Egyptian Intelligence who forces Souad Hosny and Nour El-Sherif’s idealistic students to spy on their peers.
El-Shenawy and Shadia had loved each other profoundly. Their first kiss occurred during the shooting of “Lailat Al-Hanna” in 1951. It was the first kiss for Shadia in cinema, which developed between them a kind of love affair, which lasted for several years. Although he had promised to marry her, he never did. Helmi Rafla produced a film named “Esh Al-Ghoram” in 1959 to tell their love story. Later, Shadia became angry when she learned he loved her sister, Afaf. El-Shenawy later married Afaf. But that marriage ended for unknown reasons. Then, he married belly dancer Hagar Hamdy.
Another story was his relationship with Nahed El-Sherif. She gave him plenty of tender care and devotion, but they did not get married. El-Shenawy was afraid that marriage would ruin their relationship sooner or later, although he confessed his great admiration for Nahed and the wonderful times they spent together. El-Shenawy had three wives and two sons including producer Muhammad. The second son, Alaa, died a year ago, which was a big shock, for the thespian.
El-Shenawy was also a good sculptor and artist. There are a number of marvelous paintings to his credit, and he presented most of them to his friends as gifts. He had a wish to hold an art show but could not materialize it because of his poor health.
El-Shenawy won a number of awards and accolades including the honor award, which he received from the Egyptian Catholic Center Film Festival in 1960 and the Excellence in Acting Award from the Film Society Festival in 1992. In 2006, he won another award from the Radio and Television Festival.