Samah Anwar: "I Stepped Away from Acting for Over 20 Years Due to Various Circumstances" Samah Anwar: "All My Work, Without Exception, Is Missing from the Internet and Platforms"

Egyptian actress Samah Anwar revealed that she stayed away from acting for more than two decades due to a range of personal and external factors. Speaking during a recent TV interview, she said:

“I stopped acting for 20 years for various reasons — some related to my health, and others due to the state of the country at the time. And when I returned, everything in the industry had obviously changed.”

Discussing the types of roles currently offered to her, she added:

“The whole 'mother' category — I know I’ve aged and all, but that shouldn’t be the only role I get. I should have a storyline of my own in a project, not just be ‘the mother.’”

"All My Work Was Deleted from the Internet"

In a surprising revelation, Samah Anwar stated that her entire artistic archive had been deleted from the internet and digital platforms — with no explanation.

She said:

“All of my work, without exception, is gone from the internet and streaming platforms — as if I never existed or did anything... but let’s call it a coincidence.”

Breaking the Mold: Her Early Days in Cinema

Reflecting on the beginning of her career, Anwar shared how she strived to break the stereotypical image of women in films:

“From the start, I wanted to do something different from the typical portrayal of women in cinema — the pretty, classy girl. I believed girls come in all forms, with their own kinds of struggles. But no one thought I could do action roles.”

Her Most Recent Work: Catalogue

Samah Anwar’s latest appearance was in the drama series “Catalogue”, which was recently released on a digital platform.

The series offers a warm blend of emotion and gentle humor, following Youssef Mohamed Farag, a man who suddenly finds himself responsible for raising his two children after the death of his wife, Amina (played by Riham Abdel Ghafour). He later discovers a series of parenting video recordings left behind by his wife to help him navigate his new role as a single father.