CAIRO: Mohamed Zaza s face and name are familiar to all who know their way around Cairo s social circles - you may have seen him at a party or a reception. For the young actor, his social presence is proving to be rewarding. During auditions, many directors remark that his face is familiar. I ve met you somewhere, is a phrase that Zaza has heard quite often. But does it help in today s competitive entertainment industry? If directors are familiar with your face and there is a role that suits you, then you are the first reference, Zaza says. This, however, is not what the 25-year-old actor has depended on in establishing his career. When he discovered his interest in the field, he joined Dr. Mohamed Abdel Hadi s Actor s Studio and is now engaged in private acting sessions. Before finishing his yearlong studies, he landed a role in "Bent Afandina ("Afandina s Daughter ), a Ramadan TV series staring Elham Shahine and directed by Mohamed Seif. He is currently preparing for his roles in two major productions: one in the much publicized TV series "El Andaleeb ("The Nightingale ) following the life of singer Abdel Halim Hafez and the other is an anticipated blockbuster. He prefers not to disclose the name of the film until all logistics are finalized. Last summer, Zaza made an appearance in Mohamed Khan s latest film "Banat Wust El Balad ("Downtown Girls ). He says that the most important element in choosing roles is the director or the actors making the film, and he favors that over frequency of participation and over the size of offered roles. But this hasn't stopped him from participating in independent productions. He played the lead role in director Maged El Atteiby s graduation film project "Rossass Feshenk ("Fake Bullets ). Zaza says similar films help in further training and preparing him as an actor for bigger productions. He says his dream is to star in action films and to work with directors Amr Arafa, Sherif Arafa and Tarek Alarian. While his acting career has been relatively limited, he feels he has ventured far enough into it to understand the challenges, the upsides and some of the insider secrets. Worldwide, one of the biggest problems facing starting actors is the difficulty of making a living. Zaza describes the importance of having a second career - he works for an advertising agency and helps with his family s tourism business. He says the job doesn t negatively affect his career, explaining how the entertainment industry and advertising are all media related. Whenever he is not working on a role alongside his job, he makes sure to nourish his interest by reading scripts (not necessarily for a part) or analytically watching internationally acclaimed films. The successful person is the one who can manage several things at one time, he adds. Getting roles, he continues, is not related to free time but is based on standing out in performances. Hence, the competition begins. Citing the industry s need for new actors and fresh faces, he says, Although there is no field free of competition, I admit that there is no fun without it. Some actors resort to establishing friendships with directors and scriptwriters to get roles. While Zaza insists it s the performance that counts, he admits that sometimes having directors and scriptwriters as friends can boost an actor s career. He differentiates, however, between this type of friendship and the necessity to get closer to directors and writers to better understand the project in progress and strengthen the feeling of teamwork. Auditions remain one of the most competitive areas. With the lack of systemized established acting agencies, it is up to each artist to find work. Looking through newspaper ads, checking the production house and casting agency auditions, or hearing about auditions through colleagues are some of the means he uses to look for work. Assistant directors, or directors, Zaza continues, may also contact actors for a role. Zaza stresses the importance of an actor s resume in landing roles during auditions. But do his good looks give him an edge? He disagrees with the concept. He says appearances only work if an actor s looks fit the director s vision of the character. When you are a new actor, you can never criticize. It isn't your main concern being satisfied with the number of offers you get, since it doesn't take you a certain number of roles to be a star, notes Zaza. What counts [are] dedication and professional performance in front of the camera and how you study your roles. In other words, how much I will be able to give to promote my role; make it shine.
