It’s time to take some ~notes~ as school is officially back in session. AlRawabi School For Girls, Season 2 indeed premieres today – on February 15, 2024 – exclusively on Netflix. It’s hard to believe the big day has finally come (!!)
To commemorate the Jordanian coming-of-age drama series’ eagerly anticipated release, Cosmo ME caught up with three of the show’s leading ladies: Sarah Youssef who plays Tasneem, Tara Atalla who plays Nadeen, and Raneem Haitham who plays Farah.
In a chat with Cosmo ME, the up-and-coming stars shared just how close they all are in real life, proving that the *entire* cast has one special hidden talent in common; in addition to comparing and contrasting their real personalities with their characters on AlRawabi School for Girls, Season 2. Read ahead for all the deets…
Inside Cosmo ME’s interview with the AlRawabi School for Girls Season 2 cast…
Cosmo ME: Who out of the cast is the most similar to their character in real life, and who is the most different?
Raneem: I think the most similar to their character is Tara Atalla in a good way. She’s very loyal; she’s got everyone’s back – so in that case, Tara. I love you, girl.
Sarah: I think the one person who’s so different from her character is Kira. Kira literally has the biggest heart; she’s such a sweet person, and she’s so loving and approachable – so it has to be Kira.
Cosmo ME: Are you all friends in real life, and how was it getting along on set?
Tara: I think we’re all basically sisters at this point. We spend everyday together, but we genuinely get along so well. And even after we finished filming, we planned a cute girls trip together to Beirut.
Raneem: We became besties in just two weeks.
Sarah: We’re always talking, texting, updating each other and planning get-togethers. It was a process, though. At first, when I met all of them at the audition, I was like, “Hmmm….” I remember I was *so* scared of Kira, I was like, “I don’t know…” But we ended up getting along very well.
Cosmo ME: What’s one thing that people would be surprised to know about you, something that they wouldn’t be able to tell based off your character alone?
Raneem: People wouldn’t guess that I’m very quiet. I’m not a very talkative person, and I like to listen more than I speak. I like talking to those closest to me, but with people that I’ve met for the first time, I like to listen and observe. I do end up talking more once I start warming up to them, though. This is all very different from my character Farah.
Sarah: Tasneem is the it-girl. She’s untouchable; no one approaches her, and she’s so intimidating. I would be scared of Tasneem. But for me, I’m the opposite of that. I would like to think that I’m very friendly and approachable, and I love socialising with people and getting to know people. I always find myself introducing myself to new people, so I think that’s how I differ from my character Tasneem.
Tara: My character Nadeen is quite reserved and a bit closed off from most people. She has her specific people that she kind of likes and sticks to, whereas I’m more outgoing. I love to live life, go out, meet new people, and see new things.
Cosmo ME: Do you have any hidden talents? Do any of you sing, or are any of your dancers? Will we be seeing any of that in future projects?
Tara: All of us actually sing.
Sarah: Yes, we all sing. Not just us three, but all six of us – the *entire* cast sings.
Tara: Yes we actually sing together a lot whenever we get together, even on set.
Raneem: Yes, it’s not really hidden anymore.
Sarah: Yes, all crew members know that we sing.
Cosmo ME: So can we expect a cover, or maybe hearing you sing on the show?
Collectively: Maybe. (Laughs)
Sarah: I’m also an equestrian, a horseback rider. I sing and I also do plenty of dance. So I’m hoping to get the opportunity to do *especially* horseback riding in a period film or something – that would be really cool.
Raneem: I kind of know how to do impressions, but that’s too much pressure to put on me so I’m not going to do them right now.
Sarah: She’s also really good with accents.
Cosmo ME: Which character on the show would shock audiences the most, perhaps the character with the biggest arc?
Raneem: That’s so interesting. It’s hard to say one specific character. I think you can almost see that in every character because we all go through that at some point.
Sarah: Yes the character arc for each of the characters is huge. The journey each of our characters takes the audience on is huge, each one of us.
Cosmo ME: Let’s do a round of fun questions. What is your favourite TikTok trend at the moment?
Raneem: I haven’t logged onto TikTok in so long.
Tara: I think the three of us are the least into TikTok out of the entire cast because we’re the three oldest out of all the cast.
Cosmo ME: How old are you girls?
Tara: I’m 24.
Sarah: I’m 26.
Raneem: I’m 25.
Sarah: Honestly it was so funny because personally, and even Tara and Raneem can relate, I had no clue how to use TikTok at all on set. I would go to Thalia, the youngest in the cast, asking, “Thalia, how do I shoot this? What’s the right angle?” Thalia and Kira both taught us everything.
Raneem: I did some TikToks, but that was so long ago. I know some stuff but not like Kira and Thalia.
Sarah: Yeah, they’re the pros.
Cosmo ME: If you were a PowerPuff girl, which one would you be?
Sarah: I would be Bubbles, and she was actually my all-time favourite growing up.
Raneem: I would be a mix of Bubbles and Blossom.
Tara: I would be Blossom, and she was my favourite growing up.
Sarah: I can’t think of anyone in the cast being Buttercup.
Cosmo ME: What is your favourite song off the Season 2 soundtrack?
Sarah: Season 2 has *amazing* music. We were able to watch the show prior to its release, and the soundtrack they were able to use was phenomenal. I don’t have a single song – they’re all great.
Tara: There’s a song at the very end of episode 5 titled X. It is absolutely beautiful. When I heard that song, I was transported. Wow.
Raneem: I think that’s my favourite too.
Sarah: It was amazing, yeah. But in general, *amazing* music.
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