In the entertainment world, there are plenty of stars who spark controversy. One of them is the famous Mohamed Ramadan who has been generating quite the buzz across social media.
Alongside that, he’s also been changing the game and making a name for himself as one of the biggest stars of the Arab world. So we will unpack his career, looking into the good, the bad and the in between.
This is the story of a star who after starting out as a child living in the poor suburbs of Cairo, climbed up the rings of society to become one of the most talked about actors and singers in Egypt.
That climb to stardom was no easy feat as Ramadan had to face a slew of hurdles before making it to the top including getting rejected by the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts. To him, that was no failure but rather a milestone in his career.
“I didn’t give up,” he told the National News. “I remember this great saying that a stupid person is the one who tries to open a door many times with the same wrong key or tries to break in by any means. I found another key, or another way to recognize my talent, through great Egyptian actors and directors who believed in my untapped potential.”
The following year, the star began his journey in his professional acting career with an uncredited role in a play starring late comedian, Saeed Saleh. He also had his television debut in 2006 with the series “Cinderella” that explores the story of Egypt’s Golden age star Soad Hosny. The start of his career proved to be quite humbling as there were many firsts for the star that showcased the beauty of slowly forming a career out of nothing.
Ramadan still remembers the day when he got his first paycheck back in 2005 when he earned 25 EGP for a role in a play called “Aeeden Leih.” It may be a meager number but to the star, it was a huge stepping stone in his career and proof that he can fend for himself as an actor.
With all that being said, his unique rag to riches story is impressive and inspirational but for many people, it doesn’t wipe away his controversial and problematic moments throughout social media. One of his biggest controversies was back in Oct 2019 when Ramadan took a picture of himself sitting at the cockpit next to El Yusr and shared it all over social media. This ended Yusr’s career as a pilot because of how around the world several airlines prohibit having any passenger sit in the cockpit. Along with that, there was also a video shared by Ramadan that generated a lot of buzz. In the video, we see the singer laying on a pool float, throwing money in the water and since its release, it generated quite the stir all over social media.
His scandalous social media presence has even earned the attention of Amr Adib, the famous Egyptian TV presenter who always made it clear that he is against the star’s behavior. Adib and Ramadan are known for their ongoing conflict and their hefty amount of court hearings and law suits.
Despite his collective past of controversial and questionable moments, the star always knew how to place a spotlight on his ever-growing success. He is not holding back when it comes to his exponential growth and his proof that sheer hard work does pay off. This year alone, Ramadan was the talk of the entertainment world especially after starring in the widely popular show ‘Jaffar El Omda’, a show that saw Ramadan playing a character juggling four wives in his usual too cool for school demeanor. Along with the addictive marital drama, audiences were hooked because of the exciting father-son storyline between Ramadan and Ahmed Dash.
His character in the show proved to be a crowd favorite as he won the award for “Best Drama Actor” for his role in “Jaffar El Omda” during the Creative Summit’s Ramadan People’s Choice Awards 2023. He continued his slew of success by starring in the Eid film “Harley” were he played the role of a mechanical engineer who after coming back to Egypt from the Gulf, enters a gang and eventually becomes its leader. The moment the film was released, some sources say that in just give days, it managed to gross 22 million EGP.
His music is a whole other ball game as he keeps releasing chart toppers including his latest hit “TMO”, an addictive collab with Issam Alnajjar and Gims. Other major hits include “Aladdin Lamp” with over 70 million views on YouTube and the infamous “Mafia” with over 246 million views. His music isn’t just popular in the region, the star has also managed to make it big internationally and even had his first ever US tour, performing his biggest hits in sold out arenas.
Knowing all this about the star including his impressive rise to fame, his controversial past and his current smashing success, it is hard to ever answer the question of whether we love him or hate him. The reason for this is that beyond the controversy, he is still a star who exemplifies a great example of how sheer determination and hard work can pave a successful path for the future. That is why we believe he truly did change the game when it comes to paving a path towards stardom.
