A chance meeting between Amr Saad and Adel Imam... and surprising advice

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Egyptian artist Amr Saad revealed surprising advice he received from leader Adel Imam, stressing that it changed his view of fame and criticism, and consolidated his conviction that hard work and creating an influential artistic history are the most important in the artist’s career, away from controversy and media hype.

During his interview on Dina Ghabbour's podcast, Amr Saad recalled the details of a meeting he had with Adel Imam by chance while offering condolences, when the leader stopped him and sat next to him, before praising his performance in one of the characters he embodied.

Saad recounted the details of the situation, saying: “He grabbed me by the hand and made me sit next to him while I was inside. I was silent. The Qur’an was working, so in a moment of free time, he started to say to me: What a nice Saidi man you used to work with.”

He also explained that Adel Imam did not just praise his performance, but rather gave him direct advice in which he called on him to focus on his work and talent, instead of being preoccupied with the criticism and opinions surrounding him, saying: “You are a beautiful and talented actor and your eyes are beautiful, don’t work!”

Amr Saad indicated that the leader relied on his personal experience to clarify his idea, as he told him that he had been subjected, according to what was reported from him, to what he described as media persecution for 11 years, despite his artistic standing and successes.

Saad quoted Adel Imam as saying: “He said, ‘I spent 11 years persecuted by the media to a certain extent and by large newspapers. In the end, you sit and work. You work and work and investigate and make a name.’”

He stressed that these words left a great impact on him, because they summarized a clear philosophy in dealing with criticism, which is based on continuing work and achieving successes instead of entering into debates that drain the artist’s energy, without adding to his artistic balance.

Saad said about the advice: “This is advice from Dahab, because everyone will forget the things surrounding your main business... You gain history, and you gain influence, and this is the most important thing.”

He added that the public's view and opinions surrounding the artist may change with the passage of time, while successful works remain a witness to his career, stressing that the true value is not measured by the amount of controversy surrounding the artist, but rather by the works he presents and the impact he leaves on the audience.

In a related context, Amr Saad spoke about his relationship with media appearances, explaining that some of his previous meetings left the audience with the impression that he was being nervous or tending to defend himself. He attributed this to his feeling nervous and uncomfortable in front of the camera, and his fear of making mistakes.

He pointed out that he reduced his media appearance for a period of his life, before his outlook on the matter changed, and he became more aware of the necessity of separating his artistic career from the opinions and criticism surrounding it.

Amr Saad is considered one of the most prominent Egyptian actors, thanks to his various roles that combined popular character with human and social drama.

He began his artistic career in the late 1990s, with the films “The Other” by director Youssef Chahine and “The City” by director Yousry Nasrallah.

The movie “Hena Maysara” in 2007 was a milestone in his career, before he continued his cinematic successes through “Dokan Shehata,” “Mawlana,” “Regatta,” and “Karma.” He also achieved a remarkable presence on the small screen through several series, including “Younes Ould Fadda,” “Maluk Al-Jadaana,” and “Sayyid Al-Nas.”