Donia Massoud (; born 3 August 1975) is an Egyptian actress and singer.

Biography

Born and raised in

Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

, Massoud moved to

Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...

at the age of 19, to the chagrin of her parents. Discovering the stage and theater in Cairo, she embarked on careers as a singer and actress. During the early 2000s, Massoud spent three years travelling through Egypt, collecting folk tales and music. She made recordings of traditional songs and gained access to village weddings and festivals. She was surprised that much of the music dealt with the experiences of women, characterizing many songs as almost bawdy. Massoud released a limited-run album in 2009, ''Mahatet Masr'', and her most popular song "Betnadeeny Tany Leeh" questions why an old boyfriend is calling her since she found a new lover. She toured performing the music in Africa, Europe, and Asia, playing traditional instruments as well as singing. In addition to her music, Massoud joined the theater group Al-Warsha. She considers music to be a similar art form to the dramatic arts. Her stage presence has been compared to that of

Soad Hosny Soad Mohammad Kamal Hosny (, ; 26 January 1943 – 21 June 2001) was an Egyptian actress. She was known as the "Cinderella of the Screen" and one of the most influential actresses in the Middle East and the Arab world. She is generally regarded a ...

. Massoud has starred in several films and television series in Egypt and Sweden, in both Arabic and English. Her roles include the films ''Galteny Mogremen'' (2006), ''In the Heliopolis Flat'' (2007) and '' Genenet al asmak'' (2008). In 2015, Massoud drew controversy for a tattoo on her back that read, "My heart’s feud is with God." Since 2013, she has lived in Paris and continues to present her music project. She recently performed at the Arab World Institute (IMA) in Paris and at the Shoman Festival in Amman, Jordan. As an actress, she is currently working on a theater and dance project with choreographer and dancer Nancy Naous. In 2022, she portrayed the role of Scheherazade in ''Shall I Compare You to a Summer Day?''. She plays George's wife in

Tarik Saleh Tarik Saleh (; born 28 January 1972) is a Swedish television producer, animator, publisher, journalist, and film director. He was born in Stockholm to a Swedish mother and an Egyptian father. He is most known for his Cairo-trilogy starring Fa ...

's film The Eagles of the Republic. The film will have its world premiere in May 2025 at the Cannes Film Festival, where it will be screened in competition for the Palme d'Or. The film is scheduled for release on September 5, 2025.

Filmography

;Films * 2002 : ''Khalli Eldemagh Sahi'' * 2006 : ''Galteny Mogremen'' * 2007 : ''In the Heliopolis Flat'' * 2008 : '' Genenet al asmak'' * 2011 : ''Blue Dive'' * 2022 : Shall I Compare You to a Summer Day? * 2025 : The Eagles of the Republic ;Television * 2005 : ''Alb Habiba'' * 2007 : ''Hanan w Haneen'' * 2008 : ''Eleiada'' * 2008 : ''Sharif we Nos'' * 2009 : ''Majnoun Laila'' * 2010 : ''Ahl Cairo'' * 2011 : ''Matt Nam Sabboba Massreya''

References

External links

Donia Massoud
at the

Internet Movie Database IMDb, historically known as the Internet Movie Database, is an online database of information related to films, television series, podcasts, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and biograp ...

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Massoud, Donia 1979 births Living people 21st-century Egyptian actresses Egyptian film actresses Egyptian television actresses Egyptian stage actresses 21st-century Egyptian women singers Musicians from Alexandria Actresses from Alexandria