There’ s Something About Phaedra On the set of her new Ramadan series By Brian Wright
CAIRO WEST MAGAZINE INTERVIEW
There’ s Something About Phaedra On the set of her new Ramadan series By Brian Wright
On a quiet Thursday afternoon in Sheikh Zayed, a small collection of villas behind Hyper One is buzzing with activity. Electric cables are quickly being strewn across gardens, running from large trucks into a rented-out home that has been temporarily transformed into a set of one of Egypt’ s latest Ramadan series. Down the street, a mirror surrounded by lights is thrown onto a bedroom table and the second floor of another home turns into a makeup studio where actress / director Phaedra is preparing to go in front of the camera.
Phaedra has developed an impressive career, starting with modeling and costume design in the late 90’ s and working her way into acting and directing. Outside of the world of media, she is also a staunch advocate of animal rights and is one of the more active actors working to defend the rights of animals and their keepers. In the middle of discussions about
8 9 hair extensions, eye shadow, and production assistants setting the schedule for the day, Cairo West Magazine sat with Phaedra to find out more about her career and her life outside.
CWM: What drew you into the acting world? PM: When I was 18 / 19 I was in medical school but was not sure that this should be my career and wanted to do something different. I left college and, with the complete support of my family, started doing odd jobs and exploring different fields. It was during this time that I met my husband, who is a director, and he is the one who introduced me to the whole field of art. I moved to New York and got my BA in design and did some modeling on the side, then eventually returned to Egypt and started working as a designer focusing on costumes and sets.