As the sun casts its warm glow over the bustling streets of Cairo, one man stands at the intersection of acting and writing, seamlessly navigating the creative realms of theatre, television and cinema. Ahmed Abd El Wahab, a young Egyptian actor and writer, has embarked on a journey of transcending the boundaries of traditional storytelling, leaving an exceptional mark on today’s artistic landscape. eniGma’s Farida Elserty had the chance to sit with the young talent after his mini photo shoot at the eniGma office to discuss everything from how he made it to the screen to where he plans on going next.
The Theatre of the Faculty of Commerce at Cairo University was the starting point for Ahmed Abd El Wahab’s illustrious career in the Egyptian entertainment industry. “When I started at the university theatre, Mohamed Shahin was making Hareem Kareem (Kareem’s Women). We were told that someone from our theatre was already starting a movie as motivation, so they took him as a role model,” Abd El Wahab recounts, his eyes sparkling with the memories of his early days in the theatre. “In the first year, I was only watching, and then I started acting in small roles in the theatre,” he adds.
For Abd El Wahab, the path to artistic expression was not a straightforward one. As a young man, he had harboured dreams of becoming a pilot or pursuing a degree in the Faculty of Arts’ Hebrew department. However, fate had other plans, and he found himself enrolled at the Theatre of Commerce University, where his journey as an actor and writer would begin to take shape.
“No, this was the plan,” Abd El Wahab says, his voice imbued with a sense of certainty. “Sometimes, I make impulsive decisions, but mostly I analyse it first, calculating pros and cons.”
It was at the Khaled Galal Theatre that Abd El Wahab’s talent as a writer began to blossom. “We had to write our own improvised scenes, and from here I started to write sketches for television shows,” he explains. “When I felt that I could succumb to writing, I decided to focus more on writing, as acting will come later on its own.”
While Abd El Wahab’s heart may lie more with acting, he has found immense fulfilment in the art of writing. “I love being an actor more, but as a writer, I found that I can express my point of view more,” he says. “I can write about anything I want to write about.”
The delicate balance between the solitude of writing and the collaborative nature of acting is something Abd El Wahab has navigated with remarkable skill. “You depend on yourself in both, as even in acting you are acting by yourself as well. Yes you act in front of another actor, but this actor is also acting for himself, not me. So, I see that both of you depend only on yourself.”
Abd El Wahab remains deeply passionate about acting. “Acting by itself is something special, all the time you’re living a life of different people with all its details and all different problems. What distinguishes acting is it may make you accept or be satisfied with your current life after trying to live the life of a different person.”
This intricate understanding of the creative process has allowed Abd El Wahab to seamlessly transition between his roles as an actor and a writer. “When you act a role, you dive deeper into it because when you are writing, you don’t imagine the way the character walks or talks,” he explains. Abd El Wahab discovered how much, “You add to the character while acting,” when he wrote the role of Samir in El Beit Beity (The Home is My Home), as he wrote it without knowing that he would take the role. “At first, I imagined him in a certain way, but when I was preparing to act the role, it opened my eyes to other aspects I didn’t see while writing,” he says.
Abd El Wahab’s dedication to his craft has not gone unnoticed. As he reflects on his illustrious career, he expresses a deep sense of pride in his unwavering perseverance. “I’m glad that I was headstrong throughout the journey. I did not give up, and whoever strives will always succeed.”
For Abd El Wahab, the notion of failure is not something to be feared, but rather embraced as a necessary step towards growth. “I would never change anything, even if it was bad or a failure. I learned from everything. You will never be successful until you fail.”
One piece of advice that has resonated deeply with Abd El Wahab is to, “Stay the same and just be yourself.” This mantra has not only guided his personal life but has also shaped his artistic vision as he seeks to tackle societal issues through his work.
“I feel like now is the perfect time for dark comedy,” Abd El Wahab says, his voice brimming with enthusiasm. “Everyone has a lot of problems, and they don’t want to see their problems portrayed sadly and cry about it. They want to see them, to laugh and to feel that they are not alone.”
While Abd El Wahab’s talents have allowed him to thrive in various mediums, he harbours a particular affinity for the magic of cinema. “As an actor, I prefer cinema, but I find joy in theatre,” he says. “As a writer, I enjoy writing short series.”
Abd El Wahab’s dedication to his craft is not limited to his pursuits; he also aims to inspire and guide the next generation of artists. “You will never find a good artist without awareness of what is happening around him and knowledge about different topics. You should at least know one piece of information about different fields.”
While Abd El Wahab’s passion for Palestine is undeniable, he believes that an actor’s role extends beyond the confines of the stage or the screen. “When I talk about Palestine, I talk as a human being. Even if I were an accountant, I’d have talked about it,” he says. “It is better for an actor to talk about what is happening around him, but not all the time.”
As the conversation draws to a close, Abd El Wahab’s eyes sparkle with the excitement of a man who has embraced the boundless possibilities of his craft. “Right now, I’m working on a film called Ex Meraty (My Wife’s Ex) with Hesham Maged and Mohamed Mamdouh and, as an actor, I’m reading different scripts to choose from,” he concludes.
As he continues to explore new avenues and challenge himself, Abd El Wahab’s story serves as an inspiration to aspiring artists, reminding them that with determination and a willingness to learn from both successes and failures, the path to artistic excellence can be forged.