She is an actress, a singer and a beauty icon. With a slew of remarkable TV series and an impressive number of hit songs, she is set to be the Arab world’s next sensation. eniGma’s Omnia Zaied pins down the superstar to see what she’s made of.
There’s something special about Cyrine Abdel Nour. Something that makes you instantly understand why she won Model of the World in 2002 and why all the male characters in the TV series, Ruby, 2012, were infatuated with her. It’s more than her obvious good looks. Abdel Nour has got that extra ‘je ne sais quoi’ quality that has simply made her everyone’s new favourite Lebanese actress/singer/beauty queen.
This is all still quite amazing to the stunning model turned actress who was raised in a traditional Lebanese family. “Growing up I never thought I’d ever become an actress or a singer. It wasn’t even a choice back then. Families didn’t accept or encourage their kids to enter this field for so many reasons, so I just never considered it to be an option,” Abdel Nour recalls.
But Abdel Nour is a go-getter. Once she set her mind on something, there was no stopping her. And from the moment she got into show business, she was destined to take it by storm.
Abdel Nour’s rise to fame began with her decision to study fashion design. During her studies, modeling became her new obsession and by 1992 she was modeling for the biggest brands in Lebanon including Zuhair Murad and Abed Mahfouz. And once in the spotlight, it was impossible to get her out of it.
Acting offers started coming her way from all directions. Yet, being smart, Abdel Nour knew that if she was to succeed in acting she had to approach it in a serious manner. She picked her acting projects very carefully, playing roles that didn’t just depend on her beauty but also on her talent. She took part in Smaa Kchaa, 1998, and Sahat Sahteen, 1999, and starred in Dareb Khwet, 2003, which won her the Murex d’Or for best Lebanese actress.
The award marked the transformation of Abdel Nour. Having gained this recognition her confidence grew and Lebanon became too small for her ambitions. Abdel Nour set her sights on a broader Arab audience. She went on with her acting career making more Lebanese TV series like Ghariba (Strange) in 2004 and Al Sajina (The Prisoner) in 2007. At the same time, she worked on her debut album Leila Min El Layali (One Of These Nights) which was released in 2004. Abdel Nour always knew she could sing, but was waiting for the right time to leap into the music industry. The album was a success and for the first time Abdel Nour’s name became known in the whole Arab region. She became the new sensation that everyone wanted to get to know better. Abdel Nour continued on the fast track to success and in 2006 she released her second album Aleik Oyouni (My Eyes Are On You). In 2008, her first movie Ramadan Mabrouk Abul-Alamein Hamouda with superstar Mohamed Henedi came out. At the same time she launched her third album Layali Al Hob (Nights Of Love).
And then the miracle happened. Abdel Nour was nominated to star along Omar Sharif in Al Mosafer (The Traveller). The movie was shot over the course of a year and was released in 2009. “I learned a lot from Omar Sharif,” she says. “He taught me modesty, patience and dedication, it was from him I learned how to be nice to everyone,” she continues. Sharif loved Abdel Nour; in fact, during the screening of the movie in the 66th Venice Film Festival, Sharif insisted that they go in the same car and walk the red carpet together. “He felt this was new to me and that I was a bit intimidated, so he put me at ease and made sure to talk about me, making me, not himself, the centre of attention.”
With The Traveller Abdel Nour didn’t only become the centre of attention in Venice, but in Egypt as well. The moment she was nominated for that role, she became one of the most in-demand actresses around. Soon after that she starred in her first Egyptian TV series Al Adham with Ahmed Ezz, 2009, which was a huge success.
In the meantime Abdel Nour wasn’t just all about work. In 2007 she got married to the love of her life, Lebanese businessman Farid Rahme. “He is my support system, I couldn’t have done it without him.” Rahme helped Abdel Nour a lot. Because of Rahme’s support she was able to spend 10 months shooting the hit Egyptian/Lebanese Ramadan TV series, Ruby, between Cairo and Beirut. The role won her the Best Actress award at the Tyche Jordan Awards. This particular award meant a lot to Abdel Nour because other nominees included stars like Ghada Abdel Razik and Saba Mobarak.
But success has its price, of course. Abdel Nour’s busy schedule left her longing for more family time. She regrets not being able to spend enough time with Talia, her first born who is now, a year and nine months old. “Our careers require a lot of sacrifices,” she laments. “I barely get to spend any time with Talia, and it makes me sad sometimes. At times I wish I could’ve kept her in my belly so she’d be with me all the time,” she adds. But her devoted husband tries his best to make things easier for Abdel Nour. Bringing baby in tow, he travels to her wherever she is working, and he helps take care of Talia when mummy is away. “He is very supportive, always encouraging me to stay strong,” she says appreciatively.
And so Abdel Nour seems to be on a roll, moving from one success to another. After the great feedback from Ruby, she is currently working on her new TV series Lobet Al Mawt (The Death Game) starring alongside superstars Abdel Al Fahed and Maged Al Masry. It is set to air this Ramadan. At the same time she is working on a new single Habaiby (My Loved Ones). “I want to launch a new album and make new movies but things are very tough these days,” she comments. “With all that’s going on it’s too risky to launch an album or make a movie.”
Yet Abdel Nour remains positive and is willing to keep on working till things get better. She tries to have direct contact with her fans through social media, using her twitter account (@CyrineAbdlNour) to get feedback from them and then plan her next move based on what they suggest.
At the end of the day, her fans will always love Cyrine. Whether her next move is in music, TV or a blockbuster film, it is sure to be a success. It’s all part of her unique appeal. No one can compete with that.
PHOTOGRAPHY: Charbel Boumansour