Abdel Rahman Abouzahra
Actor

Since late 1950s Egyptian actor Abdel Rahman Abouzahra is one of the most important pillars of the Egyptian National Theater. 

Following his graduation at the Academy of Arts where he studied at the Acting and Directing Department, Abdel Rahman Abouzahra was chosen to perform through George Abiad (1880 - 1959), the legendary Egyptian director and a pioneer of serious drama in Egypt. Abdel Rahman Abouzahra was among the youngest followers of the great theatrical tradition that Abiad introduced to the Egyptian theatre.

Between 1962 and 1971, Abouzahra was given most of the main roles in all theater plays at the National Theater in Cairo and accordingly he was performing at least four different roles every season taking on his shoulders works by Shakespeare and Moliere among other famous playwrights. During the National Theatre's peaks of glory, Abouzahra toured with the theatre to almost all Arab countries where he gained a huge fame as one of the most important theater actors in the Arab world. This led to the highest award given to him by Gamal Abdel Nasser, the second President of Egypt

Among many remarkable on-stage appearances, Abouzahra also performed at the Old Cairo Opera House (The Khedivial Opera House or Royal Opera House) which was burned in 1971.

Starting from 1970 he devoted his acting to the Egyptian television where he took part in more than 1500 television series and 250 films, not only in Egypt but in all Arab countries which were producing series and films at that time. Many of the Arab countries – such as Algeria, Jordan, Tunis, Yemen, Kuwait and Iraq – have awarded Abouzahra great awards through the past 25 years.

Though, in his over 50-year-long acting career he did quite few films for the cinema, all of his roles, with a few exceptions, were awarded prizes in many film festivals around the Arab world.

Abouzahra also performs a lot for the youngest audience, in television and on the stage. The Walt Disney Company awarded him for his unique performance as character of Scar in the Arabic version of The Lion King cartoon movie, chosen as the best Scar voice among 35 languages all over the world.