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- Stephanie was born in Cairo to an Austrian diplomat and a Syrian painter. They relocated to a different country every 3-4 years. She's lived in Egypt, Romania, Italy, Austria, Sri Lanka, Scotland, Jordan, and the US. Her middle name, pronounced "Noor", is the Arabic word for "light, brightness". She speaks fluent Arabic, German, Italian and English.
Nur graduated from the University of Stirling in Scotland with an MSc in Psychology with Honours, completing the master's degree in three years instead of five.
In 2011, she worked for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Jordan, tasked with aiding the humanitarian response to the Syrian refugee crisis.
She started acting in the small theaters of Vienna, and was cast in her first film role in, Risse im Beton (Cracks in Concrete). The film was nominated at the Berlinale Film Festival, and also received an Austrian Film Academy Award in 2014.
Stephanie was cast in a supporting guest role in Taylor Sheridan's western drama series, 1883, opposite Sam Elliot. Sheridan cast her again in Special Ops: Lioness, this time with a major series-regular role in the successful CIA drama. She gained much praise and an ardent fan-base from her role as Aaliyah in Special Ops: Lioness. That same year she also received international recognition for starring in the third installment of the classic franchise, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3.
In between jobs, she also translates scripts, subtitles, treatments and festival submissions, for film production companies in Europe. - Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Omar Sharif, the Egyptian actor best known for playing Sherif Ali in Lawrence of Arabia (1962) and the title role in Doctor Zhivago (1965), was born Michel Demitri Shalhoub on April 10, 1932 in Alexandria, Egypt to Joseph Shalhoub, a lumber merchant, and his wife, Claire (Saada). Of Lebanese and Syrian extraction, the young Michel was raised Catholic. He was educated at Victoria College in Alexandria and took a degree in mathematics and physics from Cairo University with a major. Afterward graduating from university, he entered the family lumber business.
Before making his English-language film debut with "Lawrence of Arabia", for which he earned a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award nomination and international fame, Sharif became a star in Egyptian cinema. His first movie was the Egyptian film The Blazing Sun (1954) ("The Blazing Sun") in 1953, opposite the renowned Egyptian actress Faten Hamamah whom he married in 1955. He converted to Islam to marry Hamama and took the name Omar al-Sharif. The couple had one child (Tarek Sharif, who was born in 1957 and portrayed the young Zhivago in the eponymous picture) and divorced in 1974. Sharif never remarried.
Beginning in the 1960s, Sharif earned a reputation as one of the world's best known contract bridge players. In the 1970s and 1980s, he co-wrote a syndicated newspaper bridge column for the Chicago Tribune. Sharif also wrote several books on bridge and has licensed his name to a bridge computer game, "Omar Sharif Bridge", which has been marketed since 1992. Sharif told the press in 2006 that he no longer played bridge, explaining, "I decided I didn't want to be a slave to any passion any more except for my work. I had too many passions, bridge, horses, gambling. I want to live a different kind of life, be with my family more because I didn't give them enough time.".
As an actor, Sharif had made a comeback in 2003 playing the title role of an elderly Muslim shopkeeper in the French film Monsieur Ibrahim (2003). For his performance, he won the Best Actor Award at the Venice Film Festival and the Best Actor César, France's equivalent of the Oscar, from the Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma.
Diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2012, Sharif died of a heart attack on July 10, 2015, in Cairo, Egypt.- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Alex Proyas has moved effortlessly between helming TV commercials and music videos to feature films. Born to Greek parents in Egypt, Proyas relocated to Australia with his family when he was three years old. He began making films at age ten and went on to attend the Australian Film Television and Radio School along with Jane Campion and Jocelyn Moorhouse. Proyas collaborated with Campion on two of her shorts, A Girl's Own Story (1984), for which he wrote and performed a song, and Passionless Moments (1983), which he photographed. Proyas' own short, Groping (1980), had earned him some attention at festival screenings in Sydney and London. Also while still a student, the enterprising novice formed Meaningful Eye Contact, a production company. Spirits of the Air: Gremlins of the Clouds (1987) marked Proyas' feature debut as director and screenwriter. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, the film, with its stylized production design and aural texture, was atypical of standard Australian fare, more closely resembling a longform music video. Critics admired the director's vision, but felt the overall result was lacking. Proyas continued to hone his craft helming TV advertisements for products like Nike, Nissan and Swatch (earning kudos from advertising associations in both Australia and England) and directing videos for such artists as Sting, INXS and Crowded House. In 1993 Proyas was tapped to helm the screen adaptation of James O'Barr's comic strip The Crow (1994). During production, star Brandon Lee died of an accidental gunshot wound (ironically, the film's story revolves around his character's resurrection). His death cast a pall over the remainder of the filming and its subsequent theatrical release, although reviews were generally favorably, most singling out the production values which created a colorless rain-soaked wasteland that invoked comparisons with Ridley Scott's seminal Blade Runner (1982) and Tim Burton's Batman (1989). Made for about $14 million, it grossed close to $50 million domestically. Proyas seemed set to move on to other projects and was announced as the director of Casper (1995), but left the project and was replaced by Brad Silberling. After a four-year absence he returned with another thriller, Dark City (1998), about an amnesiac who may or may not have been a serial killer. Garage Days (2002) marked Proyas' return to his homeland, Australia: the movie tells the story of a young Sydney garage band desperately trying to make it big in the competitive world of rock 'n' roll. In 2004 Proyas returned to Hollywood: he directed I, Robot (2004), a science-fiction film suggested by the 'Isaac Asimov' short story compilation of the same name that starred Will Smith. It was a box office success, but met with mixed reactions by readers and fans of the Asimov stories.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Mena was born in Cairo, Egypt and raised in Markham, Ontario, Canada. He attended the University of Toronto for Neuroscience before transferring to Ryerson University's notable theater program and graduating with a BFA in acting. He got his first big break starring in ABC Spark & Teen Nick's mystery-drama television series "Open Heart" as "Jared Malik."
After several years of acting in high-profile television and film projects, Massoud went on to star as "Tarek Kassar" in the highly-anticipated series "Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan".
In 2018 it was announced that, after an extensive worldwide search and multiple auditions, he had landed the coveted role of "Aladdin" in the Disney live-action remake of "Aladdin," directed by Guy Ritchie.
After leading "Aladdin" to the highly coveted $1 Billion Dollar mark at the box office, Massoud went on to star in Netflix's "The Royal Treatment" which became its #1 film worldwide for several weeks in a row in 2022.
Outside of acting, he's passionate about staying active and healthy. Sports like basketball have always been an important part of his life. During his high-school years, he was a member of the Ontario Basketball Association. He also has a passion for recreational horseback riding and the environment.- Actor
- Producer
Zeeko Zaki was born on 18 January 1990 in Alexandria, Egypt. He is an actor and producer, known for Six (2017), 24: Legacy (2016) and Stuck in Love. (2012).- Writer
- Actor
- Producer
Julian Fellowes was born on 17 August 1949 in Cairo, Egypt. He is a writer and actor, known for Gosford Park (2001), Downton Abbey (2010) and From Time to Time (2009). He has been married to Emma Joy Kitchener-Fellowes since 28 April 1990. They have one child.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Amr Waked was born in Cairo, Egypt in 1972. He studied economics and theatre in the American University in Cairo. In his early experience as an actor Amr joined the Temple Theatre Troop in 1994, and Yaaru Theatre Troop in 1999, where he trained and developed his tools as a stage performer.
With his experience onstage, Waked managed to film his first role on the big screen in 1998 when he joined Ossama Fawzy's of "Gannet El Shayateen". Waked's award winning performance paved his way to become a popular actor famous for his gravity and vast range.
In 2003, Waked joined Stephen Gegan's cast of Syriana, which was his first appearance in an international film. His performance was acclaimed and presented him with other opportunities in international productions, like House Of Saddam and Salmon Fishing In The Yemen.
In 2005, Amr co-established "zad communication & production llc" to begin his experience as a producer. The communication agency and production house was to focus on developmental and social issues in Egypt and the Middle East. In 2012, zad produced its first feature film "Winter Of Discontent", directed by Ibrahim El Batout, which opened in the 69th Venice Film Festival in 2012.- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Amir El-Masry is a British award-winning actor. Born in Cairo, raised in London, after a chance meeting with the late Omar Sharif, Amir has had leading roles in Egyptian films, earning him Best Young Actor at the Egyptian Oscars in 2009 and national acclaim.
Shortly after graduating from LAMDA in 2013, Amir appeared in Jon Stewart's debut feature Rosewater. He has since starred in various critically acclaimed projects, establishing himself as an emerging British talent.
His breakout role came in early 2016 in the critically acclaimed mini-series "The Night Manager" alongside Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Laurie and Olivia Colman for BBC and AMC.
Other notable credits include Woody Harrelson's live feature, "Lost in London," the critically acclaimed BAFTA nominated mini-series "The State," series regular role of Dante in the new BBC series "Age Before Beauty" and the lead in the first American Saudi feature "The Arabian Warrior" (aka "SHOOT").- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Born in Egypt to Armenian parents, he was raised in Western Canada. Both his parents were painters, and he planned to be a playwright, but after making a short film, he became hooked on telling stories visually. Returned to ethnic "homeland" when he filmed Calendar (1993) in Armenia. Won attention at the Sundance Film Festival for earlier work, then broke through critically and commercially with Exotica (1994). Afterwards, The Sweet Hereafter (1997) led him to receive two Academy Award nominations, and then Chloe (2009) became his biggest moneymaker ever (after the film's DVD/Blu-ray release).- Born in Egypt and raised in Germany, Hamada stumbled into acting following a sports injury which led him to study at the Oxford School of Drama in England where his love for the arts and theatre grew. He was cast in plays such as, Spinning Into Butter, Hamlet and Guantanamo at The West End and The Royal Court Theater in England. As Hamada continued his work in theatre, he started to dabble his way into film and television and appeared in the film Sky Captain and The World of Tomorrow alongside Angelina Jolie. He then landed his first TV break in the mini-series "Path to 9/11" alongside Harvey Keitel and Donnie Wahlberg and soon became a series regular on "State of Mind" which paved the way for roles in critically-acclaimed shows, such as "Homeland" and "24" and the mini-series "The Dovekeepers". Hamada portrays Eammon on NBC's "Emerald City" and will appear next on the Starz upcoming series "Counterpart," an espionage thriller with a metaphysical twist. He is an avid Dahn-yogi and is also involved with "The Wolf Connection." a youth empowerment program and wolf dog sanctuary.
- From his first foray into acting in AWQAT FARAGH (2006), Ahmed Hatem managed to stand out as an exceptionally prominent talent. Tracing the lives of a group of perplexed teenagers, Hatem played the role of Hazem, for which he was recommended by acting coach Mohamed Abdel Hadi.
The film eventually earned widespread audience and critical acclaim and made Hatem a first-rate pick for directors, including Sherif Arafa, Ahmed Nader Galal, Othman Abo Labn, Hadi El-Bagouri, Peter Mimi, Mohamed Gamal Al-Adl, and Hussein El-Menbawy.
Hatem's outstanding acting skills allowed him to pick diverse roles, building up an extensive repertoire full of successful works. These include the thriller AL MARKIB (2011), and the sci-fi comedy EL GHASSALA, which marked his second collaboration with Hana El-Zahed after the romantic film LOVE STORY (2019).
He also played the role of a hacker in EL HARAM EL RABE'A (2016) and joined the cast of Sherif Arafa's series of historical films THE TREASURE in 2017 and 2019.
Hatem worked on a number of successful TV series as well, such as VERTIGO (2012) and IBN HALAL (2014). He also stirred a huge buzz with his memorable performance as a young Jew in the TV hit HARET EL YAHOUD in 2015. Additionally, he starred opposite superstar Youssra in a number of TV hits - FO'K MOSTAWA ELSHOBOHAT (2016), and LADAYNA AKWALON OKHRA (2018).
In 2017, Hatem starred in HALAWAT AL DOUNIA alongside Hend Sabry and Dhafer L'Abidine, and in the following year, he worked on RASA'EL. After that, he worked on the Shahid original TV drama SHAQA 6: AL-AIN AL-THALITHA with Ruby. In 2021, he worked on the second season of LEH LA'A opposite Menna Shalaby and starred in Hadi El-Bagouri's AMAR 14 - which held its world premiere at the fifth edition of the El Gouna Film Festival - along with the romantic comedy AROUSTY. Then, in 2022, he worked on the 15-episode series ANA W HEYYA, which was directed by Sameh Abdelaziz and written by Mostafa Hamdi and aired on CBC and Watch It.
Hatem's most recent works include Yasser Samy's EL MATAREED, Mando El-Adl's YEHIA, Amr Salah's ASHIQ, and Ahmed Nader Galal's war film EL SERB, in which he plays a fighter pilot in the Egyptian Air Force. He also recently wrapped up shooting Samir Habchi's HASSAN EL MASRY alongside Diamand Abou Abboud. The film is set to release soon in theaters.
Aside from his glamorous acting career, Hatem achieved a new milestone in the world of sports as a swimmer among Egypt's national swimming team, breaking the Guinness World Record for the 100 x 50m swimming relay. On the humanitarian side, Hatem is keen on taking part in different charity activities in collaboration with the UNHCR, including participating in initiatives to support refugees by visiting their camps.
Furthermore, in Ramadan 2020, he partnered with the UNHCR to launch the Arabeit Elkheir (Car of Good) Initiative, which offered hot meals to impoverished people, refugees, and asylum seeks on the streets of Cairo following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the following Ramadan season, he expanded the initiative and brought in Uber as an additional partner to provide daily Iftar meals for several families sourced from the donations of individuals, companies, and food providers throughout the holy month. Finally, Hatem was recently appointed as the British Embassy in Cairo's social affairs ambassador to represent the For Her, With Her Fund - a sub-fund of the UK Conflict Stability and Security Fund. - Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Faten Hamama (known as "The Lady of the Arabic Screen") has become an icon and the most important actress of Egyptian and Arabic cinema. She is also the most honored actress in the Middle East. Every decade of her life represents a new era of acting and witnessed the reshaping and progression of Egyptian cinema. The progress in her different characters when she started as a child in 1938 until today parallels the progress that modern Egyptian women have made during the 20th century and their interaction with the public, culture or political life. During the celebration of 100 years of Egyptian cinema on 1996, she was chosen as the country's most important actress, and 18 of her films were selected as among the best 150 made to that time. It was no surprise that in 2000 the Egyptian Organization of Critics and Writers named her the Star of the Century.
She was born in 1931 in Elmansoura, Egypt, the daughter of Ahmed Hamama, an employee of the Egyptian Ministry of Knowledge. Her legendary journey started as a secret statement between a six-year-old girl and her father after they watched a film in their neighborhood theater, at which leading actress and producer Asya Dagher was present. Faten told her father that she felt the audience was applauding for her as the leading actress, and her father gave her a hug with a vision of helping his daughter to become a movie star. She won a contest for the most beautiful child in Egypt, and her dad sent her picture to director Muhammad Karim (a pioneer of Egyptian cinema). Karim was looking for a child for his new film with Egyptian musician Mohamed Abdel Wahab. Faten auditioned for and got a role in this movie, Yom said (1940) ("A Happy Day"). She impressed the filmmakers so much during shooting that she was actually given more lines and scenes in the picture than were originally scripted for her. Karim put her under contract, and four years later he gave her a role in a film with Mohamed Abdel Wahab again, Russassa fil kalb (1944) ("A Bullet in the Heart"). With her third movie with Karim, Dunia (1946), Faten showed filmmakers and audiences alike that she was was an actress ready for bigger roles. Her father, along with her family, moved to Cairo to help her in her career. She also began studying her craft at the High Institute of Acting in 1946.
With actor and director Youssef Wahbi (known as the dean of Egyptian theater), Faten started a new stage of her career, in melodramas. Yousef saw her talent in Karim's movies and was able to showcase it to even better advantage in his next film, Malak al rahma (1946) ("The Angel of Mercy"), in which she played his daughter. Although only 15 years old at the time, it was generally agreed that she stole the film. This teenager was soon the talk of the Egyptian cinema, and her star hasn't set since then. She made more films with Wahby, such as Confession Chair (1949) ("The Chair of Confession"), in which she played a lover of the cardinal's brother who mistakenly goes to jail for her father's murder. She had another box-office hit with El yatimatain (1948) ("The Two Orphans"), followed by a successful comedy of the travails of a wife and her mother in law in Sitt el beit (1949) ("The Lady of the House"). She was the favorite of novelists because she could attract the best writers and directors to a project, and it wasn't soon before her name alone would pretty much guarantee success for whatever film she was in.
The 1950s brought new directors to Egyptian cinema and was the beginning of what was to become known as "The Golden Age of Egyptian Cinema". Faten appeared in a number of films by these new directors, such as Salah Abouseif's first realism picture, Laka yom ya zalem (1951) ("Your Day Will Come"), which was a box-office hit and was shown at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival in France. She appeared in such successful films as El tarik el masdud (1958) ("The Barred Road") and won a Best Actresss award for her performance in the romantic political movie La wakta lil hub (1963) ("No Time for Love"). She also supported director Youssef Chahine in his first movie, Baba Amin (1950), then again in his even more successful The Blazing Sun (1954), a realistic work that was also featured at the Cannes Film Festival (Youssef is on record as saying that Faten is his favorite actress and the best Egyptian actress of all time).
She also worked with director Kamal El-Shaikh in his first movie, which introduced the mystery genre to Egyptian cinema, House No. 13 (1952) ("House No. 13"), and again in Lan aataref (1961) ("I Will Not Confess"). Their film Last Night (1963) ("Last Night") captured at least 10 awards in the 1965 national competition and was also shown at the Cannes festival. She excelled at comedy, as evidenced by her astonishing role in El-Ustazah Fatmah (1952) as lawyer Fatma. She also worked closely with two other directors of this period, Ezz El Dine Zulficar and Henry Barakat, and made successful films with both. In fact, she married Zulficar in 1947 while shooting Abu Zeid el Hilali (1947). He was known as the king of "romantic" movies and together they worked to further that vision, as in Khulud (1948) ("Immortality") by Ezz El-Dine Zulficar. They formed a production company and made Moawad ma al hayat (1953) ("Appointment with Life") also directed by Ezz El Dine Zulficar, which was voted movie of the year and received both critical and box-office success (it was this film that caused critics to name her the "Lady of the Arabic Screen", a title she has kept to this day). Faten soon became the highest-paid actress in Egyptian cinema, and remained so until her final feature, Ardh el-Ahlam (1993) ("Land of Dreams") and TV series, Wagh el qamar (2000) ("Face of the Moon"). More successful romantic roles with Ezzel Dine followed, such as Mawad ma al saada (1954) ("Appointment with Happiness"). It was during this period that Ezz El-Dine Zulficar made his famous quote about Faten: "The distance between Faten and the next runner-up is like the distance between 1 and 10". Although they were divorced in 1954, and Faten married Omar Sharif in 1955, she and Ezz El Dine Zulficar continued to make films together, many of which are considered classics of Egyptian romantic cinema, such as Bain el atlal (1959) ("Among the Ruins") and what many consider their masterpiece, Nahr el hub (1960) ("The River of Love"), their version of Lev Tolstoy's great story "Anna Karenina", opposite Omar Sharif, and the two became one of the classic romantic couples of Egyptian cinema, appearing again in Our Best Days (1955) ("Our Best Days"), Sayedat el kasr (1958) ("Lady of the Castle"), Sleepless (1957) ("Sleepless") and The Blazing Sun (1954) ("Struggle in the Valley"). Sharif and Faten divorced on 1974. He made what became a famous statement about Faten, that he only married once because he only loved once, and that was Faten.
Director Henry Barakat specialized in musical romantic movies, social commentary and women's rights in society. During the making of Lahn al khouloud (1952) ("Immortal Song"), they developed a close professional bond, and Barakat used Faten to explore all his talent and all his visions. The success of the romantic musical Lahn al khouloud (1952) that became the movie of the year challenged both of them to make more successful musical romantic films, which they did with such pictures as Daiman maak (1954) ("With You Forever") and Mawad gharam (1956) ("Appointment with Love"). IT was with Barakat that Fatan made her most famous and beloved picture, with her role as Ammna in The Nightingale's Prayer (1959) ("The Nightingale's Prayer"), which describes differences between revenge and culture through a romantic story. It was nominated for Best Film at Berlin's International Film Festival and almost made it to the Oscars in the US. This film was chosen as one of best ten movies ever made in Egypt. After this picture Faten made several more films that promoted women's rights in society and created more cultural awareness, such as El bab el maftuh (1963) ("The Open Door"), for which she received the Best Actress award at the Jakarta (Indonesia) International Film Festival. One year later they did it again in El haram (1965) ("The Sin"), which was shown at the Cannes festival that year and was chosen as one of best five movies ever made in Egypt. Faten and Barakat continued their journey together through decades for more outstanding roles as The Thin Thread (1971) ("The Thin Thread"), Mouths and Rabbits (1977) ("Mouths and Rabbits"); Faten won Best Actress awards from two international festival for her role in this movie, and it was the highest-grossing Egyptian film ever made until that time. Their last picture together was a remarkable hit, Leilet al quabd al Fatma (1984) ("The Night of Fatma's Arrest"). Their journey was crowned by a lifetime achievement award for their films together from the Montpellier International Film Festival on 1993. Barakat's was quoted as saying, "If I could get Faten in my films, I will guarantee us the best picture".
Faten left Egypt from 1966-1971 because she resisted political pressure that was applied to her. She divided her time between Lebanon and London, England. During this period Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser asked some prominent critics and writers to try to persuade her to return to Egypt, saying that "Faten Hamama is a national treasure". Her return to Egypt on 1971 breathed life back into Egyptian cinema. She insisted that her films reflect the values of the society through the family relationships. Her first film upon return was Sahera (1971) with Salah Zulfikar. Her role in Imberaturiyyat Mim (1972) ("Empire M") as a widow with six children and the struggles she endured to raise them made the film a success both critically and financially, and she earned a special award from an organization of Soviet Union women when the film was shown at the Moscow International Film Festival. Her film Orid hallan (1975) ("I Need a Solution") which was produced by Salah Zulfikar was not only a big hit but resulted in changes to Egyptian marriage and divorce laws. Faten won the Best Actress award at the Cairo International Film Festival and a Prize of Recognition at the Teheran (Iran) Film Festival. She continued to make films that commented on society, such as Oghneyat elmoot (1973) ("The Song of Death"), Ualla azae lel sayedat (1979) ("No Condolences for Ladies"), Bad Day Good Day (1988) ("Bitter Days, Sweet Days") and her last feature, Ardh el-Ahlam (1993) ("Land of Dreams"), and her TV series, Conscience of Teacher Hikmat (1991) ("The Consciousness of Teacher Hekmat") and Wagh el qamar (2000) ("The Face of the Moon"), which was shown in 23 countries in the Middle East.
Faten Hamama is the fourth Pyramid in Egyptian cinema, a legend in her platinum anniversary, the diamond that remained shining and kept its glowing over the decades on the silver screen.- Actor
- Soundtrack
He is a graduate of the faculty of agriculture. He started his career in cinema in several films with actor Salah Zulfikar in 1960s, such as Talat loussuss (1966), Marti, mudir aam (1966) and Afrit merati (1968). Then he became more popular in theaters for his role in Madrasat Al Moshaghebin (School of Rascals). He became more famous in the 1970s for his comedic roles in Al-bahth an fadiha (1973) (Search for a scandal) and Khalli Balek min Aalak (Take care of your brain). He started to play far more serious roles in the 1980s. He is now one of the highest paid actors in Egypt.- Actor
- Composer
- Additional Crew
Sammy Sheik was born in Alexandria, Egypt. His passion for acting drove him to leave home shortly after high school and move to New York to study theatre. He soon landed his first film role in the Albert Brooks' satire comedy "Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World", playing Al-Jazeera executive "Mukhtar Al-Mujib." Sheik followed this with memorable roles in both film and television including recurring roles on Homeland, 24, United States of Tara and roles on Nikita, The Unit, NCIS and Lost, among others. Sheik's film credits include Attack On Darfur, Transformers: Dark of the Moon and Charlie Wilson's War among others. In 2012, ten years after leaving Egypt, Sheik finally returned to work on a series called "Hekayat Banat", which heralds the beginning of his rising international career. In addition to his acting career, in 2010 Sheik was appointed goodwill ambassador to the Middle East for Y-Peer, a youth education network, pioneered by the United Nations Population Fund. Sheik travels the world on behalf of the organization which is active in more than 36 countries.- Patricia Healy was born in Cairo, Egypt. She is an actress, known for The Bodyguard (1992), Heat (1995) and Babylon 5 (1993). She has been married to Sergio Terrazas Torres since 3 July 2003.
- Damien Thomas was born on 11 April 1942 in Ismailia, Egypt. He is an actor, known for The Message (1976), Never Let Me Go (2010) and Shogun (1980).
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Nicola Pagett was born on 15 June 1945 in Cairo, Egypt. She was an actress, known for An Awfully Big Adventure (1995), There's a Girl in My Soup (1970) and Anne of the Thousand Days (1969). She was married to Graham Swannell. She died on 3 March 2021 in London, England, UK.- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Youssef Chahine (born in Alexandria, Egypt, 1926) started studying in a friars' school, and then turned to Victoria College until the High School Certificate. After one year in the University of Alexandria, he moved to the U.S. and spent two years at the Pasadena Play House, taking courses on film and dramatic arts. After coming back to Egypt, cinematographer Alevise Orfanelli helped him into the film business. His film debut was Baba Amin (1950): one year later, with Son of the Nile (1951) he was first invited to the Cannes Film festival. In 1970, he was awarded a Golden Tanit at the Carthage Festival. With Le moineau (1973), he directed the first Egypt-Algeria co-production. He won a Silver Bear in Berlin for Alexandria... Why? (1979), the first installment in what proved to be an autobiographic trilogy, completed with Hadduta Masriya (1982)(An Egyptian Story (1982)) and Alexandria: Again and Forever (1989).
In 1992, Jacques Lassalle proposed him to stage a piece of his choice for Comédie Française: Chahine chose to adapt Albert Camus' "Caligula," which proved hugely successful. The same year he started writing Al-mohager (1994), a story inspired by the Biblical character of Joseph, son of Jacob. This had long been a dream-project, and he finally got to shoot it in 1994. In 1997, 46 years and 5 invitations later, he was again selected Hors Competition in Cannes with Destiny (1997).- Additional Crew
- Producer
Dodi Fayed was born on 15 April 1955 in Alexandria, Egypt. He was a producer, known for Chariots of Fire (1981), Hook (1991) and F/X (1986). He was married to Susanne Gregard. He died on 31 August 1997 in Paris, France.- Abubakr Ali is an actor, writer, and singer. He is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama Acting Program. In 2021, Ali became the first Arab Muslim actor to lead a comic book adaptation when he was announced as Hunter Rose/Grendel in Netflix's upcoming new series, Grendel, based on the Matt Wagner comic books. In 2022, he will be seen starring in the MGM/Orion Pictures/Killer Films feature Anything's Possible, directed by Billy Porter.
- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Ahmed Helmy made his first big screen appearance in film Aboud on the Boarder (1999), in which he co-starred alongside Alaa Waley El Din. Ahmed, through his amazing breakthrough performance, and comic sense of humor, nabbed all the attention he needed in this film. He quickly made a jump to starring roles in films such as Umar 2000 (2000), The Headmaster (2000), _El Selem We Al Thoghban_.
Ahmed first started his career, when director Sherif Arafa was watching children's programme "Leighb Eyal" on the Egyptian Satellite Broadcast, Sherif found in Ahmed the comedian actor he needed for the starring role in Aboud Ala El Hedoud. He is a 1993 graduate of the Academy of Arts, High Institute for Theatre Art. He believes that the most sophisticated role he had done yet was in the film Omar 2000, especially the scene in which he had to bury a dear friend. Ahmed's idol is his father, he finds in him the idealism, kindness and wisdom. Ahmed also admires Ahmed Zaki for his enormous acting talent. As for the comedy, he adores Adel Emam and Samir Ghanem. Ahmed finds the trend of the cinema today, now known as the "Youth Cinema", can be judged only through audiences. 'After three or four days of screening a film, audiences would know and judge the film to be a success or no, it is a matter of supply and demand, commerce, film is a commodity which applies to the terms of supply and demand'.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Arab American Actor Sayed Badreya, realized a childhood dream by winning roles in major Hollywood films such as Iron Man, The Insider, Three Kings, and Independence Day. In his latest achievement, he starred in the BAFTA Award-winning British Short Film "Jellyfish and Lobster" (2024), where he played a man with Alzahimar. He gave a short speech about having had to play terrorists for four decades up until this short film, which reminded the audience of what Arab performers go through in the film industry. He brought a tear to some of the audience's eyes.
His journey to the big screen, however, was not easy. Sayed's story is one of perseverance, belief, and beating the odds. Born in 1957 in Port Said, Egypt, Sayed grew up in poverty but had dreams and aspirations of movie stardom from a young age. Although the prospect of him ever making it to Hollywood felt as bleak as realizing peace in the Middle East, he felt an undeniable pull towards acting, believing that he was cut out for something more. He used the movie theater as a child as an escape from the war-torn Middle Eastern atmosphere he was born into. It was at the movie theater where he discovered the transformational magic of film and where he determined that he was destined to be a part of that magic. Sayed moved to the United States and attended New York University film school before moving out to Hollywood to pursue his acting career. His career in the film industry first began as an assistant to actor/director Anthony Perkins, and then with director James Cameron on the film, 'True Lies.' Badreya had a clear mission; he wanted to make movies that told the Arabic-American story, since it had yet to be told. This mission led him to creating a production company of his own, 'Zoom In Focus.' Under this banner, he directed and produced the documentary, 'Saving Egyptian Film Classics' as well as 'The Interrogation', which won Best Creative Short Film at the New York International Film Festival. He also produced and starred in a short film called, 'T for Terrorist', which was awarded Best Short Film at the Boston International Film Festival and the San Francisco World Film Festival. Sayed's efforts to bring attention to Arab-Americans in the motion picture industry has received much coverage and media attention over the years on radio, television, and in major publications around the world. Media outlets such as The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, GQ, NPR, ABC's Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, BBC's Panorama, CNN, Fox Report with Shepard Smith, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Egypt Today, and more have chronically Sayed's inspiring message and journey. Movies and Acting Roles Sayed has made appearances in over 65 movie and television roles throughout his career. He's shared scenes with some of Hollywood's top actors including Al Pacino, George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Gwyneth Paltrow, Robert Downey Jr., and Jackie Chan. He's also had the pleasure of working with some of the best directors in the business including Michael Mann, Peter Farrelly, Jon Favreau, and Oliver Stone. Aside from his acting roles, he's worked as an Arabic dialect coach and as an Islamic technical advisor on Path to 9/11, a $40 million dollar mini-series about the events leading up to 9/11 produced by ABC/Touchstone. It was in 2007 that he landed his first leading role in the English language motion picture, 'American East', a film that he also co-wrote. 2008 was Sayed Badreya's breakout year. He captivated audiences as Abu Bakaar, the villainous arms dealer who kidnaps Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) in the summer blockbuster, 'Iron Man.' That same year, Sayed also played the comedic Palestinian cab driver opposite Adam Sandler in 'You Don't Mess with the Zohan'. In 2009, Sayed was featured in Paramount Pictures' feature film 'El Traspatio' aka 'Backyard,' directed by Oscar-nominated Carlos Carrera, in which he plays a serial killer opposite Ana de la Reguera. Sayed also found himself in 'Movie 43,' where he plays opposite Halle Berry. Additional films in 2009 include; 'The Three Stooges,' his fifth film with the Farrelly brothers; 'The Dictator,' playing Sacha Baron Cohen's father as the original dictator, and 'Just Like a Woman', with Oscar-nominated director Rachid Bouchareb. In 2011, he completed his second leading role in the New York independent feature, 'Cargo,' about human traffickers, directed by Yan Vizinberg. That same year he also co-starred opposite Oscar-winning actress Melissa Leo in the film 'The Space Between,' directed by Travis Fine. 2017 brought Sayed Badreya the well-deserved honor of winning the Best Actor award from the 13th edition of Action on Film Festival in Las Vegas for his role in the movie 'Aileron.' In 2018 Sayed Badreya received a 'Life Achievement Award' at the Boston International film festival to commemorate his lifetime contribution to enriching American culture through films and television. 2019 has been one of Sayed's most successful years yet. He shot 'Vanguard' opposite Jackie Chan, signed a 2nd season for 'Apple & Onion, a US animated television series created for Cartoon Network, and co-starred in an Egyptian television Series, 'Winter 2006.' Additionally, his short film, Al-Masry Life, won the Best Short Film award from the 15th annual Action on Film International Film Festival. As of 2020, Badreya had a new project in the works, a film about human trafficking called 'What About Her,' which exposes Beverly Hills' and Bel Air's dirty little secret: young maids who are secretly enslaved by rich and powerful Arabs and diplomats in some of LA's wealthiest neighborhoods.- Actor
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Alexander D'Arcy was born on 10 August 1908 in Cairo, Egypt. He was an actor, known for The Awful Truth (1937), Horrors of Spider Island (1960) and Blood of Dracula's Castle (1969). He was married to Arleen Whelan. He died on 20 April 1996 in West Hollywood, California, USA.- Karim Abdel Aziz was born in Egypt on 17-8-1975. He was raised by his father the director Mohamed Abdel Aziz who has a valuable history in the Egyptian cinema; hence the technical environment in which he grew up had a prominent role in the ease of entry and work in the field of cinematography. Karim graduated from the Academy of Arts in 1997 as a director; he worked as an assistant director for a brief period until he discovered that he felt pleasure to stand in front of the camera and by then he decided to enter the world of acting.
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Kal Abol Naga (aka: Khaled Abol Naga) is a Multi Award-winning Actor, Producer, and Director from Egypt, based between the USA and Europe. He is a well-established actor (movie star) in the middle-east and considered one of the top talents of his generation, his work extends from Film, TV, Theatre, to Radio and TV hosting. He has been a lead in feature films since his first lead role in "A Citizen, An Informant & A Thief" by Egyptian acclaimed director Daoud Abdel Sayed in 2001.
As an actor he collected numerous Best Actor Awards from Egypt, Middle East, European & International Film Festivals since 2001, culminating in 2014 with a historic winning of ALL-important Best Actor Awards offered in his home country Egypt (The Cairo International Film Festival, Egypt's National Film Festival, Film Society Festival for Egyptian Cinema & The Catholic Centre festival for Egyptian Cinema) for his critically acclaimed portrayal of a terminally ill older man: Hussein in "Villa 69". In the same year, Abol Naga won The Best Actor Award (Silver Pyramid) from the prestigious Cairo International Film Festival CIFF for his lead role as a Palestinian father searching for his daughter in the Palestinian Oscar's submission "Eyes of a thief", as well as other several regional awards for "Villa 69" including the Best Actor Award from Festival Cinema Africain Khouribga, Morocco.
Abol Naga's English speaking work started gaining momentum since he moved to California in 2017, where he appeared in main roles as (Al Kady) in the FX (Fox) TV show "Tyrant", then his enigmatic appearance in the BBC TV mini-series "The Last Post", to a much-celebrated guest-star appearance as the multi-lingual historic leader (Ziyadat-Allah) at The History Channel TV show "Vikings" in season 5, 2019.
In a film festival in 2016 celebrating Arabic film submissions to the Oscars, Abol Naga was honored for being the most submitted actor from the MENA region in film submissions to the The Oscars (The Academy Award) for Best Foreign Language Film. He is often tagged in western media as Egypt's "Brad Pitt" for their career similarities, Also tagged as the next "Omar Sharif" especially after his American debut movie Civic Duty in 2007, he was also tagged as "Egypt's International treasure" for his multiple talents and unprecedented courage advocating for freedom & justice in his home country Egypt as a UNICEF Goodwill ambassador. Abol Naga's successful career across the Middle-east started in TV networks as a TV & Radio host in prime-time shows as early as 2000.
Famous for his unexpected yet smart choices of scripts & roles, Abol Naga created a vast & diverse filmography with unprecedented wide acclaim from critics & audiences throughout the Arab & international film societies, creating a unique phenomenon in his generation; almost all of his major films have an "exportable" nature to other cultures with special notice to his performances.
Abol Naga as a Producer since 2009, created with others a new wave of possibilities in the Egyptian independent film industry, from co-producing "Heliopolis" 2009 which went on to feature in over a dozen festivals, to his revolutionary production of "Microphone" 2010 in which a new generation of DSLR cameras were used for the first time to shoot a theatrically released feature film, He founded "iTeam Cairo" agency which aims to help indie filmmakers.
Abol Naga is well known for his social and human rights advocacy, He has been one of the early outspoken icons from Egypt promoting social justice, freedom and democratic change to the Arab world in general and Egypt in specific, He played a pivotal role in supporting the Egyptian Revolution Jan 25'th 2011. he has a very admirable work record of social & human rights (especially child rights), He was appointed as a UNICEF UN Goodwill Ambassador in Egypt 2007 till 2015.
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Naga's American debut was in 2006's Civic Duty (2006) in which he gave a compelling portrayal of one of the two leads "Gabe Hassan" he made numerous films in his native Egypt. Here is how it all began ...
Since his first major public appearance as a TV late-night show host in 1999, It was only a matter of few roles to reach an Award-winning star status in Egypt.
He studied Tele-communication Engineering and graduated with honors from Ain Shams University, Cairo, one of the most prestigious Engineering schools in Egypt, meanwhile Water polo as his hobby grew fast to become almost a profession when he was chosen to play in Egypt's national Water polo team as its Goal Keeper, But it was his other passion of acting & singing at the Theatre Department of The American University in Cairo that grew with him gradually to become his chosen final career.
Exchange of hobbies and professions happened several times: First when Water polo became the main focus for him 1986-1989, then Spacecrafts and Tele-Communications research at The The University of Surrey in the UK in 1991, while playing Water polo for his varsity team in European tournaments. He also worked as a Fashion Catwalk Model and a fashion photographer.
In 1999 another switch happened when he (as a famous young face & well established catwalk model in Egypt) was offered to Host a TV program at Nile Variety Channel as a part of a new TV pan-Arab Network inaugurated by state-owned ERTU in Egypt. He became the talk of the the nation with his new fresh style of TV hosting. He hosted and interviewed all kinds of celebrities, regional and international. Naga left the Nile Variety channel in October 2000, joined MBC TV Network in June 2001.