Why Youssef El-Sherif Is the Most Compelling Actor on the Scene
Mentioned in our top six Ramadan 2015 mosalsalat, we shed light on the brilliant Youssef El-Sherif. In my humble opinion, he has given us the best mosalsalat over the past five years, from El Mowaten X to this year’s Le3bet Iblis.
In comparison to your typical Ramadan TV shows, Youssef El-Sherif always plays unique roles and collaborates with a bright crew to deliver a cunning, meaningful and mind-blowing tamsleya. Here’s why Youssef El-Sherif is one of our favorite actors on the scene:
El Mowaten X
Based on the story of Khaled Saeed, El-Sherif plays the title role of Saeed himself, or X, whose death sparked the Jan. 25 revolution. The innocence of X after his murder and emotional flashbacks of his relationships with his friends and family could not have been portrayed better by anyone other than Youssef El-Sherif. In the end, you feel like you want to relive those 18 days to avenge X.
Rakam Maghoul
El-Sherif plays a bright young lawyer whose life is upended out of the blue one day because of a phone call from an unknown number (“rakam maghoul”). As the caller blackmails him throughout the show to do his dirty deeds, El-Sherif depicts how decent people can be stepped over in a corrupt world – something very common these days.
Esm Mo2akat
A successful businessman based in the UK, El-Sherif’s character returns to Egypt to support a candidate in the presidential elections and ends up getting mugged and losing his memory from a head injury. His life gets completely turned around; his identity is stolen, no one recognizes him and he becomes embroiled with bad people. El-Sherif fits the hero role perfectly – as superb as Liam Neeson in Unknown, which is almost the same story as the show.
El Sayyad
All I can say is that I was left with my jaw wide open from the brilliance of the show and Youssef El-Sherif’s extraordinary acting. After joining a force of elite police officers, El-Sherif’s character goes rogue when he finds out that his squad is corrupt.
He puts on an act throughout the whole show, faking being blind, weak and vulnerable. The final scene itself deserves an Oscar; his friends kill him with a smile on his face and tears through their eyes.
Le3bet Iblis
No other TV show this Ramadan is as complex and mind-blowing as this one. El-Sherif plays two brothers and, until now, I don’t know who is the villain and who is the hero. The show involves a series of back stabbings and sellouts, tricks and manipulative schemes, and bribes and blackmailing.
WE SAID THIS: Don’t miss Why Bassel Khayyat Is Hands Down Our Favorite Arab TV Villain.
