Egyptian dubbing has actually always been a big deal—this isn’t a new industry at all—but what’s been shifting recently is who is stepping into it. In the past couple of years, we’ve started seeing celebrities you wouldn’t necessarily expect try their hand at voice acting, often for the first time, and sometimes in pretty personal or surprising ways.
Here are a few recent examples:
Nour El Nabawy as Azzam
GOAT
Nour El Nabawy recently made his dubbing debut as the lead voice in the animated film GOAT, voicing the main character “Azzam.” The story follows a young goat chasing his dream of joining a basketball league, and it’s very much a high-energy, underdog-style adventure.
What makes this interesting is how naturally he connects to the role—he’s described the character as reflecting his own personality in terms of ambition and drive. It’s also his first time stepping into animation, working under director Aya Hamza, and he leaned fully into the experience rather than treating it like a side project.
Enaam Salousa as the Queen of Insects
Hoppers
Veteran actress Enaam Salousa surprised many by joining the Arabic dub of a Disney-Pixar project (Hoppers / Sondos in a Beaver’s World as referenced), voicing the Queen of Insects—a role originally played by Meryl Streep in English. What’s notable here is that this is her first-ever dubbing role, and she’s doing it at 86. It’s a fun reminder that voice acting isn’t limited by age or background, and sometimes people step into it much later in their careers and still bring a strong presence.
Mohammed Tarek as Aquaman
DC League of Super-Pets
Mohammed Tarek voiced Aquaman in the Arabic-dubbed version of DC League of Super-Pets.
His entry into dubbing is very much the “unexpected phone call while living a normal life” kind of story—he was literally in university when he got the offer. Beyond the anecdote, he’s long been passionate about voice acting, building his own characters and comedic impressions online, so this role felt like a full-circle moment for him.
Shared post on Time
Akram Hosny as Garfield
The Garfield Movie (2024)
In a lighter but very fun turn, Akram Hosny recently stepped into dubbing for the animated film The Garfield Movie, voicing Garfield in its Arabic version. It’s his first foray into voice acting, and it comes with a playful twist—he’s even doing it alongside his son Yassin, which gives the whole experience a more personal, family-driven energy.
Alaa Elsheikh as Luigi
Super Mario Franchise
Alaa Elsheikh continues as the official Arabic voice of Luigi in the The Super Mario Bros. Movie universe, but this time with a personal twist.
In a recent project tied to the Super Mario Galaxy world, he introduced a new voice alongside him—his son, Kokka, who made his dubbing debut voicing the Lumas (the stars).
What stands out isn’t just the roles themselves, but how personal these experiences seem to be—whether it’s ticking off a childhood dream, trying something new later in life, or even sharing it with family. It gives dubbing a different kind of charm.
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