Cairo - Somaia Ibrahim
Egyptian star, Maged el-Masry
In the world of art, sometimes a character you play can tend to stick with you for life — and actor Maged el-Masry is experiencing just that. The Egyptian TV star was relieved to deviate from the role of a policeman after his acclaimed
performance as Seif el-Hadidy, a violent official in the television series, Adam, led to a swarm of offers to play a similar character.
However it was director Mohamed Samy who recommended the star to play the role of an established businessman in his
play, Ma Sabk El Esrar (Premeditated) for which he was grateful for. “When I read the script I found it very rich and enticing,” el-Masry told us. “The fact that it included such a great team and cast, such as actress, Ghada Abdel Razek, actor Tarek Lotfy and scriptwriter Ayman Salama pushed me to be part of it even more.”
Maged says his upcoming series revolves around a love story, where his character, Zyad el-Refaey, falls for a lawyer called Farida.
Amid reports of imitating the look of Turkish star, Engin Akyürek, Maged was quick to dismiss it saying: “Mohamed Samy had specifically asked me to grow my hair for this role as he believed it would suit the character very much, this was the sole reason I went for this appearance.” Although many people have criticised the Egyptian star for his delayed prominence in the industry despite working with veteran directors, Maged believes his work will do the talking for him: “I believe that I still have a lot to show that has not yet been discovered but I am always thankful for the opportunities I have taken and the people I have worked with. There are many individuals who have been a vital part of my career and I am one to never forget.” Talking about an Egyptian director who helped the star be rediscovered after his role as a thug in the film, Kalemny Shokran (Call me…Thank you) Maged said: “It was his kind words that helped draw the attention of director Mohamed Samy and aided in given me roles in plays like Adam and Ma Sabk El Esrar.” The humble actor is one who is already making a mark in the industry and as he selects his latest projects, it seems that we will most definitely be seeing a lot more of Maged el-Masry.