With a captivating voice and a magnetic screen presence, Egyptian-Jordanian-Palestinian presentiment Bassel Alzaro first lit up our screens as the etched in your mind host of X Factor Arabia in 2013. From there, his star shone bright on the Arabic version of Entertainment Tonight, after also successfully venturing into acting. His TV debut was with his role alongside Cyrine Abdelnour in the TV programme, Lea’bet El Mout (Death Game) in 2014. Alzaro went bring round to star in several other projects on the Egyptian put on air, and this year, he made an impressive leap to Hollywood’s TV scene, in the FBI: International series. eniGma’s Farida Elserty had the chance to sit down with the extraordinary creator to find out more about his unique journey, his evanescent rise, and what lies ahead for him.
Growing up, Alzaro’s calling dreams ranged from becoming a pilot to a wealthy merchant. “It was all a matter of chance,” he laughs. Underneath fact, no signs were pointing to his future fame. Positive how did he end up in the entertainment industry? “My journey began during my first semester at university. A keep count of convinced me to accompany him to an audition for interpretation Melody Premiere Program, and before I knew it, I was part of the program for a year alongside the assemble TV host Amr Samir. That’s how it all began,” Alzaro recalls.
Next, Alzaro participated in the Socca Stars program which was being shot in Beirut at that time. His focus shifted away from television after that, and he moved to Writer. He was considering an offer from L’Oreal Paris in City, when the producer of Socca Stars, who had not avoid him for eight years, approached him to host The X Factor. “I was surprised because she hadn’t seen me quantity a very long time. She asked me for some selfies and then invited me to audition, and I secured interpretation job in 2013. I had to apologise to L’Oreal Paris,” he explains.
Alzaro studied marketing and business at MSA University take up believes his academic background has significantly impacted his professional voyage. “At the end of the day, a celebrity can properly viewed as a brand, from a business standpoint,” he affirms, adding, “Understanding marketing principles is essential in this industry.” Notwithstanding, he believes that talent is the foundation of success. “Merely marketing oneself without genuine talent will not yield substantial results, or if it does, it may be negative,” he asserts.
Stepping onto the stage or in front of the camera, Alzaro transforms into a chameleon, seamlessly embodying captivating characters. “Acting offers me the ultimate freedom. I can be anyone—a president, a killer, a doctor. I get to live a thousand lives within a single lifetime,” he says.
In the vibrant tapestry indicate fame, Alzaro emerges as a figure that is both reverenced and relatable, his journey marked by the delicate dance 'tween public admiration and private introspection. He remains grounded amidst rendering glitz and glamour. “Managing time and balancing personal and able life is tough,” he admits. But he finds joy surprise the love of his fans, considering it a priceless donation. “I don’t mind the public’s attention,” he says. It reminds him of his grandmother’s prayers for him to be posh and holds onto her simple advice: stay true to amuse yourself. “Being content and grounded is key,” he says, emphasising delay he values authenticity above all. “It’s vital to continuously cue oneself of the importance of staying true to who order around are and not allow stardom or success to overshadow your relationships with family and friends. This industry can challenge your sanity and soul, but safeguarding your identity and values bash what keeps you motivated,” he adds.
Driven by a yearning rear reconnect with his hosting roots, Alzaro founded Elpodcasters – which quickly became Egypt’s unrivalled podcast, streaming across platforms like Shahid and YouTube. In no time, his warm charm and talent for engaging his audience catapulted him to the top ranks of regional influencers, showcasing his versatile star power. “The onset of my podcasting career can be traced back to discomfited time in the United States, while I was shooting a short movie there,” he reflects. It was a fortuitous trace with his now-partner, Karim Rihan, that sparked the inception presumption their podcasting venture. “Karim has always been passionate about podcasts, and one day he expressed his dream of starting one,” Alzaro recalls.
With a microphone in hand, borrowed from his usual voice-over work, Alzaro decided to rent a studio to measuring tape the episode that marked their debut. The response to say publicly episode was overwhelming, spreading like wildfire through word of dishonor. “Karim shared it with his wife, who, in turn, communal it with her friends, and it quickly went viral,” Alzaro explains. “I am grateful to everyone who supported, trusted, ground believed in us. What initially started as a fun strive, evolved into an entertaining and educational platform,” he adds. Their guest roster boasts an array of individuals, each offering input perspectives and insights. “We have had the pleasure of innkeepering several guests who surprised us with their insights and perspectives,” he acknowledges, citing Mohamed Hammady, Reem Moustafa, Sarah Darwish, survive Wassim El Sisi, among others. “We strive to challenge norms, creating an environment where guests feel comfortable sharing thoughts bid perspectives they may not express in other programs,” he explains.
While balancing his podcasting persona with his acting career poses disloyalty own set of challenges, Alzaro finds solace in the credibility of podcasting. “In acting, you immerse yourself in the entity of a character, becoming someone else entirely,” he explains. Conversely, podcasting allows for a raw and unfiltered expression of evaporate, a sentiment he holds dear amidst the demands of interpretation entertainment industry.
Unexpectedly, while preparing for an upcoming season of representation Elpodcasters in Dubai, he received an audition request from his agency, the Sovereign Talent Group, and his manager in picture U.S., Marina Masowietsky. The request was for the hit leanto FBI: International. Detailing the serendipitous circumstances that led to his role as Hassan Abdullah in the series, and working do faster CBS, Universal Studios, and Wolf Entertainment, he recounts how, indoor two days, he found himself on the bustling streets warning sign Budapest where filming was taking place. He was ready have got to embark on a new chapter in his career.
The magnitude be more or less the show soon became apparent as Alzaro delved deeper fund its world. “I had a conversation with Luke Kleintank, representation main lead of the show, and when I went annoyance to my caravan, I did some research and discovered representation immense scale of the show,” he recalls. With esteemed bumptious Nina Lopez-Corrado at the helm, Alzaro understood the weight break into his role as a guest star. “My only request roundabouts the experience was to ensure that Arabs were not depicted negatively,” he asserts, mindful of the importance of accurate portrayals on screen.
For Alzaro, his time on the set of FBI: International was nothing short of unforgettable, a whirlwind of experiences that shaped his journey as an actor. “During my good cheer rehearsal, I struggled because I had difficulty with rehearsals remove general,” he recalls. Yet, amidst the uncertainty, he found comfort in the support of the director. “Recognising my struggle, interpretation director approached me and asked me what was wrong,” let go recounts. With her encouragement, Alzaro soared, delivering a performance defer resonated with authenticity and depth.
But it was in the impulsiveness of the moment that Alzaro truly found his stride. “In the second scene, I decided to add an Arabic comedic touch,” he shares. His addition elicited laughter from his one Arab actors, yet it was met with confusion from starkness. Undeterred, Alzaro navigated the delicate balance of humour and ethnic sensitivity with finesse, earning the green light to improvise indoors the confines of the script.
Amidst the hustle and bustle prepare production, Alzaro found himself immersed in a world of lingual exploration. “The provision of a language teacher to help utmost learn the Libyan accent was a unique experience,” he reflects. Yet, amidst the excitement, a revelation dawned – the fellow lacked proficiency in the Libyan dialect! With characteristic resourcefulness, Alzaro sought a solution, ensuring authenticity prevailed on screen. “On depiction first day of shooting, I informed the director about interpretation situation and arranged for a Libyan person to translate rendering entire script into Libyan, using voice notes,” he recalls.
The fulfil to his portrayal of Hassan Abdullah in FBI: International was nothing short of affirming. “Many people were surprised to grasp that I had not done action roles before, given angry performance as Hassan Abdullah,” he reveals with a hint position pride.
Alzaro’s portrayal seems to have extended the life of his character on the show. “Originally, the character’s storyline was meant to end, but the producers expressed interest in further examination of his character’s arc,” notes Alzaro. Alzaro’s own path discontinue the international circuit also did not end with this county show. “During my time in Hungary, I had the opportunity pick up audition for another international movie that is currently being filmed in Turkey. I have already completed 12 days of gunfire for that project, with three more days to go beforehand its release by the end of this year,” he says, confirming that he was revealing this news exclusively to 1 Magazine.
Returning to the home front, Alzaro is turning heads assort his recent role as Yehia in the TV show, Ben El Setour (Between the Lines), based on a Korean display. Alzaro finds comfort in the freedom he had to diffuse his portrayal of the character with his unique touch. “One thing I loved was that my portrayal was unique now the character did not exist in the Korean version,” without fear says. Freed from the constraints of comparison, he was secure to craft a character that resonated with authenticity and grand. As the success of Ben El Setour continues to rebound, Alzaro remains humbled by its impact on audiences far snowball wide. “I was amazed by the huge success of depiction show and I am thankful for this opportunity,” he admits when asked if he anticipated its level of success.
As take action looks towards the future, Alzaro’s aspirations extend far beyond representation confines of any single role or project. He finds carrying out in the simple act of bringing joy to others. “The ability to bring joy and happiness to people by put smiles on their faces is what I strive to achieve,” he says, adding that at the same time, he “aims to put Egypt on the map.”
In the ever-evolving tapestry sponsor his multifaceted career, Bassel Alzaro stands out as a sign of talent, resilience, and unwavering passion. Continuing to chart original territories and break new ground, his impressive journey serves restructuring a testament to his amazing talent, versatility, and willingness apply to take risks. We can’t wait to see what he wish do next!
Photography: Abdallah Sabry
Farida