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Jennifer Connelly was born in the Catskill Mountains, New York, to Ilene (Schuman), a dealer of antiques, and Gerard Connelly, a clothing manufacturer. Her father had Irish and Norwegian ancestry, and her mother was from a Jewish immigrant family. Jennifer grew up in Brooklyn Heights, just across the Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan, except for the four years her parents spent in Woodstock, New York. Back in Brooklyn Heights, she attended St. Ann's school. A close friend of the family was an advertising executive. When Jennifer was ten, he suggested that her parents take her to a modeling audition. She began appearing in newspaper and magazine ads (among them "Seventeen" magazine), and soon moved on to television commercials. A casting director saw her and introduced her to Sergio Leone, who was seeking a young girl to dance in his gangster epic Once Upon a Time in America (1984). Although having little screen time, the few minutes she was on-screen were enough to reveal her talent. Her next role after that was an episode of the British horror anthology TV series Tales of the Unexpected (1979) in 1984.

After Leone's movie, horror master Dario Argento signed her to play her first starring role in his thriller Phenomena (1985). The film made a lot of money in Europe but, unfortunately, was heavily cut for American distribution. Around the same time, she appeared in the rock video "I Drove All Night," a Roy Orbison song, co-starring Jason Priestley. She released a single called "Monologue of Love" in Japan in the mid-1980s, in which she sings in Japanese a charming little song with semi-classical instruments arrangement. On the B-side is "Message Of Love," which is an interview with music in background. She also appeared in television commercials in Japan.

Jennifer Connelly has ADHD, for which she has been medicated since childhood. Despite the condition, she enrolled at Yale University, and then transferred two years later to Stanford. She trained in classical theater and improvisation, studying with the late drama coach Roy London, Howard Fine, and Harold Guskin.

The late 1980s saw her starring in a hit and three lesser seen films. Amongst the latter was her roles in Ballet (1989), as a ballerina and in Some Girls (1988), where she played a self-absorbed college freshman. The hit was Labyrinth (1986), released in 1986. Jennifer got the job after a nationwide talent search for the lead in this fantasy directed by Jim Henson and produced by George Lucas. Her career entered in a calm phase after those films, until Dennis Hopper, who was impressed after having seen her in "Some Girls," cast Jennifer as an ingénue small-town girl in The Hot Spot (1990), based upon the 1950s crime novel "Hell Hath No Fury." It received mixed critical reviews, but it was not a box office success.

The Rocketeer (1991), an ambitious Touchstone super-production, came to the rescue. The film was an old-fashioned adventure flick about a man capable of flying with rockets on his back. Critics saw in "Rocketeer" a top-quality movie, a homage to those old films of the 1930s in which the likes of Errol Flynn starred. After "Rocketeer," Jennifer made Career Opportunities (1991), The Heart of Justice (1992), Mulholland Falls (1996), her first collaboration with Nick Nolte and Inventing the Abbotts (1997). In 1998, she was invited by director Alex Proyas to make Dark City (1998), a strange, visually stunning science-fiction extravaganza. In this movie, Jennifer played the main character's wife, and she delivered an acclaimed performance. The film itself didn't break any box-office record but received positive reviews. This led Jennifer to a contract with Fox for the television series The $treet (2000), a main part in the memorable and dramatic love-story Waking the Dead (2000) and, more important, a breakthrough part in the polemic and applauded independent Requiem for a Dream (2000), a tale about the haunting lives of drug addicts and the subsequent process of decadence and destruction. In "Requiem for a Dream," Jennifer had her career's most courageous, difficult part, a performance that earned her a Spirit Award Nomination. She followed this role with Pollock (2000), in which she played Pollock's mistress, Ruth Klingman. In 2001, Ron Howard chose her to co-star with Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind (2001), the film that tells the true story of John Nash, a man who suffered from mental illness but eventually beats this and wins the Nobel Prize in 1994. Connelly played Nash's wife and won a Golden Globe, BAFTA, AFI and Oscar as Best Supporting Actress. Connelly continued her career with films including Hulk (2003), her second collaboration with Nick Nolte, Dark Water (2005), Blood Diamond (2006), The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008), He's Just Not That Into You (2009) and Noah (2014), where she did her second collaboration with both Darren Aronofsky and Russell Crowe and made her third collaboration with Nick Nolte in that same film.

Connelly lives in New York. She is 5'7", and speaks fluent Italian and French. She enjoys physical activities such as swimming, gymnastics, and bike riding. She is also an outdoors person -- camping, hiking and walking, and is interested in quantum physics and philosophy. She likes horses, Pearl Jam, SoundGarden, Jesus Jones, and occasionally wears a small picture of the The Dalai Lama on a necklace.

Stephanie was born in Cairo to an Austrian diplomat and a Syrian painter. She grew up with her family relocating to a different country every 3-4 years. She's lived in Egypt, Romania, Italy, Austria, Sri Lanka, Scotland, Jordan, and the US, and speaks fluent Arabic, German, Italian and English. Her middle name (pronounced "Noor") is the ancient Aramaic word for "light".

Nur graduated from the University of Stirling in Scotland with an MSc in Psychology with Honours, completing the master's degree in three years instead of five.

In 2011, she worked for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Jordan, tasked with aiding the humanitarian response to the Syrian refugee crisis, under Imran Riza, the head of the UNHCR for the MENA region.

She started acting in the small theaters of Vienna, and was cast in her first film role in, Risse im Beton (Cracks in Concrete). The film was nominated at the Berlinale Film Festival, and also received an Austrian Film Academy Award in 2014. While living in Vienna, and in between jobs, she also translated scripts, subtitles, treatments and festival submissions for film production companies in Europe.

Nur was cast in a supporting guest role opposite Sam Elliott, in 1883 -- the western drama series on Paramount +, written, created and directed by Taylor Sheridan. Sheridan cast her again in Special Ops: Lioness, this time in a major series-regular role in the successful CIA drama on Paramount +. She gained much praise and an ardent fan-base from her role as Aaliyah in Special Ops: Lioness. That same year she also received international recognition for starring in the third installment of the classic franchise, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3.

Her latest role was playing Salome, the sister of King Herod the Great, played by Anthony Hopkins, in the film, MARY, which is set to premiere in December 2024.

Mena was born in Cairo, Egypt and raised in Markham, Ontario, Canada. He attended the University of Toronto for Neuroscience before transferring to Ryerson University's notable theater program and graduating with a BFA in acting. He got his first big break starring in ABC Spark & Teen Nick's mystery-drama television series "Open Heart" as "Jared Malik."

After several years of acting in high-profile television and film projects, Massoud went on to star as "Tarek Kassar" in the highly-anticipated series "Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan".

In 2018 it was announced that, after an extensive worldwide search and multiple auditions, he had landed the coveted role of "Aladdin" in the Disney live-action remake of "Aladdin," directed by Guy Ritchie.

After leading "Aladdin" to the highly coveted $1 Billion Dollar mark at the box office, Massoud went on to star in Netflix's "The Royal Treatment" which became its #1 film worldwide for several weeks in a row in 2022.

Outside of acting, he's passionate about staying active and healthy. Sports like basketball have always been an important part of his life. During his high-school years, he was a member of the Ontario Basketball Association. He also has a passion for recreational horseback riding and the environment.

Chris Jackson was born on 30 September 1975 in Cairo, Illinois, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Hamilton (2020), In the Heights (2021) and Sesame Street (1969). He has been married to Veronica Vazquez since 13 September 2004. They have two children.

Julian Fellowes was born on 17 August 1949 in Cairo, Egypt. He is a writer and actor, known for Gosford Park (2001), Downton Abbey (2010) and From Time to Time (2009). He has been married to Emma Joy Kitchener-Fellowes since 28 April 1990. They have one child.

Amr Waked was born in Cairo, Egypt in 1972. He studied economics and theatre in the American University in Cairo. In his early experience as an actor Amr joined the Temple Theatre Troop in 1994, and Yaaru Theatre Troop in 1999, where he trained and developed his tools as a stage performer.

With his experience onstage, Waked managed to film his first role on the big screen in 1998 when he joined Ossama Fawzy's of "Gannet El Shayateen". Waked's award winning performance paved his way to become a popular actor famous for his gravity and vast range.

In 2003, Waked joined Stephen Gegan's cast of Syriana, which was his first appearance in an international film. His performance was acclaimed and presented him with other opportunities in international productions, like House Of Saddam and Salmon Fishing In The Yemen.

In 2005, Amr co-established "zad communication & production llc" to begin his experience as a producer. The communication agency and production house was to focus on developmental and social issues in Egypt and the Middle East. In 2012, zad produced its first feature film "Winter Of Discontent", directed by Ibrahim El Batout, which opened in the 69th Venice Film Festival in 2012.

Amir El-Masry is a British award-winning actor. Born in Cairo, raised in London, after a chance meeting with the late Omar Sharif, Amir has had leading roles in Egyptian films, earning him Best Young Actor at the Egyptian Oscars in 2009 and national acclaim.

Shortly after graduating from LAMDA in 2013, Amir appeared in Jon Stewart's debut feature Rosewater. He has since starred in various critically acclaimed projects, establishing himself as an emerging British talent.

His breakout role came in early 2016 in the critically acclaimed mini-series "The Night Manager" alongside Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Laurie and Olivia Colman for BBC and AMC.

Other notable credits include Woody Harrelson's live feature, "Lost in London," the critically acclaimed BAFTA nominated mini-series "The State," series regular role of Dante in the new BBC series "Age Before Beauty" and the lead in the first American Saudi feature "The Arabian Warrior" (aka "SHOOT").

Nicola Pagett was born on 15 June 1945 in Cairo, Egypt. She was an actress, known for An Awfully Big Adventure (1995), There's a Girl in My Soup (1970) and Anne of the Thousand Days (1969). She was married to Graham Swannell. She died on 3 March 2021 in London, England, UK.

Born in Egypt and raised in Germany, Hamada stumbled into acting following a sports injury which led him to study at the Oxford School of Drama in England where his love for the arts and theatre grew. He was cast in plays such as, Spinning Into Butter, Hamlet and Guantanamo at The West End and The Royal Court Theater in England. As Hamada continued his work in theatre, he started to dabble his way into film and television and appeared in the film Sky Captain and The World of Tomorrow alongside Angelina Jolie. He then landed his first TV break in the mini-series "Path to 9/11" alongside Harvey Keitel and Donnie Wahlberg and soon became a series regular on "State of Mind" which paved the way for roles in critically-acclaimed shows, such as "Homeland" and "24" and the mini-series "The Dovekeepers". Hamada portrays Eammon on NBC's "Emerald City" and will appear next on the Starz upcoming series "Counterpart," an espionage thriller with a metaphysical twist. He is an avid Dahn-yogi and is also involved with "The Wolf Connection." a youth empowerment program and wolf dog sanctuary.

Born in Egypt to Armenian parents, he was raised in Western Canada. Both his parents were painters, and he planned to be a playwright, but after making a short film, he became hooked on telling stories visually. Returned to ethnic "homeland" when he filmed Calendar (1993) in Armenia. Won attention at the Sundance Film Festival for earlier work, then broke through critically and commercially with Exotica (1994). Afterwards, The Sweet Hereafter (1997) led him to receive two Academy Award nominations, and then Chloe (2009) became his biggest moneymaker ever (after the film's DVD/Blu-ray release).

Ahmed Malek Mostafa (born 29 September 1995) is an Egyptian actor. His first audition came at the age of eight when his uncle took him to perform in a commercial. In 2005, Malek had his first role in the TV series "Ayamna el helwa" (Our Good Days). A few years later, he played a small role in "Mafish Fayda", starring Moustafa Amar and Basma. Shortly after, executive director Osama Farid asked Malek to perform the role of young Hassan al-Banna, founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, in the TV series El-Gamaah (2010) (The Brotherhood), which is considered the then-15-year-old's first breakthrough role.

After the 2011 Egyptian Revolution, Malek disappeared for a short time, as he decided to focus on political and revolutionary activism. When director Gamal Abdel Hameed offered him the role of a young Egyptian revolutionary activist in the TV series "Al-shaware'a al-khafiya" (The Backstreets) - starring famous actors Jamal Soliman, Layla Olwi, Sami El-Adl and Gihan Fadel - he could not resist.

In 2012, director Mohamed Samy offered Malek the role of Ahmed, a stammered teenage addict in his series Ma'a Sabq Alesrar (2012). With his newfound success in the role, Samy nominated Malek to play the role of a troubled teen in his new TV series Hekayet Hayah (2013) for which he won a DG award for Best Young Actor in 2013. Seeing Malek's impressive performance, renowned Egyptian director Sherif Arafa asked him to audition for a pivotal role in the much-anticipated sequel of his movie El-Gezirah (2007). The sequel, The Island 2 (2014), propelled Malek towards regional stardom in the Middle East and after which he become one of the most successful and sought-after Egyptian actors of his generation. He would later find international fame with roles in critically acclaimed films such as Clash (2016), Sheikh Jackson (2017) and Leil Khargi (2018) - all of which have been selected to represent Egypt in international film festivals and award circuits.

Gillian Hills was born on 5 June 1944 in Cairo, Egypt. She is an actress, known for A Clockwork Orange (1971), Wild for Kicks (1960) and Blow-Up (1966). She is married to Stewart Young.

Bassem Ra'fat Mohamed Youssef is an Egyptian cardiac surgeon, satirist, and the host of El Bernameg ("The Program"), a satirical news program broad casted by Egyptian television station Capital Broadcast Center (CBC). The press has compared Youssef with American comedian Jon Stewart, whose satire program The Daily Show inspired Youssef to begin his career. Bassem began his first satirical show in March 2011 in response to the Egyptian Revolution. Entitled The B+ Show, the program was uploaded to his YouTube Channel.[4] The show mainly consisted of satirical political programs via the Internet after the revolution of January 25. Bassem began his presentation on YouTube on March 8, 2011, with more than 108 episodes of the program. The episode view count has surpassed 15 million views on YouTube After the success of The B+ Show, Egyptian channel ONTV, owned by Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris, offered Youssef a deal for El Bernameg (literally, "The Show").[5] The show premiered during Ramadan 2011 with Egyptian-American engineer Muhammad Radwan as its first guest.[6][7] Youssef has parodied Egyptian celebrities like talk show host Tawfik Okasha, composer Amr Mostafa, Salafist presidential candidate Hazem Salah Abu Ismail, and Mohamed ElBaradei, former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency and onetime presidential candidate, in his show. Bassem Youssef was also hosted by Jon Stewart on his show on the 21st of June, 2012. The show "El Bernameg" was renewed for a second season after a contract with a second channel, CBC (Capital Broadcast Center) , which premiered on November 23rd, 2012. Just three episodes into the show, several lawsuits have been filed against Bassem Youssef and his show, mainly for "insult and defamation". On the season's premiere, Bassem made the owner and coworkers of his channel the subject of his show, as an assurance that he is granted full freedom of expression, and that no topic was off limits.[8][9] CBC did not, however air his second episode, which also featured further criticism of a TV show host who filed a lawsuit against Bassem. "The Show" was resumed, however on its third episode. The program, which began with a small group working at home with Youssef, moved from the smallest studio broadcasting on an Online TV Channel to the Cinema Radio downtown, a theatre redesigned in the likeness of New York's Radio City, where The program broadcasts in front of a live studio audience. The contents of a typical show's broadcast have evolved, which began with a sarcastic take on current political events, and eventually incorporating the hosting of public figures and stars from various fields, as well as various artists' performances

Abubakr Ali is an actor, writer, and singer. He is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama Acting Program. In 2021, Ali became the first Arab Muslim actor to lead a comic book adaptation when he was announced as Hunter Rose/Grendel in Netflix's upcoming new series, Grendel, based on the Matt Wagner comic books. In 2022, he will be seen starring in the MGM/Orion Pictures/Killer Films feature Anything's Possible, directed by Billy Porter.

Ahmed Helmy made his first big screen appearance in film Aboud on the Boarder (1999), in which he co-starred alongside Alaa Waley El Din. Ahmed, through his amazing breakthrough performance, and comic sense of humor, nabbed all the attention he needed in this film. He quickly made a jump to starring roles in films such as Umar 2000 (2000), The Headmaster (2000), _El Selem We Al Thoghban_.

Ahmed first started his career, when director Sherif Arafa was watching children's programme "Leighb Eyal" on the Egyptian Satellite Broadcast, Sherif found in Ahmed the comedian actor he needed for the starring role in Aboud Ala El Hedoud. He is a 1993 graduate of the Academy of Arts, High Institute for Theatre Art. He believes that the most sophisticated role he had done yet was in the film Omar 2000, especially the scene in which he had to bury a dear friend. Ahmed's idol is his father, he finds in him the idealism, kindness and wisdom. Ahmed also admires Ahmed Zaki for his enormous acting talent. As for the comedy, he adores Adel Emam and Samir Ghanem. Ahmed finds the trend of the cinema today, now known as the "Youth Cinema", can be judged only through audiences. 'After three or four days of screening a film, audiences would know and judge the film to be a success or no, it is a matter of supply and demand, commerce, film is a commodity which applies to the terms of supply and demand'.

Patricia Healy was born in Cairo, Egypt. She is an actress, known for The Bodyguard (1992), Heat (1995) and Babylon 5 (1993). She has been married to Sergio Terrazas Torres since 3 July 2003.

Ahmed Ezz is often described as "the most versatile actor in the Middle East," with numerous accolades in his professional career spanning over 20 years and over 30 Film/TV prolific credits to his name. Ezz is one of the few actors from his region known for crafting originality in the characters he plays. His popularity stems from his versatility as an actor in comedy, drama, thriller and action film and television. In 2022, he starred in the epic action drama "Kira & El Gin" which became the highest grossing Egyptian film in the Middle East, where he received the prestigious "Favorite Actor" Award at Saudi Arabia's Joy Awards in 2023.

Nadin Rizk is an Egyptian-Canadian Actress. She was born in Cairo, Egypt and immigrated to Canada with her family at the age of 4.

As a multi-talented performer who also holds a B.A.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Toronto, she is quickly becoming known for her versatility as a filmmaker, and her ability to bring a unique depth and breadth of personal experiences into her work.

As an actress she is best known for playing Yarah Ahmed on the first season of the Canadian prime-time TV legal drama, "Diggstown."

Her body of work includes major television productions including Fox's "Accused," feature films including "Making Scents of Love" and "Samanthology," and lead roles in award-winning short films including "Salmon Pink," "Lemons," and "Fog Light."

In 2024 she can be seen starring in Reem Morsi's feature film, 'Banned."

Nicholas Courtney was born in Egypt, the son of a British diplomat. His early years were spent in Kenya and France and he was called up for National Service at the age of 18. After 18 months of duty in the British forces, Courtney joined the Webber Douglas drama school. He spent two years there and then did repertory theatre in Northampton. His next move was to London.

During the 1960s, he played some roles in popular TV series. In 1965, he made an appearance on Doctor Who (1963), during the tenure of William Hartnell. The director, Douglas Camfield, remembered him and, in 1967, cast him as "Captain Knight" in "Doctor Who" episode "The Web of Fear". He took the part of "Lethbridge-Stewart", which was to become his most famous role, when the actor originally cast in the part had to drop out. At this time, Patrick Troughton was the star of the series.

Shortly after this, Courtney was offered the chance to play the role regularly and accepted. This guaranteed him work until 1975, when the character was written out of the series. He became a good friend of Jon Pertwee during his time on the programme, and returned in 1983, 1988 and 1989. His other television work has included a comedy with Frankie Howerd. Courtney has maintained a close association with "Doctor Who", narrating the documentary Doctor Who: Thirty Years in the TARDIS (1993) and attending conventions and appearing in spin-offs.

A Corsicana native, Rex (Clifford) Ingram was the son of Mack and Mamie Ingram. He graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in medicine before launching a brilliant acting career which spanned 50 years. Ingram made his screen debut during the silent era in Tarzan of the Apes (1918). He won widespread acclaim for his portrayal of De Lawd in The Green Pastures (1936), Ingram also appeared on the Broadway stage and in television productions, bringing skill and dignity to every performance. Actor probably best remembered for his portrayal of Jim, the fugitive slave, opposite Mickey Rooney in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1939). He died September 19, 1969 and was buried in California.

Yousra is Egypt's most renowned multi-faceted celebrity that has been gracing the silver screen for more than 30 years. Since the 1970s, Yousra starred in some of the most important films in the history of Egyptian cinema. Her roles in films and TV series are trailblazing and continue to influence and inspire generations.

Yousra was also named one of the World's 100 Most Powerful Arab Women and is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (The Oscars), given her rich cinematic history.

Her social stands and opinions have impacted the public domain in Egypt and the Arab world like no other actress of her generation.

Furthermore, she has received over 80 awards and certificates of appreciation from international film festivals all over the world, most notably the Beirut, Cairo, and Cannes international film festivals.

Yousra also received significant honors from the Royal College of Physicians in London, the Arab World Institute in Paris, and America Abroad Media (AAM) in Washington.

The multi-talented star shines bright in the world of music as well, with several chart-toppers under her belt, including the late hit by Abu, 3 Daqat (3 Heartbeats).

No stranger to fashion, she was Christian Dior's ambassador in the Middle East. Many of Yousra's dresses were tailored by international fashion designers like Stéphane Rolland, Elie Saab, Hany El-Behairy, and Rami Al-Ali.

Yousra's exquisite taste in fashion qualified her to be a judge in various fashion shows, such as the Arab world version of the famous reality TV show Project Runway Middle East alongside Elie Saab.

She was also appointed as an International Advisory Board member of the El-Gouna Film Festival in 2014. Yousra's first appearance in cinema was in A Castle in the Air, which was directed by Abdel Halim Nasr. While a true master of her trade, capable of carrying any film on her own, for many of her fans, her roles with the legendary superstar Adel Emam are the closest to their hearts. The duo worked together in 17 films with sweeping box-office success, including Al-Ensan Yaeesh Mara Wahida (Humans Only Live Once) by Simon Saleh in 1981, Ala Bab El Wazir (On the Minister's Door) by Mohamed Abdel Aziz in 1982, Al-Avokato by Raafat Al-Mihi in 1984, Humans and Djinns by Muhammad Rady in 1985, and Karakon fe Al-Sharea (Station on the Street) by Ahmed Yehia the following year. The last of these films was the 2009's hit Bobbos.

Her countless collaborations with the late screenwriter Wahid Hamed were also a favorite, spanning over nine TV shows and blockbusters such as El Mansy (The Forgotten), The Yacoubian Building, Terrorism and Kebab (El Erhab Wel Kabab), and Birds of Darkness (Toyor El Zalam).

Yousra also starred opposite the late veteran actor Ahmed Zaki in five films and appeared in four of Youssef Chahine's films - An Egyptian Story in 1982, Alexandria: Again and Forever in 1990, Alexandria... New York in 2004, and The Emigrant in 1994. Chahine had a really powerful impact on Yousra, to the extent that she said: "Youssef Chahine's impact on me [was significant] on a personal and a professional level. He was considered more of a school to all the people who worked with him." Yousra also starred alongside renowned international Egyptian actor Omar El-Sharif and superstar Amr Diab in Dehk Wa Le'b Wa Gad Wa Hob (Laughter, Games, Seriousness, and Love).

Additionally, Yousra did an outstanding performance in the 2006 film Yacoubian Building, which is based on the best-selling Arab novel of the same name, in which she portrayed the owner of a restaurant that is favored by what's left of Cairo's aristocrats. with a budget that was the largest in Egypt at the time. Variety magazine characterized Yousra's performance in the film as "effortlessly evoking old romantic memories when she sings La Vie en Rose".

On TV, and particularly in Ramadan, Yousra's TV series has always been a must-see. since Ayna Qalbi (where's my heart" in 2002 and Malak Rohi (my soul, Malak), in 2003, Yousra has always been keen on addressing the most pressing social issues of the hour on her TV series.

Her series also usually showcase fresh talents and promising young stars. One of Yousra's most prominent series is Adiyyeit Raie Aam (A Public Opinion Case), Fi Aid Amina (In Amina's Hands), Sharbat, the Cunning, Foq Mostawa El Shobohat (Above Suspicion), Kheyanet Ahd (The Betrayal of Ahd), and Harb Ahlia (Civil War).

Her serial drama Kheyanet Ahd (The Betrayal of Ahd) aired on TV during Ramadan 2020 to huge success, winning her the DG Best Actress Award and the DG Best Series at the Dear Guest Awards in December 2020.

In the same year, she was honored at the Arab Satellite Festival and the Negm El-Arab Festival. Additionally, Yousra was featured in the official music video of Dokki Ya Mazzika of the fourth El-Gouna Film Festival, where she launched her Hareef Tamsil Campaign (Talented Actor) in collaboration with Orange Egypt. The new service was exclusively dedicated for Orange users, with participants submitting videos in which they played a character inspired by any of Yousra's famous roles. The winner was selected to perform with her in her new series, Harb Ahlya (Civil War) in Ramadan 2021. The serial drama was written by Ahmed Adel, produced by El-Adl Group, and directed by Sameh Abdel-Aziz. Additionally, in Ramadan 2021, she took part in the ad campaign for ZED Park alongside a plethora of Arab stars, including Shereen Reda, Karim Abdel-Aziz, Nelly Kareem, Tara Emad, and Huda El-Mufti. Yousra's film career amounts to over 100 films, the most recent of which is the feature film Saheb El Maqam (The Enshrined Saint), which was directed by Mohamed El-Adl and premiered on Shahid to tremendous success. The film starred Asser Yassin, Amina Khalil, and Bayoumi Fouad opposite Yousra, marking her comeback to films since Game Over in 2012. Using her fame for a good cause, Yousra is a social activist who gives back to the community and helps raise awareness and supports many social causes.

"Poverty is one of the most important issues in the world, and it is the key to agony; therefore, if we can decrease the forms of poverty that we come across, I believe our sorrow will also decrease, and so will violence against children and women, which is a major concern, along with education and the environment," she once said. She was chosen by the United Nations to be the Regional UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador, as she has been known for her participation in social activities with many civil society organizations. Consequently, Yousra received more than 50 awards in recognition of her work as a UNDP goodwill ambassador. She contributed her time and effort to Coptic Orphans - a non-profit organization based in Merrifield, Virginia, in order to support Egyptian orphans. In 2007, the organization presented her the Ideal Award as a tribute for her efforts and time spent aiding children. "Out of over 50 awards that I've received, this one is the one closest to my heart," Yousra stated. Yousra also took part in the 500-500 Ramadan campaign to support cancer patients. Recently - within her role as a Goodwill Ambassador - Yousra participated in the opening ceremony of a 16-day campaign under the theme 'Orange the World: #HearMeToo; End Violence against Women and Girls' at the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States in collaboration with the UN to highlight the issues of gender equality and the empowerment of women. Most recently, Yousra participated in the third Awladna International Forum for Arts of the Gifted, which aims to provide gifted children with special needs with a platform to enrich and showcase their artistic talents and empower them and their families. During the opening ceremony, Yousra performed her new song Anta Qadha (You Can Do It) amid a large number of children with special needs on stage. Additionally, Yousra attended the first edition of Red Sea International Film Festival (RSIFF), delivering a masterclass to educate movie enthusiasts and talk about her amazing journey, which was held after the screening of one of her most iconic films, Strawberry War, which was restored with the support of the Red Sea Film Festival Foundation. Yousra also continued her strong Ramadan streak by starring in Ahlam Saeeda (Happy Dreams) in 2022 alongside Ghada Adel, Mai Kassab, and Shaimaa Seif. The comedy series was written by Hala Khalil and directed by Amr Arafa. In 2022, Yousra was honored at the opening ceremony of the second edition of the RSIFF, receiving the GOLD YUSR Honorary Award. Most recently, she also starred in the 2023 Ramadan season drama 1000 HAMDELLAH A'LA EL SALAMA. Moreover, she's expecting the release of her latest off-season show ROSE & LAILA and film LEILET EL EID, both of which are due for release sometime in 2023.

Anok Yai (December 20, 1997) is an Egyptian-born American fashion model of South Sudanese descent. She was born in Cairo and her family moved to Manchester, New Hampshire when she was 2. Her mother is a nurse and her father works for Easterseals; her sister Alim is her manager and a financial consultant. She graduated from Manchester High School West and attends Plymouth State University studying biochemistry, intending to become a doctor. Yai was discovered in October 2017 during Howard University's homecoming week, by a professional photographer who asked to take her picture. He posted the photo on Instagram, accruing over 20,000 "likes", and modeling agencies, including IMG Models, asked to get in touch with her. She eventually chose to sign with Next Model Management, who had called her daily for several weeks. Within 4 months, she became the first Sudanese model to open a Prada fashion show.

With a significantly eminent talent and undeniable powerful presence, Menna Shalaby managed to establish a name for herself in the cinema and television industries early on, thanks to her exceptional talent and commanding attitude. She rose to become one of the most recognized, admired, and sought-after Arab cinema and television actresses.

Menna began her acting career in 2001 with a role in Hadeeth Al Sabah Wal Masaa, one of the most popular and widely viewed television dramas at the time (Morning and Evening Talk). This was only the beginning of her meteoric climb to stardom, as she soon landed roles in well-known films and television series.

Her natural charm and acting talent, which shone through in each of her performances, catapulted her to unprecedented heights in her career. She has flourished in a wide range of genres, including romance, drama, thrillers, and comedy, due to her incredibly diverse aptitude and acting ability.

Menna performed a variety of roles in comedy, drama, action, and romance films. Her famous cinematic roles include El Saher (The Magician) (2001), Baheb El Cima (I Love Cinema) (2004), Ahla al Awqat (Best of Times) (2004), Heya Fawda (Chaos) (2007), screened at Venice International Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival, Al Ma' wal Khodra wal Wajh al Hassan (Brooks, Meadows and Lovely Faces) (2016), screened at Locarno Festival, Baad El Mawkeaa (After the Battle) (2012), screened at Cannes Film Festival, Microphone (2010), Nawara (2015), as well as Marwan Hamed's hits, Al Aslyeen (The Originals) (2017), and Diamond Dust (2018), which won three awards at the 1st Casablanca Arab Film Festival in Morocco. The film generated more than 32 million EGP (1.8 million USD).

Keen on supporting emerging filmmakers, Shalaby performed the lead role in director Adam Abd ElGhaffar's short film Fork and Knife, which competed in the Short Films Competition at the 2nd El Gouna Film Festival in 2018. Furthermore, Menna's filmography includes Khayal Ma'ata (Scarecrow)(2019), which marks her reunion with Ahmed Helmy after 11 years of their first work together in sorry for the disturbance (2008).

Shalaby's most successful TV roles include Neeran Sadeeqa (Friendly Fire) (2013), Haret El Yahoud (Jewish Quarter) (2015), and Wahet El Ghoroub (2017). Aside from her acting profession, Menna has participated in various charity initiatives for persons with disabilities, raising awareness about the difficulties these people experience in Egyptian society.

Menna has previously won numerous awards at local and international film festivals, including the Faten Hamama Excellence Award at the 41st Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF), where she was also hosted in an in-conversation moderated by American film critic Jay Weissberg on the sidelines of the CIFF, where she reflected on her acting career and milestones along the way. She also won the Best Actress Award at the Egyptian National Film Festival for her roles in El Saher (2001) and An El Eshq Wel Hawaa (2006), as well as the Arabian Cinema Awards (ACA) and the Arab Star Festival for her role in Diamond Dust (2018), as well as the Dubai, Tetouan, Oran, and Cairo Film Society festivals for her role in Nawara (2015), and the Egyptian Catholic Center Cinema Festival for her role in Banat West El Balad (2005), for which she also won a Special Award at the Damascus International Film Festival.

Menna was also voted 'Best Actress' by the public in a number of surveys held by Arab and Egyptian publications and radio stations. In addition, she was honored by the Tetouan International Mediterranean Film Festival in Morocco and received an Honorary Award at the Aswan International Women Film Festival (AIWFF) in 2019 for her remarkable cinematic career in Egypt and the Arab globe.

She also received multiple honors for her television roles, including the Critic's Award for Best Actress at the Arab Satellite Channels Festival for her performance in Wahet El Ghoroub (2017).

Menna has also served on juries for some of the world's most prestigious film festivals, including the Cairo International Film Festival, the Carthage Film Festival (Official Competition), the Malmö Arab Film Festival in Sweden (Feature-Length and Short Film Competition), and the El Gouna Film Festival (Feature Narrative Competition).

Menna Shalaby showed a strong presence online by having three different hit projects which premiered on ShahidVIP. Every Week Has a Friday, which led her to become the first Arab actress to be nominated for an International Emmy Award; Nemra Etnein drama series, in which she starred in an episode, under the title: Awel Embareh (The Day Before Yesterday), opposite Ahmed Malek, directed by Mohamed Shaker and written by Mariam Naoum. And last but not least, the second season of Leh La'a (Why Not?) which was written by Mariam Naoum and directed by Mariam Abou Ouf, the series received huge audience acclaim and won Menna an honorary mention at the Egyptian Catholic Center Cinema Festival.

In 2021, she collaborated with OPPO on the Reno6 Series ad, with the theme "Every Emotion, In Portrait." The goal of this campaign is to urge people to treasure their treasured experiences and memories. The promotional campaign included a short film titled "Photograph: The Space Between Us," starring Menna Shalaby and Nabil Issa.

Menna's most recent projects include Al'Ins W AlNems (2021), in which she co-stars with comedian Mohamed Heneidy. As well as, two box office hits; El Gareema (The Crime), starring Ahmed Ezz and directed by Sherif Arafa, and Men Agl Ziko, starring Kareem Mahmoud Abdel Aziz and directed by Peter Mimi, the film is now available for streaming on Netflix.

Her latest 15 episode series Betlou' Al-Rouh', directed by Kamla Abou Zekry, screened in Ramadan 2022 on MBC and ShahidVIP, garnered her the Best Actress Award at the 2022 Cairo Drama Festival and Best Actress Award in The Arab World at the 2022 Murex D'or ceremony.

Shalaby's latest work is Shahid's TAGHYEER GAW series, which aired during the 2023 Ramdan season to terrific audience reception. Earlier in 2023, the megastar was also honored at the second edition of the Cairo Drama Festival alongside directors Kamla Abo Zekri and Peter Mimi, as well as acclaimed actors Maged El-Kidwany, Mona Zaki, and Karim Abdelaziz.

As for the Ramadan 2024 race, Shalaby will be opting for the radio instead of the small screen; the star is hosting a radio series titled BEIT OM EL GHOLAM airing on NRJ, Egypt's 92.1 radio station. The series is directed by Moustafa Mounir and written by Mohamed Ismail.

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