Jamal Suliman
An Actor & A Gentleman
By Amy Mowafi
Dec 2006

An established superstar in his homeland of Syria, this year Jamal Suliman swept the Arab World’s audiences off their feet. With a starring role in the blockbuster movie Halim, followed by a powerful and controversial performance in the hit Ramadan TV series Hada’eq El Shaytan, Gamal fever swept the region. Amy Mowafi caught up with Enigmatic star to talk about life, love and the politics of performing.

Man might be a political animal but the modern Arab actor is not. Controversy is avoided at all costs and only the trendiest of causes are championed. Jamal Suliman is not your typical actor. Sitting in his Cairo suite, dressed in pyjamas and a bathrobe for the Enigma shoot, he makes use of downtime between shots to passionately express his views on the political state of the region. As he works his way through a pack of Davidoff cigarettes, no politician is spared and no ideology ignored. Even the stunning Nile views just outside his window must suffer his judgment. “How does it make sense to build so heavily along the banks of the Nile – the most fertile land on earth – and then go and try to grow things in the desert?” he says shaking his head.

There are many issues that force Suliman to shake his head disapprovingly and every one of them motivates Suliman to do what he does best: act. His goal is to create powerful, thought provoking, challenging, memorable and magical characters. Suliman belongs to generation of performers whose works are culturally, socially and politically motivated; whose cinematic and small screen outings attempt to reflect, comment upon and eventually impact society. In his homeland of Syria is he is superstar, in Egypt he is a revelation and to the United Nations, he is a saviour. For them he is a rare breed of actor who uses his fame to tirelessly raise awareness of an unglamorous issue – over-population – as their Syrian Goodwill Ambassador.

His films and drama series have put Syrian productions on the Arab map and his recent achievements have earned him a legion of adoring fans. Yet Suliman is also true a gentleman. The epitome of etiquette, an eight-hour photo shoot, a three-hour interview and an endless array of excited individuals scrambling to have their photo taken with him, fail to diminish his patience or politeness. He wears his irresistible charm like armour, as he speaks openly without fear of retribution.

Let’s discuss the controversy surrounding your role in the hit Ramadan series Had’aeq El Shaytan (The Devil’s Gardens). The Egyptian media went wild at the idea of a Syrian actor playing a traditionally Egyptian role of the Se’eidy (Upper Egyptian man). How do you feel about the explosive reaction your role elicited?
I’m very happy. This character that took six months of my life and so much was written about the implications of a Syrian actor in the role long before the series was even released. So I was under a lot of psychological pressure. The outcome was great, people loved the series, it was a huge success and that is what matters. I am very proud of that.

When the script first landed on your desk, did you agonise at all over accepting the role?
I took my time to decide, but not because of the nature of the character, rather the nature of the project. In Syria I know the system, I know I am in control, so I realised filming in Egypt could be risky. Syrian drama series are filmed cinematically, with separate shots taken using one camera. The whole scene is then put together during the editing process. In Egypt they use two or three cameras and shoot the whole scene continuously, and I’m not comfortable with that. I don’t think it’s the best way to shoot a drama series.

The typical Egyptian actor often shies away from playing the villainous role, fearful of loosing the public’s adoration. How do you feel about that mentality? 
When a character is written vividly, then it’s a great role to play. If villains are created well and have their own internal dilemmas, the audience will appreciate the outcome. Thus the benefits for an actor could be much greater than if they were to play the regular ‘good guy’.

The role has earned you a legion of female fans, how does it feel being a heartthrob?
It’s really nice! Women make up the biggest part of any actor’s audience; they watch TV and appreciate art more than men. So I’m really proud of my new ‘status’ because women are my main audience.

And how does your wife feel about your new ‘status’? Has it affected your relationship?
Of course she’s happy! She recently told me that when we were shooting she was more worried than I was. So she’s very relieved and proud that it was such a success.  The truth is my work drains me emotionally and physically, and takes up most of my time. I know it’s a bit selfish but that is the reality of my situation, and I chose my profession long before I married. My wife is a very modest woman, who loves entertaining and also runs an antiques gallery with her sister. She is very caring and compassionate and I knew from the moment I met her that she was the one.

Ok, let’s get back to your work. What is the secret to your success?
I’m from a family that could afford very little materially. But there are two types of poverty, there are those who are financially impoverished and those that are ‘dream-poor’. Everyone in my family had big dreams. My first dream was to get out of poverty and the second was to have a place in life. I wanted to impact people politically, to wow people with the ideas that I was expressing through my work.  Doing a good job as an actor is not just a matter of technical or artistic ability, it depends on the type of message you’re delivering. So I’ve always been very selective about the roles I play, and in that sense, even when I was very poor, I acted like a big star.

Was there a certain moment in your life when you knew you wanted to become an actor?
When I was 15 I saw this girl outside the school gates and fell in love! She was my first crush but I lived in a conservative society so I didn’t know how to approach her. I found out she sang in the school choir, so I joined the choir! But when the teacher heard my voice I got kicked out! When I told my maths teacher about the incident, he told me to try acting because the theatre group and choir would be performing in the same concert. And that’s how I discovered and fell in love with acting! From then on, I was in the school play every year. When I was 16 I became involved with the ‘Quneitera Youth Gang’, one of the strongest amateur theatre groups in Syria. It was an integral part of the leftist political uprising among young people. I was introduced to the works of so many incredible people, and was heavily influenced by their ideas. Poets and writers like Mahmoud Darwish, Amal Donkol and Salah Shahine. Sheikh Imam and Ahmed Fouad Negm also influenced me. So after secondary school I decided to study philosophy. When the Higher Institute of Theatrical Arts opened, I left philosophy behind and joined immediately. I started reading about literature and theatre in the East and West and asking myself questions about the differences between them. I examined the ideas I took for granted and felt I could express them through theatre. I eventually did a Masters in Drama Studies at the University of Leeds in England, as I always believed education was the key out of poverty.

I’m surprised you didn’t go into politics…
In a way I am in politics. As actors we get dragged into politics unconsciously. Any commercial work is about politics.  Let’s say you’re shooting an advert about washing powder….what does the house look like? Is it traditional or modern? Is the model a housewife? Does she wear the veil? The very images you are portraying are reflective of politics; they send a message, the express a certain moral code. So we’re all in politics, whether we like it or not.

So if you were made a president in the Arab world, what would you change?
First of all, I would never stay for more than one term; I think it’s a boring job. Every Arab leader would like to have one or two pages in the history books, to make some sort of change. In order to do that he has to achieve three very important things. He must democratise his country, he has to try and eliminate poverty and finally he has to prove he is loyal. I would want to be remembered for being clean and honest. The Arab world is huge and its pressures are unbelievable but leaders have started to sacrifice their morals to be in the history books.

Your character in the Syrian TV series Saqr Qureish (Falcon of Qureish) also sacrifices his morality in the quest for power. Is there anything you desire badly enough to sacrifice your principals for?
When Machiavelli wrote The Prince, he was writing facts not fiction. If I were in politics a similar thing could end up happening to me. The politician is not a philosopher, he is not a thinker, he does not work in the theoretical; he has to be malleable to manoeuvre for the sake of his country. That is part of the political game. There are good and bad people in politics and everyone has to sacrifice some of their morals sometimes, but there are certain boundaries that must never be crossed. Sacrifices must be limited to what is absolutely necessary for the country.

Well with fame comes power, so has fame changed you?
I am a private person who enjoys having a low profile. I like being in the shadows so I am really struggling against the influence of fame. There are many things about being famous I don’t like, like the insincerity between people in the industry. Unfortunately being famous in the Arab world often means going along with what others dictate and that is not in my nature. You are not supposed to behave according to how you feel but according to what is expected of you. I don’t like to be exploited, which is sometimes a by product of fame. I don’t like to appear in the media too much, I only like doing interviews on a very occasional basis. I don’t have an agent or a manager. When you’re famous you become a commodity and everyone deals with you from the point of view of their own interests. That’s why I don’t like the intrusion that comes with fame.

In the TV series Al Khait Al-Abiad you explored the importance of media freedom. As an Arab actor, where do you stand on the issue of censorship?
I am an artist so freedom is very important to me, but sometimes freedom is exploited for purely commercial reasons. Freedom should be a product of necessity. Just because you have the freedom to do a sex scene, doesn’t mean you should do it simply for financial gain. I hate the use of freedom gratuitously.

Of your many award winning roles, which are you proudest of?
Salaheddin(Saladin) was a work of thinking not acting. Sakr Qureish (The Falcon of Qureish) was a work of interpretation. I read about the character, the historical period, and used my intellect to interpret the character. Why was the Querish so selfish? Why was he a politician? Where did the Prince end and the human begin? Where was the morality in what he was doing? What about the he struggle between his principals and the demand of politics?

Tell us about your work with the United Nations. Population is an unusual issue for an actor to be affiliated with. How did that come about?
Before being an actor I am a citizen and I feel that over-population is the most important problem because it has so may dire consequences: unemployment, low standards of living, bad education poor housing, the plundering of natural resources, deprived women, exploitation of children, a lack of education and poor health services.  These are issues that affect all of us.

When the Pope visited Syria in 2001 you presented a series of documentaries entitled Columns of Illumination about the history of Christianity in Syria. It’s an intriguing project for a Muslim actor to undertake, how did it come about?
Syria was the ancient land of Christianity and we have beautiful ancient churches, so along with the Syrian television and a poet friend of mine, we made a series of films about five ancient Christian locations, to highlight their importance. Most of us were Muslims and it was such an enjoyable thing to do. As a Syrian I am proud of my history and Christianity is part of that history.

Ok enough work talk! What is your idea of fun?
To cross the border of everything conventional and strictly lawful!

What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
Life is not always fair, so be prepared!

What do you know now that you wish you’d known when you were younger?
Everything I learnt in my life I learnt at the right time. Even when I have not understood things correctly, I think that was good for me. I have learnt through all my personal experiences and I have paid for them.

What quality do you most respect in people?
A sense of responsibility; I like people who are really reliable.

Which individual has had the greatest impact on your life?
I have learnt so much from so many people.

Which actor has impacted you the most?
Dustin Hoffman, Henry Fonda, Marlon Brando and Anthony Quinn. As for Arab actors I really enjoy watching the comedian Youssef Wahbe. Tawfik El Din was a great character actor and was the first who gave evil characters in Arab cinema a comic element. Mahmoud Morsi is very deep actor and Ezat El Alayly is a very thoughtful actor. Ahmed Zaki was a deeply emotional actor, and when I worked with him on Halim I realised he works according to his instinct not his technique. I sometimes rely on my technique a little too much. Roshdy Abaza was another great actor.

Well you’re often compared to Roshdy Abaza…
And it’s great compliment!

What are you reading at the moment?
Film scripts! I have three or four to read within a very short period of time.

Finally, what would the title of your biography be?
I did it my way!