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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
- 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).- 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
- 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
- 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").- Writer
- Producer
- Actor
Julian Fellowes was born on 17 August 1949 in Cairo, Egypt. He is a writer and producer, 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.- 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.
- Director
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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).- 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.- 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.
- 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.- 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.- 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.- Basma was born on 7 December 1976 in Cairo, Egypt. She is an actress, known for Qessat Hobb (2010), Ouija (2006) and Zayy el-Nahardah (2008). She has been married to Amr Hamzawy since 15 February 2012.
- Actor
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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. He's also a renowned advocate for human rights and enriching the American culture through films and television. 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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- 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'.- Ahmed Ezz is often described as "the most versatile actor in the Middle East," with numerous accolades in his professional career spanning over 20 years and over 30 Film/TV prolific credits to his name. Ezz is one of the few actors from his region known for crafting originality in the characters he plays. His popularity stems from his versatility as an actor in comedy, drama, thriller and action film and television. In 2022, he starred in the epic action drama "Kira & El Gin" which became the highest grossing Egyptian film in the Middle East, where he received the prestigious "Favorite Actor" Award at Saudi Arabia's Joy Awards in 2023.
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Bassem Ra'fat Mohamed Youssef is an Egyptian cardiac surgeon, satirist, and the host of El Bernameg ("The Program"), a satirical news program broad casted by Egyptian television station Capital Broadcast Center (CBC). The press has compared Youssef with American comedian Jon Stewart, whose satire program The Daily Show inspired Youssef to begin his career. Bassem began his first satirical show in March 2011 in response to the Egyptian Revolution. Entitled The B+ Show, the program was uploaded to his YouTube Channel.[4] The show mainly consisted of satirical political programs via the Internet after the revolution of January 25. Bassem began his presentation on YouTube on March 8, 2011, with more than 108 episodes of the program. The episode view count has surpassed 15 million views on YouTube After the success of The B+ Show, Egyptian channel ONTV, owned by Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris, offered Youssef a deal for El Bernameg (literally, "The Show").[5] The show premiered during Ramadan 2011 with Egyptian-American engineer Muhammad Radwan as its first guest.[6][7] Youssef has parodied Egyptian celebrities like talk show host Tawfik Okasha, composer Amr Mostafa, Salafist presidential candidate Hazem Salah Abu Ismail, and Mohamed ElBaradei, former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency and onetime presidential candidate, in his show. Bassem Youssef was also hosted by Jon Stewart on his show on the 21st of June, 2012. The show "El Bernameg" was renewed for a second season after a contract with a second channel, CBC (Capital Broadcast Center) , which premiered on November 23rd, 2012. Just three episodes into the show, several lawsuits have been filed against Bassem Youssef and his show, mainly for "insult and defamation". On the season's premiere, Bassem made the owner and coworkers of his channel the subject of his show, as an assurance that he is granted full freedom of expression, and that no topic was off limits.[8][9] CBC did not, however air his second episode, which also featured further criticism of a TV show host who filed a lawsuit against Bassem. "The Show" was resumed, however on its third episode. The program, which began with a small group working at home with Youssef, moved from the smallest studio broadcasting on an Online TV Channel to the Cinema Radio downtown, a theatre redesigned in the likeness of New York's Radio City, where The program broadcasts in front of a live studio audience. The contents of a typical show's broadcast have evolved, which began with a sarcastic take on current political events, and eventually incorporating the hosting of public figures and stars from various fields, as well as various artists' performances- Actress
- Soundtrack
Gillian Hills was born on 5 June 1944 in Cairo, Egypt. She is an actress, known for A Clockwork Orange (1971), Wild for Kicks (1960) and Blow-Up (1966). She is married to Stewart Young.- Nicholas Courtney was born in Egypt, the son of a British diplomat. His early years were spent in Kenya and France and he was called up for National Service at the age of 18. After 18 months of duty in the British forces, Courtney joined the Webber Douglas drama school. He spent two years there and then did repertory theatre in Northampton. His next move was to London.
During the 1960s, he played some roles in popular TV series. In 1965, he made an appearance on Doctor Who (1963), during the tenure of William Hartnell. The director, Douglas Camfield, remembered him and, in 1967, cast him as "Captain Knight" in "Doctor Who" episode "The Web of Fear". He took the part of "Lethbridge-Stewart", which was to become his most famous role, when the actor originally cast in the part had to drop out. At this time, Patrick Troughton was the star of the series.
Shortly after this, Courtney was offered the chance to play the role regularly and accepted. This guaranteed him work until 1975, when the character was written out of the series. He became a good friend of Jon Pertwee during his time on the programme, and returned in 1983, 1988 and 1989. His other television work has included a comedy with Frankie Howerd. Courtney has maintained a close association with "Doctor Who", narrating the documentary Doctor Who: Thirty Years in the TARDIS (1993) and attending conventions and appearing in spin-offs. - Mayan El-Sayed is a rising star whose exceptional talent placed her name among key directors and stars' most sought-after young actresses, as evidenced by her memorable roles during the last two years.
During Ramadan 2021, she had a remarkable presence in three TV hits - HAJMATAN MURTADA (Counterattack) by director Ahmad Alaa Aldeeb, starring Ahmed Ezz and Hend Sabry; LE'BET NEWTON (Newton's Cradle) by Tamer Mohsen and starring Mona Zaki; and HARB AHLIYA (Civil War) by director Sameh Abd El-Aziz, starring Yousra. She also starred in the film ALMAHKAMA (The Court) by director Mohamed Amin alongside Mahmoud Abdel Moghny.
In 2022, she played the role of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi's daughter in the popular TV series AL EKHTEYAR 3: AL QARAR (The Choice 3: The Decision). She was also the leading actress in THE DREAM OF MY LIFE story within the series ELLA ANA.
Mayan has always had a flair for acting. At 16, she made it into many auditions, through which she starred in two series screened during Ramadan in 2016 - ABU AL-BANAT starring Mostafa Shaban, and AL-MOGHANY starring Mohamed Mounir.
Privileged by starring alongside A-list stars in her earliest appearances, Mayan quickly gained the confidence that got her more significant roles later on, as she starred in the first season of EL AB EL ROHI (The Godfather) by Peter Mimi, followed by a role alongside Yasser Galal in ZEL EL RAEES (The President's Shadow) that had a huge success during its premiere on TV in 2017.
Mayan made her first cinematic appearance in the box-office hit HARB KARMOOZ in 2018 starring opposite Amir Karara. Despite playing a small role, Mayan presented a remarkable performance in the opening scene of the film, which played a crucial role in the unfolding of its events. Before that, the late director Hatem Ali chose her for her astounding performance in ZEL EL RAEES to take part in his TV series KAENO EMBAREH, which was a big hit despite being premiered off the Ramadan season. The series fans showed a strong connection through their comments on social media platforms on Mayan's role.
Afterward, Mayan presented a variety of roles within big-budget and successful productions, including MBC's comedy series FEKRA B'MILLION GENEH and Viu's first Arabic original, the horror series ZODIAC, followed by her starring role in the film BANAT SANAWY in 2020.
For her memorable roles in the three TV hits aired during Ramadan 2021, Mayan received the Dear Guest Award for Best Young Actress. She was also part of the closing song for the fifth edition of the El-Gouna Film Festival. Moreover, she became the new brand ambassador of Molped and Samsung. Additionally, she was in a stunning photo shoot for Elle Arabia magazine.
Recently, Mayan finished shooting two films - FEW HOURS IN ONE DAY, which is based on Mohamed Sadek's novel of the same title and produced by El-Sobky Productions; and the romantic film named #GAWWEZNI alongside Amir El-Masry, which was directed by Essam Nassar and written by Mohamed Samir Mabrouk.
In the 2023 Ramadan season, she starred alongside Yousra in 1000 HAMDELLAH A'LA EL SALAMA, which was written by Mahmoud Zulfikar and directed by Amr Salah.
Furthermore, she will soon be starring in ALF LEILA WE LEILA as the character Gawaher alongside Yasser Galal and Nour. The series is written by Anwar Abdel-Mogith and directed by Hossam Ali.
Mayan graduated with a major in theater and film from the American University in Cairo (AUC) with her own graduation project, in which she embodied the leading role as Antigone - one of the heroines of ancient Greek mythology - in which she tried to ensure that her performance is balanced between drama and comedy. - Director
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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).