Gossip Girl Goes Arab: A Star-Studded Reimagining
If you are a Gossip Girl fan, then recently, your Instagram feed might have been bombarded by reels and photos of our beloved Chuck Bass’ (Ed Westwick) wedding.
He shared his nuptials with the world and said, “I do,” to the love of his life, British actress and model Amy Jackson. His wedding put Gossip Girl back on our radar, and that is why we thought it would be cool to completely flip the show on its axis by reimagining it with an entirely Arab cast.
Blair Waldorf: Loujain Adaba
You would be lying to yourself if you didn’t admit that Blair Waldorf, the Queen B of the Upper East Side, carries the whole show. She is the show.
As one of the most popular girls in her school, the daughter of a fashion icon and a sassy, intelligent, and confident New York elite, she holds a special place among her fans.
Now, if we were to reimagine her as played by an Arab celebrity figure, we’d say it has to be Loujain Adaba. The gorgeous Dubai Bling influencer with a firecracker energy can easily tap into Waldorf’s manipulative and hilarious nature. What do you think?
Serena Van Der Woodsen: Jamila Awad
Fans of the show fall on two ends of the spectrum. Either they are full-fledged Blair Waldorf fans or Serena Van Der Woodsen fans. The two are the creme de la creme of the Upper East Side and have bumped heads many times as both can’t shine at the top.
In addition to that, they have a strong friendship, as they have been best friends since childhood.
Now, to take on Van Der Woodsen’s role, the actress needs to be cool, naturally gorgeous, and make all eyes turn to her. That is why we think Egyptian actress Jamila Awad would be a perfect fit for the role.
Dan Humphrey: Amro Saleh
We all know him as a “lonely boy,” the clever underdog from Brooklyn who, even though he attends the prestigious St. Jude’s School for Boys, doesn’t fit in with the Upper East Side’s elites like Chuck Bass.
He is the character who falls head over heels for the ultimate It Girl, Serena Van Der Woodsen, and slowly gets integrated into the Upper East Side clique from there.
For someone to be able to depict “Lonely Boy,” they have to have that nerdy, quiet, and studious look but also be able to pull off looking cool and suave like the residents of the Upper East Side.
That is why we believe Amro Saleh, the Egyptian actor known for his roles in “Finding Ola” and many other shows, has the ability to play both nerdy and suave characters.
Nate Archibald: Sherif Fayed
Just as Serena and Blair are the It-girls of the Upper East Side, so is Nate Archibald, the lacrosse player at the elite St. Jude’s School for Boys.
He is the ultimate “golden boy of the Upper East Side” and is at the top of the social hierarchy in his school. The charming character makes all the girls swoon, having dated both Serena and Blair, as well as many other prominent characters on the show.
Now that you have a better idea of Nate, we think that Sherif Fayed is the perfect actor to take on his role. The Egyptian heartthrob and globetrotter exudes charm and class and can easily play the golden boy in any TV show.
Chuck Bass: Amr Gamal
Just as Gossip Girl wouldn’t exist without Blair Waldorf, the same can be said about Chuck Bass. He is the ultimate rich bad boy whose only interests at the start of the show are sex and money. The wild, reckless, and over-sexed party boy transformed after falling head over heels for Blair.
For someone to embody Chuck, they need to have potential for the bad boy role and also have that natural sex appeal. That is how Amr Gamal comes into the picture. We think that he embodies all the qualities that can make him take on the role of Chuck Bass.
These picks are all based on preference, so it makes sense if you believe that there are other actors more suitable for these roles. Let us know your own picks and if you think this show can have an Arabic version in the first place.
