2021 was a year full of surprises on a personal and global level. We dug deep with over 30 Egyptian celebrities in 2021 who shared some unexpected personal things. Let’s explore some of the more unexpected things celebrities have told us over the course of a very interesting year.
By Mariam Elhamy
“I feel that a lot of times when men do something, their end goal is not necessarily to be happy, on the contrary, it’s to make others happy; not just out of responsibility but of course, passion and will are included.” – Youssef Othman
“You’re never the same person after the loss of a loved one, but you just learn to adapt and live with it. Being around my family helped.” – Nahed El Sebai
“Yasser Galal was throwing sand at me and the funny thing is that right before we started shooting, I had told him to do whatever he wants. I said just do it. I’m fine with whatever you do” – Alaa Arafa
“I get cute messages like people wanting to marry me, but I get a lot of weird messages too.” – Nicolas Mouawad
“Even if you’re unhappy, you have to push it away because your audience, who loves you, doesn’t need to see your sad side.” – Asma Abulyazeid
“I was writing my own songs and singing them but my voice was terrible.” – Osama Elhady
“ I love Mona Zaki. She helped me so much, even during the audition process she would correct my Arabic. If you had seen me the first day, my Arabic was really terrible!” – Adam El Sharkawy
“Your demons, negative thoughts, negative patterns, etc. are all very useful and insightful to use in acting. Being connected gives you very clear use of everything you don’t like about yourself, and you have a channel to release anything painful or uncomfortable. That’s a big luxury.” – Aly Kassem
“I know how much this character has affected people. Especially older people, now when I go to the hairdresser, older ladies look at me disgustingly and I want to tell them, guys it’s Cynthia, not Nadeen, separation!” – Cynthia Khalifeh
“I believe that an actor reflects his character on any role he plays. Starting with when he works on and studies the script, till the moment he acts it out in the scene. An actor’s personal experience always shows in his eyes.” – Mohamed Hatem
“My social circle has really gotten small, especially before Ramadan, as we are finishing filming the series, I know I am not able to manage work and social obligations.” – Youssef Othman
“It is totally normal for a writer to get inspired by the people he or she meets and draw things from. Whether it’s a tiny detail or a phrase, I always pick up things from the people around me.” – Hani Sarhan
“As every ambitious woman, I had no time for children and felt they required a great deal of work. But the moment I gave birth to my daughter Nourhan, it completely changed me. My children became my priority, and I forgot a great deal about myself. Then later on, I was able to re-accommodate my ambitions within the remaining space I had for myself following the needs of my son and daughter.” – Esaad Younis
“Being a singer and an artist helps in the organization of GFF, of course, but there are others who are taking care of that part. I do listen to some of the proposals that we get at GFF. Sometimes I don’t like them, and sometimes I say no, but it is not only about me.” – Bushra Rozza
“My material comes from my friends and the people around me, and of course, everything I’ve ever read or seen. Being a social butterfly, I easily learn the pattern of how certain people act or behave.” – Tamer Habib
“We’re surrounded by many beautiful ladies who are probably talented but don’t push themselves to play unconventional roles. Nobody looks good when they’re depressed, tired, sad or in a breakup, so I like actors who are not afraid to do that on the screen.” – Cynthia Khalifeh
“I sometimes felt that I was too Egyptian to be British and too British to be Egyptian, but in my core and in my heart I feel very Egyptian. My parents couldn’t be more Egyptian, and I have come to embrace having those two kinds of cultures combining together. I get to pick the best out of both.” – Amir El Masry
“I do not understand people who suggest we stay in our lanes. At the end of the day, we are human beings and even if we chose certain careers if we are talking about issues that affect our or other people’s safety, or our right to have an equal shot at life or any sort of discrimination, why would I not have an opinion about that?” – Rosaline Elbay
“I do what I feel. Even if my brain says no but my heart wants it, I just do it. I’m a bit impulsive, reckless and more than a bit insane. My mother and I are very different and we still have a lot of differences, even though she is the person I love the most in my life.” – Rania Youssef
“Everyone walks on the red carpet, we went there and we sat because we were so tired. Asala even took her heels off and was making jokes the whole time. Saying things like, imagine if I broke up with you right now in front of everyone. We are just regular people who were put in the wrong place. Nothing is perfect and we show that, we love being real to ourselves.” – Anas Marwah and Asala Maleh
“We men have the capacity of doing nothing, of just being in the zone of nothing! Which is a curse and a blessing.” – Karim Kassem
“In our family, we support a woman being free and making her own choices.” – May Elghety
“I would love to live in India. The country and its people are a lot like me. They respect animals, most of them are vegetarian, so I always find something to eat, and they have a certain rawness, they are not pretentious, they even walk barefoot. They take care of themselves without knowing it. They’re very real. I love India very much and I feel like I was supposed to be there and I came here by mistake” – Jala Hesham
