Yasmina El-Abd, Hany Adel, and Finding Ola‘s director Hadi El Bagoury gave Cosmo ME some insight into how the show was filmed, what they’re most excited for, and so much more.
Finding Ola made an impact on our Netflix screens since its release earlier this month and has even landed itself a spot on Netflix’s top 10 trending TV shows. The Netflix Arabic original has a star-studded cast with some of Egypt’s finest – Hend Sabry, Sawsan Badr, Hany Adel, and Nada Moussa amongst a few.
The series’ plot follows the journey of pharmacist Ola Abdel-Sabour from Ayza Atgawez (a 2010 popular Egyptian comedy,) as the 40-year-old faces life-altering events. While Ola manages her own business, a divorce, and motherhood, she has the help of friends and family on the way.
We were lucky enough to interview some of the cast and even the show’s director. Scroll down to read what Yasmina El-Abd (Zeina,) Hany Adel (Hisham,) and director Hadi El Bagoury had to say…
Supplied
On how the cast relate to their characters
“There is some resemblance. I got divorced before and I have kids – they live abroad. The only difference is that I want to be able to provide what Hisham provides to his kids in the show. I feel like that sometimes. He takes them on vacation every few months and I want to do that, but that’s the only resemblance,” Hany Adel tells us.
Yasmina El-Abd may be young, but she’s a rising star
Supplied
It’s fair to say that acting in front of the likes of Hend Sabry, Sawsan Badr and even Youssra (sorry – spoiler,) can be daunting. But Yasmina described her experience as “amazing.”
“I learned a lot from this show- from Hany, Hend, and Sawsan. The vibes on set were always very very positive. If I had any questions, I would ask, which was great because that helped a lot. It was amazing and I look up to these people. Even in the audition, Sawsan and Hend were there and I was so nervous. I can’t believe I got the role. I’m very grateful.”
If you’ve watched the show and have seen her acting skills, we can *definitely* believe that she got the role.
While discussing dealing with the pressure of social media and her success post-Finding Ola, Yasmina tells us she “needs to chill,” she’s young and she still has time. “Dealing with the pressure is always going to be there, you just have to learn how to deal with it,” she says. And, she has. Especially surrounded by her “supportive family,” and experienced actors in the same field.
On the challenges faced while filming and directing Finding Ola
Supplied
Egyptian film director Hadi El Bagoury has produced many notable works prior to Finding Ola. But, he admits that some things that challenged him while filming were being able to capture the “subject in a cinematic interesting way.”
“The season before this was successful, so I had to take it in another direction since it’s not the second season of it. It’s a whole different thing. This has a different approach and a different style.”
Very true. Even Hend Sabry has called Finding Ola‘s writing ~pretty~ modern (which we love.)
Hadi continues, expressing that he’s excited for audiences to watch the “emotional rollercoaster” that *is* this dramedy.