How often do we get to go to the biggest cinemas in the world and see diverse actors make up the majority of the cast?
I would wish we would get to a place of colour-blind casting, where it didn't matter what colour skin you are, where you came from, anybody could play anybody and we didn't judge it.
Art is very subjective and having to put numbers on it seems counterintuitive.
We immigrated when I was 3 1/2 years old, to Toronto. But I'm still very, very close to my culture and - back home in Egypt.
We're - we're Coptic Christian.
I try to support all the women in my life. So absolutely, Aladdin tries to do that as well, and rightfully - rightfully so.
I was told growing up that the arts were just a hobby - that I couldn't do it as a career.
I put in my time, I worked hard and I followed my dreams.
We've got to be able to get to a point where we represent everybody equally.
I get really quiet when I'm nervous. I don't freak out.
I shocked my parents with a lot of things, whether it was becoming an actor or when I was dating someone outside the Egyptian community or when I moved away from home before getting married.
I was in AP chemistry in high school, and I really liked it.
All I want for my career is I want to work with the best directors and I want to be treated like a Caucasian man would be.
I grew up not really seeing a lot of leads in the industry that weren't like - and I look up to these people - but like Ryan Gosling and Christian Bale.
I went to schools that had a significantly large Caucasian population and I feel very fortunate because I was able to compare that perspective with my family's. It allowed me to create a wider world view on things.
My parents saw certain things differently than other people.
I grew up in a culturally different household.
I went to theater school in Toronto for four years and grew up around actors, and things like headshots could cost you from $500 to $1,000. That can be a big deal for a struggling artist.
In the industry, artists of of color struggle the most. Caucasian artists have really solidified themselves in the industry, and with African Americans now we see directors and producers who vow to only produce work that shines a light on African American artists. But everybody in the middle gets lost.
I'm trying to be a voice for the North African Arab community. We've got to continue to fight for our place in the industry.
