How Egyptian superstar Mohamed Imam is still living in the shadow of his famous father
DUBAI: Twenty years ago, Mohammad Imam went to his father to tell him something he had long held in his heart: He also wanted to be an actor. His father, Adele, arguably the most popular actor in the Arab world, bluntly replied – “My son, you are making a mistake.”
“He told me not to do that! When we were sitting there, he told me it was very, very hard. In some ways, it was the hardest job I could have chosen. He told me to choose something else.” , ”the imam tells Arab News. “But what do I do? This was my passion. I said, ‘I love it.’ And I went against his will. I had to obey my heart.”
Egyptian director Marwan Hameed (right, wearing glasses) and the cast of ‘The Jacobian Building’, Hend Sabri (left), Adel Imam (second from left) and Mohamed Imam (second from right) in Cannes in 2006. (supplied)
The Imam has no regrets on that decision now. how could he? The Egyptian actor has, over the past two decades, become one of the field’s leading talents in his own right, garnering nearly 12 million followers on Instagram and headlines alike in both action blockbusters and Ramadan comedies – some of his beloved father are opposite.
He is speaking to Arab News on the day his latest film, “3Amohom” (Late Uncle) is set to premiere in Dubai with its stars. The city is already filled with posters of his likeness, a version of himself that he intensively carved for a year to become a true action star.
The action comedy, in which he plays a boxer who searches a printing press for counterfeit money, has already had a huge opening in Egypt and has gone on to become the actor’s biggest debut ever in the Gulf. Ready, as he plans to turn his attention to the next. Saudi Arabia awaits his arrival with red carpets in Jeddah and Riyadh.
“I am being completely honest when I tell you this is the proudest thing I have ever done in my career,” Imam says. “The fact that I am touring the Arab world to open this film, I always hoped that I would have a chance to do so someday.”
Saudi Arabia is now front and center in the minds of Imams and the entire Egyptian film industry, as the Kingdom’s rise as a cinema market has changed not only the marketing of their films, but their entire concept.
“We are not just thinking about how things will be in Egypt now. From our first visits, we have been thinking about how our stories will resonate in Saudi Arabia and the Greater Gulf. It’s been amazing, honestly. It is encouraging us to work harder in every aspect of filmmaking, and it is pushing us to make even more films,” says Imam.
This is a huge summer for Egyptian cinema. “3amohom” is opening opposite another blockbuster, historical epic “Kira & El Jin”, which aims to break the record set by its producer’s previous film, “The Blue Elephant 2”. It is directed by someone the Imam knows well, Marwan Hameed.
“I wish the best of luck to my old friend. Both our films are packing theatres, and rightly so,” says Imam.
In some ways, Imam attributes the pace of his career to Hameed. The director assigned her the lead role in the 2006 blockbuster film “The Jacobean Building”, opposite a true megastar – her father Adele – despite the fact that Imam had only minor television credits to her name at the time.
Mohamed Imam with a hand sabri at ‘The Jacobean Building’. (supplied)
“After I made that film, I spoke to my father again. He told me that he loved my performance. Since then, he has told me that he loves all my films. He always tells me how proud he is even now,” says the imam.
This is not to say that the Imam’s rise to fame has been easy. In some ways, Imam is still living in his father’s shadow, knowing that while he is privileged as Adele’s son, he has to work extra hard to prove that he deserves the spotlight. .
“It is very difficult to be an actor when your father is the biggest actor in the world. It was a big, big struggle at first. Gradually people understood that I love cinema, that I do not do it just because my father is a big actor, ”says Imam. “To this day, I’m still trying to do my best and please people.”
Adele Imam (center) with her children actor Mohamed Imam (right) and director Rami Imam (left) in Alexandria on August 30, 2008. (supply)
Not surprisingly, Imam’s love for cinema began on the sets of his father’s films, with not only his father, but dozens of people around him focusing on various tasks to make the film a success.
“I was amazed by what I saw. I wanted to connect with him immediately. I knew in my heart then – from the age of four – that I wanted to be an actor,” says Imam.
Like his great father, Imam has excelled at comedy – something he doesn’t take lightly.
“Comedy is tougher than anything, to be honest. It is very difficult to make Egyptians laugh. It is very difficult for them to accept you. I thank God that people appreciated me in that role after doing so many comedy films.
However, for “3amohom”, the imam did not want to rely only on his intelligence. He always wanted to play the role of a boxer and there are only a few boxing scenes in the film, Imam trained as if he was scheduled for the first fight.
“I trained very intensively for eight months. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever gone through. And because we filmed and filmed for a year and a half, I had to put myself in that extreme position the whole time. Not to mention keeping my hair blonde—which I’m not sure my head has forgiven me,” the imam says.
“The training definitely came in handy outside the boxing ring. It was a very tough shoot. In one scene, I had to fight with 20 different people. I never pushed myself to that extent.”
While he plans to do more action films, and especially action comedies, as he believes he thrives in fight scenes, there is still a role Imam wants more than any other. dreams of playing more – to star as his father in an Adele Imam biopic.
“I wish I could do it. I really intend to try,” Imam says. “There’s another side to him that people don’t see: father. The man I know best. Really, I love him a lot. I really admire him. He is my role model. I would love to be able to tell that story myself. ,