August, 2025
Before shining in the sky of stardom, Yasmin Raeis was already chasing a feeling… not fame, but something real, something raw. After several years of modelling in front of the camera, she felt the pull of something deeper, making her acting debut in 2010 with the TV series Ard Khas (Special Screening), followed by a variety of roles in films like X Large and Wahid Sahih (A Whole One). Still, it was her unforgettable performance in Mohamed Khan’s Fatat Al Masna’ (Factory Girl) in 2014 that turned heads across the region. Her powerful portrayal won her widespread acclaim and the Best Actress Award at the Dubai International Film Festival. With bold, emotionally charged roles, Raeis quickly became a force both audiences and critics couldn’t ignore. In this exclusive shoot, the magnetic star dazzles in the season’s most striking summer trends, as Enigma’s Farida Elserty delves into the woman behind the fierce façade.
Yasmin Raeis is full of life, there’s no better way to put it. She carries an unpredictable energy that keeps you guessing. One minute she’s cracking jokes with the crew at the shoot, and the next, she’s lost in the lens, giving the kind of performance only years of experience and instinct can generate. After a long day of shooting in the season’s latest looks, she’s finally seated across me, unfiltered and glowing in her natural element.
Raeis, an Egyptian actress from a Palestinian father and Egyptian mother, was raised in Kuwait till her teenage years and then came back to Egypt. Growing up, she steadily carved out a place for herself as one of the most captivating talents in Arab cinema throughout the past two decades.
However, I wasn’t sure how our interview would go. Celebrities often fall into two categories: the overly guarded or the overly friendly. But Raeis? She was something else…
“Call them now!” she told me when I mentioned that my parents were fans of her role in Raqam Serry (Private Number) last year. I laughed. “Seriously, call them.” So I did. She greeted them like they are her friends. That moment set the tone for everything that followed…genuine, unexpected, and real.
As we settled into the conversation, I asked her to take me back to the very beginning. Her journey didn’t start in an acting class or film school. “My studies had nothing to do with art,” she said, smiling. “But ever since I was little, I used to act, even if I didn’t realise it, and neither did my family at first. I would often take on characters and perform little shows at home with my siblings, convincing them to join me. I think that’s where my connection with acting first began.”
Still, it wasn’t always clear that acting was her destiny. “In the beginning, I wasn’t sure if acting was the right path for me, until I did Factory Girl with the great late director Mohamed Khan. After that, I started receiving Best Actress awards and critical acclaim, and that’s when I truly felt in my heart that I was born to be an actress.”It’s a film that changed everything for her. It also changed how the industry viewed her, from rising talent to a leading star. However, before the cameras and acclaim, Raeis had her share of uncertainty. “My father passed away when I was very young,” she shared. “But my mother was always one of my biggest supporters. May she rest in peace. Now, I find that same strong support in my husband, Ahmed, who always pushes me to keep going.”
When I asked her whether she had ever imagined a different life, her response was immediate: “I don’t think I ever seriously considered any other path. I always say: I come first, and acting will always be my passion.”
As mentioned, it was Factory Girl that changed everything for Raeis. Playing the lead in the late Mohamed Khan’s powerful film didn’t just earn her critical acclaim; it redefined how people saw her. “That role was a turning point in my career,” she says. “It made audiences and filmmakers alike look at me differently.” But more than the public reaction, it was the experience of working with Khan that left a lasting mark. “He had a huge impact on me, may he rest in peace,” she says, her voice softening with emotion.
Since then, Raeis has gone on to carve out a place for herself in Egyptian cinema by making bold, sometimes unexpected choices. While many actresses might lean into a particular type, she has consistently avoided being boxed in. “I choose roles based on how the story makes me feel,” she explains. “If I’m reading a script and I’m genuinely excited to know what happens next, that’s usually a sign I should do it. I never want to repeat a character, even if I’m playing someone from a similar world or background. For me, repetition isn’t about genre, it’s about energy, perspective, and emotion.”
Her body of work speaks for itself. Whether it’s the quiet intensity of Ard Khas (Special Screening) in 2010, the charm of Hepta in 2016, or the gritty realism of Ana Shahira… Ana Al-Kha’in (Shahira & the Traitor) in 2017. Raeis dissolves completely into the characters she embodies. And in recent projects like El Hana Ely Ana Feh (The Joy I Have), Jawdar Alf Leyla w Leyla 2 (Jawdar: One Thousand and One Nights 2), Montahy El Salaheya (Expired), and El Fostan El Abyad (The White Dress), she’s continued to push herself into new emotional territories. “The challenge is always the same,” she says. “To make people truly believe the character is real. Not perfect… just real. With all its messiness, contradictions, fears and strengths. That’s what I strive for.”
Each role, she admits, leaves its mark. “You can’t walk away unchanged,” she says. “Every time you build a character, you give something of yourself. You pour yourself into her thoughts, her reactions, her world. And when it’s over, a part of her stays with you, and a part of you stays with her.”
There’s a certain rawness in the way Raeis performs and an emotional honesty that lingers long after the credits roll. It’s the kind of depth that can’t be faked, the kind that suggests something personal is always at stake. “Acting requires constant training,” she explains. “And I do feel like the characters take a piece of us.” But despite the emotional intensity, she draws a clear line. “Professionalism is about being able to enter and exit a scene smoothly, and I think that comes with experience.”
Still, some roles leave a deeper imprint than others, stretching the spirit as much as the craft. “I think actors are lucky to live so many different lives and go through experiences they might never face in real life,” she says. “That gives us depth and broadens our perspective of life.” And for Raies, acting is both an escape and a mirror, reflecting parts of herself she may not have known ever existed.
It’s not always easy to hold all that emotion without letting it consume you, but she’s learned to stay grounded. “Once you reach a certain level of professionalism, you learn how to separate your real emotions from those of the scene,” she explains. “And that comes with consistent training.” Still, when things get overwhelming—on set or off—it’s a simple truth that gets her through: “Everything passes.” Those two words carry weight. Spoken gently but with conviction, they reveal a quiet resilience, a trust in time, and (most importantly) in herself.
Whether navigating the uncertainties of womanhood, motherhood, or career, Raeis doesn’t pretend to have all the answers. But she knows how to keep going. And that, perhaps, is where her deepest strength lies.
For many, motherhood has a way of shifting the lens through which everything is seen…including art. And for Raeis, becoming a mother didn’t just alter her priorities; it transformed the foundation of how she views the world. “It’s changed how I see life,” she shares with quiet conviction. “I’ll always be a mother first, and now I feel an even greater responsibility to raise a strong man for this society.” It’s a role she takes seriously, not just in her private life, but in how she chooses the stories she brings to screen.
Having portrayed women in love, in pain, and revolt, Raies has long been drawn to the complex interior lives of women. Yet, she still believes Egyptian cinema has a long road ahead when it comes to fully honouring womanhood in all its shades. “I think we still need many more stories written by women, about women,” she says thoughtfully. “And we need to give women more opportunities across every area of the industry.”
For Raies, it’s not just about what’s seen on screen, but who gets to shape the narrative behind the scenes. As both an artist and a mother, her vision is clear: one where the next generation, including her son, grows up with a more truthful, more empowered, and more inclusive representation of women, on and off the screen.
Though best known for her presence on screen, Raeis has always had a flair for the unexpected. Take singing, for instance, something she’s dabbled in with surprising charm. “I love singing and I’d love to do it again,” she says with a smile. “I’ve done it before in Sheikh Jackson and Hepta, and I also sang the song Habibi.” It’s clear her artistic curiosity isn’t confined to just acting; Raies gravitates towards anything that allows her to fully express herself.
Fashion is another space where she comes alive. Off-screen, her style feels effortlessly chic, but there’s more intention behind it than meets the eye. “I love fashion! I actually started as a model, so I’ve always paid attention to trends and followed fashion closely,” she says. Whether she’s dressing up for an event or simply enjoying a look that feels right, fashion for her isn’t just surface; it’s an extension of the creative spirit she brings to everything.
Of course, being in the spotlight also means dealing with its shadows. Rumours, speculations, the constant churn of public curiosity, Raies takes it all in stride. “I usually don’t pay attention to rumours,” she says. “They’re just part of being famous, but I love acting, not fame.” It’s a quiet reminder that while she may be seen everywhere, her true focus is always on the work, never the noise.
With a filmography that spans comedy, thrillers, romance and gut-wrenching drama, Raeis has never shied away from a challenge. But if there’s one genre she’s eager to explore further, it’s comedy. “I’d love to do more of it,” she says. “I have two upcoming films: Mama w Baba (Mother & Father), which is a social comedy, and El Sett Lama (When Women…), which is a drama.” Still, her artistic appetite doesn’t stop there. One dream that lingers quietly in her heart is to one day embody a historical character, though she’s still waiting for the right figure to call her name.
And if she could relive one moment from her career? Her eyes light up at the memory. “The day I won Best Actress at the Dubai International Film Festival for Factory Girl,” she recalls. “I was eight months pregnant, and I remember running to the stage from pure surprise…I’ll never forget it.” It was a moment that captured everything she stands for: passion, vulnerability, and a fearless pursuit of her craft.
When asked about legacy, Raies pauses. It’s not the red carpets or accolades she thinks about. “Everyone leaves a mark in life, not just actors,” she says. “I hope the mark I leave for my son is a good one.” She chooses her roles with care, not for the sake of building a name, but for the stories worth telling. “I don’t obsess over legacy. I prefer to live in the present.”
Still, the future is full of possibilities. While she’s open to bolder roles and even the idea of stepping behind the camera one day, there’s one thread that’s always been quietly running through her life. “I’ve always loved writing. I’ve been doing it since I was a child,” she reveals. “But I like to take things one step at a time.” For now, she’s focused on exploring characters that challenge and surprise her. As for what lies ahead? With Yasmin Raies, it’s bound to be something honest, human, and deeply felt.
Photography: Abdallah Sabry
Location: JW Marriott Hotel Cairo
Stylist: Howaida Wagdy
Makeup: Mirna Kauzman
Hair: Michael Ghabour/ Epoch Beauty Salon
Assistant Stylist: Nadine El Hosseiny
Costume Coordinator: Ahmed Zaki
Costume Assistant: Youssef Biso