May Calamawy On Ramy Season 3, Working With Bella Hadid, And Future Projects
The most anticipated show is coming back to our screens with a whole new season today. And who better to hear it from than the lead star herself?
Egyptian-Palestinian actress May Calamawy has risen to fame and for the right reasons. The thirty-five-year-old actress gained significant stardom after nailing her character as Dena Hassan in the comedy-drama show, Ramy.
And since, May hasn’t stopped. Recently the social media sensation caused a storm online with her appearance in Marvel’s Moon Knight, alongside Oscar Isaac and Ethan Hawke, where she broke records as the first ever Egyptian superhero. The star is returning on screens with Ramy season 3, which is all set to launch today, where she will be seen alongside supermodel Bella Hadid, who is making her acting debut.
From the real vision of the show to working with Bella Hadid, Bazaar Arabia speaks to May Calamawy on what fans can expect in the latest season of Ramy here…
Harper’s Bazaar Arabia (HBA): A lot of people are saying online that Ramy Season 3 is the best season yet to come. Do you agree or disagree with the statement?
May Calamawy (MC): This is a tough question. Season one felt like something new, it was funny and weird. And then I’d say Season Two got a bit serious and focused more on religion. And it’s almost like season one felt if you were Arab you could relate. Season two was more if you’re Muslim, you can relate. And now with the latest season, I think it goes back to more of the quirky, eccentric roots of season one. You know, the religion will always be part of it, because that’s something very dear to Ramy. And as a faith that has been, you know, given terrible stereotypes, I think it’s also important that it gets that representation. But I think for me, season three was just fun. We got the opportunity to dig deeper with the characters along with Ramy’s story.
HBA: Bella Hadid is making her acting debut in this season. How was your experience working with her?
MC: Bella is amazing. She’s like a funny dork in a way, like she’s just quirky and makes fun of herself and doesn’t take it seriously. She’s a cute and a very open person, truly a delight to have around. And to be quite honest with you, I was extremely impressed with her role choice. While I can’t disclose much, you’ll understand when you see the season. She comes across as a completely different character than what she usually portrays. And while I didn’t have any scenes with Bella, being with her on set was great.
HBA: How would you describe Ramy Youssef as a director, and his vision for the show?
MC: Ramy is genius. I admire how he is as a leader and pioneer. He just goes with his gut, whether or not people will like the content, I have seen him just take the plunge and execute what he feels is right. A lot of viewers sometimes get irritated as they won’t necessarily relate to the story. But that’s not every Arab’s story. And it’s not, because there aren’t many stories told, sometimes we just want the most realistic or the story that encapsulates every Arab in it, but this is just his story. So it’s good to watch it from a perspective of just that person, we don’t have to put the onus on this show to represent every single Arab. But he has opened doors, and definitely made people more curious about the Middle East and Muslim culture. So I’ll give him that.
HBA: How do you feel about Ramy Season 3 coming out today?
MC: I’m just excited. You know, at the end of the day, when you enjoy the whole experience its a different feeling altogether. I have to say the same about Moon Knight as well. With Ramy, we are like a family, we spend all day working on set and we leave and we just want to have dinner together, or just want to hang out together. Even if we’re not filming on some days, we just come to sit on set and spend time. There’s just such a great vibe. And it’s a testament to Ramy, of course, because it always comes from the top. For me the fun and bond that we have makes the experience. While audience reactions and success are super important, I would consider it to be secondary, because there can be a lot of mixed reviews, but nothing can change my experience of what I had on set.
HBA: And my last question is, what are you currently working on? Any exciting future projects?
MC: I’m currently developing a few things which I can’t talk about. I am working on several projects more from the production side, which has been a fun experience. I’d love to perform in them if that is available, but I’m getting very interested in finding various sorts of stories that I also want to be part of telling. And right now from my acting roles, I am still waiting to see what’s in the pipeline.
Photography by Jamie Nelson. Styling by Anna Castan
From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia’s November 2020 issue
Interview by Anahita Ghai