<p><strong>By: Yomna Walid</strong></p>
<p>Popular Egyptian comedy series El Le&rsquo;ba continues to draw audiences&rsquo; attention with its evolving characters and sharp humour. In its latest season, attention has turned to Kareem, played by rising actor Hassan Wael.</p>
<p>Wael first appeared in the show in 2020 at the age of 12. Now 18, his return in season five offers viewers a chance to see both his personal and on-screen development. His character brings comedic contrast to his father Mazo, played by Hesham Maged, with their relationship forming one of the show&rsquo;s central dynamics.</p>
<p>While Mazo encourages a carefree, playful lifestyle, Kareem aspires to become a scientist, creating a humorous and relatable clash between the two.</p>
<p>In an exclusive interview with NileFM, Wael speaks about his journey in acting, his experiences growing up on set, and how the series has shaped his career.</p>
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<p><strong>Could you introduce yourself and tell us what first drew you to acting?</strong></p>
<p>I&rsquo;m 18 years old and currently in my final year of high school. I first became interested in acting because of my older sister. She wanted to be an actress and used to perform sketches when she was younger. My mother noticed her talent, so we started going to casting offices with the intention that she would pursue acting, not me.</p>
<p>However, when I began accompanying my sister to filming locations, whether for TV series or other projects, I became fascinated by the entire process: the acting, the preparation, and the cameras. That&rsquo;s when I realised I had developed a passion for acting myself.</p>
<p><a href="https://ibb.co/Kpr41pFq"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/5gRp7gB8/Copy-of-Copy-of-Red-and-Orange-Photocentric-Modern-Newsroom-Instagram-Post-1.png" alt="Copy-of-Copy-of-Red-and-Orange-Photocentric-Modern-Newsroom-Instagram-Post-1" border="0" /></a>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>&ldquo;El Le&rsquo;ba&rdquo; has been running for several years. How does it feel to look back at the early seasons compared to now?</strong></p>
<p>When I look back, I see how much the characters, storylines, and scripts have developed from the first season until now. We&rsquo;ve also grown as a team, we started as colleagues, but over time we&rsquo;ve become more like a family.</p>
<p><a href="https://ibb.co/2YvjRRv7"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/n87D447s/2.png" alt="2" border="0" /></a>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Your character Kareem has a unique relationship with his father. How did you balance humour with realism in portraying it?</strong></p>
<p>Presenting the character in a way that is both humorous and believable comes mainly from the rehearsals we do with Hesham Maged. We rehearse extensively, which helps us build that father-son dynamic and highlight the contrast in their personalities; the father who wants his son to be carefree and rebellious, and the son who wants his father to be responsible. A lot of that work happens behind the scenes.</p>
<p><a href="https://ibb.co/sd9W6cKZ"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/Zpz2YvB0/3.png" alt="3" border="0" /></a>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>What are behind-the-scenes moments like, especially working with actors such as Hesham Maged and Chico, and director Moataz El-Tony?</strong></p>
<p>I would divide the experience into two phases: seasons one to four, and then season five. In the earlier seasons, I couldn&rsquo;t quite that I was working with such big stars and an accomplished director like Moataz El-Tony. I was quite nervous and tended to keep to myself.</p>
<p>By season five, things had completely changed. We became much closer, more like a family. Of course, I&rsquo;ve grown older, but the senior actors like Hesham Maged and Chico were the ones who first reached out and helped me feel comfortable. That encouraged me to open up, talk more, and learn from them.</p>
<p>For me, season five has been the most enjoyable behind the scenes because we&rsquo;ve become closer and there&rsquo;s more room to exchange ideas. That even reflects in the script, as we sometimes make adjustments before filming.</p>
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<p><strong>You&rsquo;ve worked on several projects. Do you feel comedy is the genre closest to you?</strong></p>
<p>I&rsquo;ve worked on series such as &ldquo;El-Nehaya&rdquo; with Youssef El-Sherif and &ldquo;Al-Wasiya&rdquo; with Akram Hosny and Ahmed Amin. I do feel that comedy is closest to me, as it&rsquo;s often said that a strong comedic actor can also perform well in dramatic roles.</p>
<p>Most of my work has been within a comedic framework. The only project that leaned more towards drama was &ldquo;El-Nehaya&rdquo;. However, I would definitely welcome the opportunity to take on more dramatic or tragic roles in the future.</p>
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<p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B8yTDU7H6SN/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Hassan Wael | حسن وائل (@hassanwael.official)</a></p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>How similar are you to your character Kareem in real life?</strong></p>
<p>The character is actually quite close to me. My family often jokes, asking whether I&rsquo;m studying in the series or in real life. One of the traits we share is being hardworking and focused on our studies.</p>
<p><strong>Looking back over the past six years, what is the biggest change you see in yourself as an actor?</strong></p>
<p>After season four, there was a two-year break, which I used to work on improving myself. I&rsquo;m surrounded by actors with a strong on-screen presence, so I needed to develop my skills to keep up.</p>
<p>Many people supported me, especially Hesham Maged. If I wasn&rsquo;t sure how to approach a scene, he would guide me. Director Moataz El-Tony also played a major role in improving my performance this season.</p>
<p><a href="https://ibb.co/35P5jjQ1"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/hxTx44ws/4.png" alt="4" border="0" /></a>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Why do you think &ldquo;El Le&rsquo;ba&rdquo; has remained so successful over the years?</strong></p>
<p>There are several reasons. One of the most important is that the concept was fresh and hadn&rsquo;t been presented before. The chemistry between Chico and Hesham Maged is also very strong, which gives the series its unique spirit.</p>
<p>In addition, the writing continues to evolve each season, and having a strong comedy director like Moataz El-Tony plays a key role in the show&rsquo;s success.</p>
<p><a href="https://ibb.co/XMh3GhW"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/TdVbNVw/Copy-of-Copy-of-Red-and-Orange-Photocentric-Modern-Newsroom-Instagram-Post-2.png" alt="Copy-of-Copy-of-Red-and-Orange-Photocentric-Modern-Newsroom-Instagram-Post-2" border="0" /></a>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>What&rsquo;s next for you?</strong></p>
<p>For now, I&rsquo;m focusing mainly on my studies. Hopefully, &ldquo;El Le&rsquo;ba&rdquo; will continue to achieve even greater success.</p>
<p><strong>Photo Credit:</strong> Hassan Wael&rsquo;s official page</p>

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