DUBAI: As one of Arab cinema’s leading ladies, superstar Egyptian actress Yousra has worn many hats since her onscreen debut in the 1970s. The multi-hyphenate, who has starred in more than 80 films and numerous popular Ramadan TV series, is also a singer, a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (making her an Oscars voter), a United Nations goodwill ambassador, a fashionista and former regional brand ambassador for Dior known for her impeccable style, and a dedicated activist for causes including women’s rights.
A constant presence at film festivals and awards ceremonies around the world, Yousra, 67, is a true representative of Arab cinema on the global stage. The late journalist and acclaimed writer Anis Mansour called Yousra “the international face of Egypt.” This is, in no small part, due to her work outside of acting — she’s often invited onto juries at international film festivals, and is guaranteed to sparkle on the red carpet. And her work as a goodwill ambassador for the UN — for which she has received more than 50 awards — has left a lasting impact around the world, first with the UN Development Program, and more recently as the regional UNAIDS ambassador, a post she took up in 2016.
“Before being a part of the UN, I always tried to help people if I could,” Yousra told Forbes. “We do a lot of work in Egypt helping boys on drugs, and we help with empowering women too. Now, I’m working with the UN to help tackle the issue of AIDS in the region.”
She has also contributed her time and effort to Coptic Orphans, a non-profit organization based in Merrifield, Virginia, in order to support Egyptian orphans.
Yousra at the Cannes Film Festival in 2004. (AFP)
Speaking to Fashion Trust Arabia, Yousra explained part of her motivation for her activism. “We are humans and we need to preserve humanity, to take care of each other, to be merciful,” she said. “It’s been 15 years I’ve been warning about a possible World War III. We have no choice but to believe in people.”
But, of course, it is her onscreen presence that has done the most to cement Yousra’s position as a leading cultural figure in the Arab world. “I think the standard for a true legend is to be honest with yourself and in your work,” Yousra told Harper’s Bazaar in 2019. “And not only because it’s profitable. You need to be truly passionate about what you do.”
She went on to say: “Love, faith and respect are what makes a true star.” And no one can doubt that Yousra isn’t a true star.
She was born Seveen Mohamed Hafez Nessim in Cairo in March 1955. As a teenager, she was reportedly interested in becoming a diplomat. A life in service seemed like the correct choice for the young bohemian, who was keenly attuned to the world’s problems. But a chance viewing of Soad Hosny on the set of a film forever changed Yousra’s trajectory. She instantly caught the acting bug.
Egyptian star Faten Hamama was a major supporter early on, and helped Yousra network with some of the biggest names in the industry. “When I was a nobody, I used to sit at the same table as the stars of Egypt and they made me a star with them,” she explained in an interview with Enigma. “I got to mix with the creme de la creme of Egyptian cinema. I sat with them, talked with them, and, most importantly, I learned from them.”
In that same interview, Yousra decribed the 1980s as “a decade that gave us some of our best actors, writers, directors and journalists. They supported new faces and helped them find the right direction.”
Yusra gestures as she speaks with Egyptian comedian Adel Imam during a press conference about their film ‘Bobos’ in Cairo in 2009. (AFP)
One of Yousra’s biggest supporters was — and still is — legendary actor Adel Emam, with whom she has appeared in 17 films. “He taught me the difference between good taste and bad taste. He taught me how to deal with the audience, how to take the audience exactly where we wanted. Adel starred in so many important and committed movies,” she told Fashion Trust Arabia. “And then I learned to trust my own choices, to trust the director first. I managed to work with the right directors, who helped me to surprise myself and the audience, especially in the Nineties.”
Making the right choices has been crucial to Yousra’s success and longevity. Egyptian film critic Andrew Mohsen, programming director at the Cairo International Film Festival, says that Yousra has been smart enough to diversify her roles and adapt to the ever-shifting landscape of Egyptian cinema. (He notes that her beauty, charm and rare talent have been pretty useful too.)
Yousra talks to a guest as veteran director Youssef Chahine looks on, during the 2003 Murrex D’or award ceremony at Casino du Liban in Jounieh, north of Beirut, in 2003. (AFP)
“Throughout her career, Yousra has taken varied roles,” Mohsen told Arab News. “She didn’t stick to just playing the beautiful girl or ‘reacting’ characters. In her very early roles, she worked at finding different career paths and we can find this specifically in the films where she worked with Adel Emam. She was also very smart when it came to choosing whom to work with, whether it was stars, filmmakers or screenwriters — sheworked with all the important and strong filmmakers during different periods of cinema since she started, like Youssef Chahine and Yousry Nasrallah.
One of the films Mohsen highlights is Chahine’s 1989 project “Alexandria: Again and Forever,” the last film in a renowned trilogy. “Chahine gave her a very important role in that film, where she got to be romantic, dance and also do comedy. She did a lot of work in this role,” said Mohsen.
Yousra laughs with American actor John Malkovich at the opening ceremony of the 22nd Cairo Film Festival in 1998. (AFP)
“And I can’t forget her role in Yousry Nasrallah’s ‘Mercedes’ either,” Mohsen added. “She played two different characters in this film — total opposites. One is a very strong businesswoman, and the other is very shy. It’s really one of her most important roles.”
For his third pick, Mosen chooses Sherif Arafa’s 1995 film “Toyour Elzalam.” “When we see the arc of her character — how she managed to control her character through all the changes — that was unique,” he said.
Yousra has established herself as an icon in the Arab world and beyond, and that is helping her to achieve one of her main goals. “We always need to build bridges between the Arab and Western worlds and to bring cultures together,” she told Fashion Trust Arabia. “We need to show our true colors, who we really are, us Arabs, to the Western public. It’s our job.”