<p><strong>By:</strong> Yomna Walid</p>
<p>At just a young age, Egyptian actress Khadeja Ahmed is proving that talent knows no age. With her deeply emotional performance in &ldquo;Happy Birthday&rdquo;&mdash;the film that just took home three awards at Tribeca 2025, including Best International Narrative Feature and Best Screenplay&mdash;Khadeja captivated audiences and critics alike. The film tells the story of a young maid in Cairo who longs for a simple birthday celebration while working for an upper-class family.</p>
<p>Through an exclusive interview with Nile FM, Khadeja opens up about her journey from early television roles to international recognition.</p>
<p><strong>&ldquo;I Was So Excited from the First Meeting&rdquo;</strong></p>
<p>What first drew Khadeja into &lsquo;Happy Birthday&rsquo; wasn&rsquo;t the script&mdash;it was the people.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I got really excited when I met director Sarah Goher,&rdquo; she says warmly. &ldquo;I loved her instantly. And of course, Mohamed Diab too. Before we even read the script, Sarah had us&mdash;me and Doha&mdash;play games together to get to know each other better. I loved that atmosphere.&rdquo;</p>
<p>It was a set filled with warmth and creative energy&mdash;something every young actor dreams of.</p>
<p><a href="https://imgbb.com/"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/rRWMDxgg/Whats-App-Image-2025-06-15-at-3-55-19-PM.jpg" alt="Whats-App-Image-2025-06-15-at-3-55-19-PM" border="0" /></a>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Mastering the Art of Emotion</strong></p>
<p>One of the standout aspects of Khadeja&rsquo;s performance was her ability to bring raw, genuine emotion to the screen.</p>
<p>&ldquo;A big challenge was all the crying scenes,&rdquo; she admits. &ldquo;I had to really feel the situation in each moment and stay completely focused, without breaking out of it.&rdquo;</p>
<p>She recalls a particularly touching scene:</p>
<p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s a part where I&rsquo;m begging my dad to come to my birthday. That scene really touched me deeply.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>From Drama to Depth: Mawaed Ma El Mady</strong></p>
<p>Audiences recently saw a more mature side of Khadeja in the TV drama Mawaed Ma El Mady (Appointment with the Past), where she played young Layla&mdash;a role later portrayed by actress Rakeen Saad. The character experiences trauma after witnessing Nadia&rsquo;s death, a dramatic plot twist revealed later in the series.</p>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DDSIQhyN_7N/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14">
<div style="padding: 16px;">
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;">&nbsp;</div>
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;">&nbsp;</div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="padding: 19% 0;">&nbsp;</div>
<div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;">&nbsp;</div>
<div style="padding-top: 8px;">
<div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div>
</div>
<div style="padding: 12.5% 0;">&nbsp;</div>
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;">
<div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);">&nbsp;</div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;">&nbsp;</div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 8px;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;">&nbsp;</div>
<div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: auto;">
<div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);">&nbsp;</div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);">&nbsp;</div>
<div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;">&nbsp;</div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
<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/DDSIQhyN_7N/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Khadeja Ahmed (@khadeja_ahmed_official)</a></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&ldquo;Funny enough, I actually filmed Mawaed Ma El Mady before Happy Birthday,&rdquo; she shares. &ldquo;Layla is one of the closest roles to my heart. Her performance was quite complex, so I had to study it well and stay very focused. It was a real challenge.&rdquo;</p>
<p>She credits director Sadeer Massoud for guiding her through the role:</p>
<p>&ldquo;He used to sit with me before each scene and talk through the performance. He was happy with me, and that made me really happy.&rdquo;</p>
<p><a href="https://imgbb.com/"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/Zp2YsZC0/Whats-App-Image-2025-06-15-at-3-55-19-PM-1.jpg" alt="Whats-App-Image-2025-06-15-at-3-55-19-PM-1" border="0" /></a>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>A Learning Curve Through Every Role</strong></p>
<p>Khadeja&rsquo;s journey began in early shows like &lsquo;Ela Ana&rsquo; and &lsquo;Teer Bina Ya Alby&rsquo;, and each role helped shape her as an actress.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Back then I was much younger. Even in &lsquo;Wa&rsquo;ad Sakheya&rsquo; with Hanan Motawie, it was more dramatic than the earlier shows. I like to read the character carefully, study it and try to deliver a new kind of performance each time.&rdquo;</p>
<p>She highlights the importance of having a supportive circle:</p>
<p>&ldquo;The director, my parents and everyone around me help me. I always want to do better.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>Big Names, Big Lessons</strong></p>
<p>Working alongside stars like Nelly Karim, Hanan Motawie and Mohamed Diab wasn&rsquo;t just exciting&mdash;it was educational.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Honestly, I can&rsquo;t choose just one person who supported me the most. They all did. I worked with Hanan Motawie before and learned a lot from her. And then I met Sarah Goher, who was always guiding me. Mohamed Diab was also super encouraging and praised my work.&rdquo;</p>
<p>But one moment still stands out:</p>
<p>&ldquo;I had always dreamed of working with Nelly Karim&mdash;and I finally did! That made me so happy.&rdquo;</p>
<p><a href="https://imgbb.com/"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/1Gm4ktbP/Whats-App-Image-2025-06-15-at-3-55-19-PM-2.jpg" alt="Whats-App-Image-2025-06-15-at-3-55-19-PM-2" border="0" /></a>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Balancing School and Script</strong></p>
<p>Being a young actress also means balancing school and filming&mdash;often at the same time.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Sometimes I have to film during exams, which makes things a bit stressful,&rdquo; she admits. &ldquo;Like recently, I was filming a movie during exam season, so I studied between scenes.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Still, Khadeja embraces the pressure:</p>
<p>&ldquo;I actually don&rsquo;t mind it&mdash;I love acting. And I made a deal with my mom that I&rsquo;ll study well and give the school its proper attention so that she and Dad will let me keep acting.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>Next Up: Mama W Baba</strong></p>
<p>Khadeja&rsquo;s next big project is already gaining attention.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m working on a new movie called Mama W Baba with Yasmine Raeis and Mohamed Abdelrahman &lsquo;Tota&rsquo;, directed by Ahmed El Qi&rsquo;ai.&rdquo;</p>
<p>With a cast and crew like that, fans can expect another standout performance.</p>
<p>Dream Collaborations and Wise Advice</p>
<p><strong>So who&rsquo;s on Khadeja&rsquo;s acting dream list?</strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;I really want to act with the superstars Ahmed Ezz, Karim Abdelaziz, and Mona Zaki. I love all their work and learn so much from watching them.&rdquo;</p>
<p>And her advice to other young talents?</p>
<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m still young and learning myself. But I think anyone starting should read carefully, develop their performance, work on themselves and truly feel the scene they&rsquo;re playing.&rdquo;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

On Air Now

Non-Stop Music

You May like

Schedule

Non-Stop Music