[1] His father was an Egyptian of Turkish origin whose family arrived in Egypt from Crete; his brother was the renowned actor Hussein Riad.
[2] After his father's death, Shafiq left his high school and moved to Sudan where he worked and also married.
Upon returning to Egypt in 1924, Shafiq met Youssef Wahbi and began his career in acting through the film "Anthem of Hope".
Thereafter, he also worked in many plays in the Fatima Rushdi Ensemble.
His performances varied between comedy and tragedy.