CAIRO, 1 June 2005 — Young Egyptian actor Ahmad Izz has given his initial approval to director Khaled Jalal for the leading role in the upcoming play “Al Askafi Malikan,”, which will be presented at the National Theater.
The play will mark his theatrical debut. The actor’s participation is dependent upon his production company since his contract prohibits him from accepting any offer without their approval.
The Egyptian Actors Association recently issued an order against Ahmad, forbidding him from acting in any new film, after producer Mohammad Al-Adel filed a complaint against him. Al-Adel demanded that Ahmad honor the contract he had signed with him and begin shooting scenes for agreed upon films. Al-Adel firmly stated that Ahmad’s contract would not be renewed, arguing that an actor should respect a production company and not walk away without prior notice.
If Ahmad refuses to fulfill his obligations, he will demand full compensation, Al-Adel added.
For his part, Ahmad claims that he will not act in any film unless the role offered suits him, and if Al-Adel presents him with a good part, he will not hesitate to accept. Ahmad stated that if he receives a tempting offer from a producer for a new film, he will accept it and consider it a step ahead in his career.
Since the start of his career Ahmad has signed eight contracts with different producers to star in their films, but failed to act in any of them.
The actor’s blatant disregard for the contracts has led the Actors Association to take a firm stance against him. The Association claims he has created disputes among producers, and signed contracts for different projects at the same time, thinking it would help him reach stardom.
