Sumaya Rida On Self Discovery, Success and Saudi Arabia’s Creative Future
From academia to acting, the KSA actress tells Bazaar Saudi why a lifelong hunger for knowledge is her super power
When Sumaya dials into our video call, her natural beauty immediately emanates through the screen; flawless complexion, caramel eyes, trademark long hair cascading over her shoulders. She’s sitting in front of an opaque, moody painting of a full moon in the night sky and I comment on its elegance. She proudly tells me that her sister painted it. A talent for the arts, it seems, is in the blood.
She recently wrapped filming on Rise of the Witches, which sees her take a lead role in what is set to be Saudi Arabia’s biggest-ever TV series, based on the best-selling books by homegrown author Osamah Al Muslim. She is a formidable talent, making history with Roll’em and Junoon, which were amongst the first movies to be screened in Saudi after the 35-year cinema ban was lifted. Sumaya is, perhaps, most well-known for the hit crime-thriller show Rashash, and starring alongside Fayez Bin Jurayz and Billy Zane in Rupture, which won Best Saudi Film at the inaugural Red Sea International Film Festival. But, while she’s had a meteoric rise to the forefront of the Kingdom’s fledgling film industry, her story is also one of unwavering hard work.
As a child, Sumaya would direct short films and gather her family to watch them. They were magnanimous with appreciation for the first seed of talent that would eventually bloom into an acting career. “When you make something, you expect praise or appreciation from your family,” she explains. “But I think I am extra lucky, because my family appreciate art in all its forms. Their love and devotion [for the arts] helped me.”
Despite finding joy in filmmaking in her formative years, Sumaya’s pragmatic nature and dedication to studying drew her to business and management. She was good at it – very good, in fact – earning a BA in Business and an MSc in International Marketing at the University of Surrey in England. However, Sumaya explains that while some people are lucky enough to know what they want to do from childhood, others have to take a longer path: “I wish I was one of these people who knew what they wanted since they were 10-years-old and were like ‘hey I want to be an astronaut!’ but sometimes, especially more sensitive or emotional individuals, have to discover themselves in order to know what they want in life.”
As part of the marketing course, Sumaya and her fellow students shot adverts and she found that acting in them fed her creatively. Despite going on to land a respected job in the industry, it was clear that this path wasn’t where her true passion lay. Around this time, she had a chance meeting with a director and asked if he had a role that might suit her in his upcoming TV show, Bashar. “I thought to myself, I have to take initiative, I will not wait,” she says, zeroing in on her emotions that day. She ended up playing a woman with claustrophobia who is stuck in a lift with three men. “It was a serious role. I knew I had to prepare for it so I took a lot of training. I mean a lot,” she emphasises. And while she’s never looked back, Sumaya is philosophical about the scenic route she took to find her true calling. “I believe there is nothing you learn in life that goes to waste. You always benefit,” she says of her previous profession. “At the very bottom line, [filmmaking] is a sort of business. Is this going to sell? Is this going to work out? How will the viewer, the consumer, feel about it?”
This is clearly something she often considers, and when I ask which parts of her academic background are most useful, she’s noticeably excited to discuss it. “Consumer behaviour and psychology… Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs,” she reels off effortlessly. The latter is a colour-coded theory that highlights five human needs that dictate an individual’s behaviour. “It’s very relatable actually – I compare that to director’s mood boards and the colours they put into movies. For example, the latest show I did [Rise of the Witches] is more cinematic, more of a darker theme to it. I pay attention to all of that. My studies added a lot to my acting career from a theoretical perspective.”
Coming into acting with a studious brain, it’s not surprising that Sumaya is a method actor. Her preparation for Rupture was intense and she learned professional baking in order to make her character’s occupation believable. There were also hazardous scenes to contend with, and she jumped (literally) at the chance to do her own stunts. “Glass breaking, jumping, running, stabbing, hitting… lots of action! We also had a professional stunt team I worked with for the fight scenes,” she tells me with passion erupting from within. “Acting is a dangerous career – it’s not as easy as people think. I had this scene where I run and then fall, and I had to hit a mark. Because it’s cinematic, you might have to repeat a take 20 times so they get everything right. After several takes, I had a sore muscle which started in my neck down to my toes. I had to have some physical therapy after that scene. But I always push myself to the limit. I like the thrill. I like the challenge. I love the environment… The scent, the action, the vibe. It feeds me as a human being.”
Sumaya doesn’t just take her work seriously from an individual point of view. She knows that she is an important part of Saudi Arabia’s creative future. Roll’em was amongst the first films to be premiered in Saudi cinemas after legalisation, cementing her name in filmmaking history. “I was surprised and dazzled and happy,” she beams, reminiscing about the day she found out it would be screened. “When we were shooting [the movie], we didn’t know. After we finished, the news reached me that the cinema ban was lifted. All the actors had the same surprise.”
While the Kingdom’s artistic community is gaining more recognition on the world stage, Sumaya is insightful about the duty she carries – “I’m really excited but at the same time I feel responsible. I feel that I need to [help] the upcoming Saudi talents to have a smoother path with more resources. I give it my all in every way that I can. It’s an honour to have these possibilities and opportunities – our country is having wonderful shifts these days, and I know that we have to take initiative, work, and do our part to make the most of it.”
People are often surprised to hear that, away from the dazzling lights and red-carpet glam, the person behind the camera isn’t a socialite or partygoer. Sumaya is a homebody who enjoys meditation, prayer, and putting her newfound baking skills to good use at family gatherings. Of course, ever the academic, she is always acquiring more wisdom along the way. “I love learning new skills. It evolves me as a human being and it also adds to my experience in life,” she asserts. “People who never lose the interest to learn, never get old. They always have this spark, to be interested, discover new things, be nosey, a little excitement to learn something about life. Whether it’s learning about human behaviour, or learning human patterns, or learning a new skill. It doesn’t matter what it is.”
Sumaya is ticking professional goals off her list as we speak. She explains that last year she told a reporter that she’d like her next role to be in a fantasy with a green screen. Enter Rise of the Witches: “Around 50 per cent was filmed in a green studio… we are just waiting to see the other half of it!” she laughs. The TV series will be packed with visual effects and CGI, utilising some of the best technology. On a broader scale, she hopes to pave the way for new talent while leaving a legacy in the industry. “I’m trying to engrave my name in history and make work that people will look back at…” she pauses for a moment. “Inspire people and touch people’s hearts, to make others think – for me, this means a lot.” Her personal ambitions are centered around spending time with family and ensuring she leads her life in a way that makes her feel both fulfilled and happy.
I find that while talking to Sumaya, I’m wondering how I can apply her sage advice to my own dreams. She has a calming, yet inspirational presence, with a way of putting things that is both self-assured yet humble. Our conversation weaves through her career while being punctuated with psychological insight and moments of unabashed bravery. Leaving her job to pursue acting, approaching a director on a whim, exerting herself physically and mentally in pursuit of her goals – Sumaya is proof that hard work and a determined attitude takes you places. She tells me that the best feedback she can get from people is that she’s “professional, punctual and organised,” which, as a journalist who has interviewed many people, I can say with some degree of authority, is a rarity.
Rise of the Witches will likely propel her to a new level of fame, and I question how it feels to have a large following that is on the cusp of growing even larger? “I’m learning more and more as I go,” she explains. “I walk on the street and people say ‘oh you’re Sumaya, can we have a photo?’ I have a fan base so I’m learning to adapt to their wants and needs, and try to fulfill as much as I can. I’m really happy that I’m getting that support from the Saudi youth. It really means a lot to me to be someone for people to look up to.”
Sumaya Rida is certainly someone worth looking up to.
Photography: Raffaele Marone. Styling: Nour Bou Ezz.
Editor in Chief: Olivia Phillips. Arabic Editor: Khulood Ahmed. Art Director: Oscar Yanez. Producer: Steff Hawker. Hair: Manal Al Yaseen. Make-up: Manuel Losada. Talent Agent: Haute PR + Style. Photographer’s Assistant: Faisal Sayed. Production Assistants: Nourah Aldaej and Rahaf Al-Qunaibet. Special thanks to Boutique Group and Bliss Flower Boutique.
From Harper’s Bazaar Saudi’s Autumn 2022 issue