Aya Samaha: The public is looking for works that draw a smile

Cairo: Ashraf Tawfik

The Egyptian actress, Aya Samaha, drew attention during the last Ramadan drama season with two important participations. She embodied the character “Sherine” in the comedy series “Al-Safara” with director Alaa Ismail, and she was able to draw a smile with a natural, non-fabricated comic performance. The character Hanzadeh, Laila’s sister (Dina El-Sherbiny), presented In the series “Kamil Al-Add”, which achieved a quantum leap for her in her artistic career, as she says in the interview with her.

• How do you feel about the reactions to your participation in the series “Kamel Al-Idd” and “Al-Safara”?

Until now, I cannot believe this amount of appreciation and celebration of my role in “Kamil Al-Idmah” and “Al-Safara.” Praise be to God, my hard work has been of great benefit. This gives me a great responsibility to remain at the same level, and I hope that God will grant me success in this.

• What is the most beautiful comment you heard or read about your participation in the two works?

– There are many beautiful comments, as the audience and critics praised my performance in the series “Al-Safara” and said that it was developing, and I heard comments about my role in the entire issue saying: “I wish for a sister or friend like Hanzadeh.” And all the comments touched my heart and made me very happy, and I felt that I presented my role as should.

• Both works take place in 15 episodes, so do you prefer this type?

The story of the work and the events are what differentiates me. If the subject cannot bear to be presented in 30 episodes and the viewer will feel bored, then it is better to present it in 15 episodes.

• Did you expect the great success achieved by the series “The Complete Number”, even though it was shown exclusively on a platform?

Honestly, I did not expect all this success, especially since it is an exclusive show on a digital platform that is limited to subscribers only, and that is why I was very surprised by the success of the work in this way. But the success of the works presented on the platforms is visible.

• Do you prefer to display the works in which you participate on digital platforms or on satellite channels?

– Both of them, of course, because each of them has a large audience, and this is in the interest of the work in order to reach the largest number of audiences.

• Is photography with children more difficult than with adults?

– This is true, but the children participating in the “full number” were smart, distinguished and diligent, aware of the situation and focused on work. Acting with them was only tiring in enduring the “naughtiness” of the young, and I was impressed with them, and this is an opportunity to pay tribute to their mothers and fathers who made an effort with them great at photography.

• What is the secret of the success of “A Whole Number”, even though it is the same story as the movie “Alam Eyal Eyal” and the series “We Have a Date”?

– Because he presented different events that attracted the attention of the viewer, just as the performance of the actors and the situations we presented were natural, with which the viewer felt a kind of autism with the heroes, and it touched his heart, just as the work team loved each other behind the scenes, which made the audience feel that this is one family that loves each other actually.

• How was the cooperation with the star Ahmed Amin in “Al-Safara”?

– I love working very much with Amin for many reasons, including that he is a very educated, conscious and diligent actor, who realizes that his success and the success of the work as a whole is from the success of all actors, adults and children, and this idea is not found in many stars, you always find him interested in showing everyone in his best form He is interested in the smallest details, I learn a lot from him all the time, and I was very happy to work with him on “Beyond Nature” and then “The Whistle”, and I hope to repeat cooperation with him again and again.

time pressure

• Were you pressed for time in filming “The Whistle”?

– On the contrary, no one ever made us nervous, despite the difficult circumstances and time pressure, but the filming atmosphere was calm and this helped us to bring out our best.

• Your appearance in more than one form in the character of “Sherine” throughout the “Beep” episodes, did this give you the opportunity to change and show your acting abilities more?

– Certainly, this opportunity does not come to the actor very often, to present a character that differs and changes every two or three episodes, and in most comedic works when they choose an actress for a comic role, those in charge of her prefer that she be a “character”, that is, she has a comic form in physical composition, but thank God we came out From this classification, she moved away from the exaggerated comedy performance, and relied on the comedy of the situation to make her laugh and presented the comic scenes honestly, and she reached the audience simply.

• Do you think that the audience accepts more the quality of comedy series?

– This is true, as the public has become unable to bear the works that “disturb” it, and you find them looking for works that draw a smile on their lips and they go to it.

• Did you add positions to the written text in the series “Al-Safara”?

Indeed, there was room for improvisation, which was allowed by the authors and director Alaa Ismail, but within the limits of the general framework of the series.

backstage

About the scenes of working with the artist Dina El-Sherbiny, especially since they have a friendship, Aya Samaha said: It is very wonderful, I love working with her, and we have previously worked on three or four works, so I feel comfortable with her, and I feel that we are close to each other, and we have many common characteristics. With a fun and easy-going Dina.