Nothing is fair in love and war

‘Egyptians are killing fellow Egyptians’ Cairo – Amira Tharwat Actress Rania Youssef has revealed all to Arabstoday in an exclusive interview about her role inThe Midnight Party. Rania explained that she plays the role of a businesswoman who uncovers a series of shocking betrayals by her friends. Youssef denied purposefully choosing scripts that deal with political corruption, such as her roles in TV drama Cairo Folk and the film The Cry of an Ant, saying she was simply drawn by the character’s credibility within the script. She added: “despite not being into politics, I am extremely sad about the current situation in Egypt and pessimistic about the outcome. The situation isn't encouraging and there is no easy way out of the crisis…all I know is that Egyptians are killing their fellow Egyptians for no logical reason." Rania also rejected being typecast as a woman of strong personality and says most of her roles depicted a woman who is ultimately vulnerable under her façade of power. The character closest to her own personality, she says, is that of Dawlat in the film Reclame, "because she's utterly helpless." Regarding her private life, Rania explained that she considers herself “lucky career-wise but unlucky in love,” having failed in her previous marriages. This is, as the actress explained, “Because destiny doesn't give one everything.” Speaking about the scandal surrounding the film Cuckoo, which is set to be released early in February, Youssef says she was "very upset" when the director was changed and actress Rowan joined the cast. The actress exclaimed: "I didn't do a movie with a title like that when I was just starting out, so how can I possibly be in a film called Cuckoo after having a successful career?" She has dismissed attempts at reconciliation, having lodged a complaint with the Actors' Syndicate, and said she is yet to receive the rest of her wages for the film. Youssef says she signed the contract for a different film “with me playing the lead role,” before actress Rowan was brought in and given additional songs and dances. Rania described the changes as "a breach of trust and a violation of the contract," and said that the producers, director and actress had intended to "exploit her fame and success to raise their own profiles." She says she feels "sorry" about the disregarding of the original script, which would have seen her play a young woman who falls in love with her cousin. Rania's international film career started with a part in a Japanese film. She has since acted in a German independent film, and was set to take the lead in a French film after being recommended by late director Youssef Chahine's production company, before the film was scrapped by censors. However the actress denies seeking global fame, saying her work in Egyptian productions means more to her. She is currently focusing on TV work for Ramadan and is set to appear in two series: Friendly Fire, which is written by Mohammed Amin, directed by Khaled Marei and produced by Tarek el-Geneini, and Operation Messi alongside leading comic actor Ahmed Helmi. Youssef is also getting ready to play the lead in two films: Playing with Wolves; written by Fathi el-Gendi, directed by Amir Shaker and co-starring Iyad Nassar, and Domino, which Hassan el-Raddad is rumoured be co-starring in.