Ahmed Al-Mawas’s teachers in the country of his African mother, Ghana, turned a blind eye to his acting talent, and they only used him in the background of the theatrical works in which he participated. When he moved to Lebanon at the age of 11, he caught the attention of one of his teachers at the Choueifat School, and began assigning him important roles in plays organized by the school. He played the role of Romeo in the play “Romeo and Juliet”, and then he embodied the character of Mark Anthony in the play “Cleopatra”. From there, he searched for his Hollywood dream, which haunted him for regarding ten years, until he reached it.
This, in short, is the story of the Lebanese Ahmed Al-Mawas, the son of the city of Tripoli, Al-Fayhaa, who has turned today into an international actor, and recently won the “Best Actor” award for his role in the short film “Beauty of Worms” at the European Film Festival. Al-Mawas majored in electrical engineering, which allowed him to spend what he earns from it on cinematic works. He produced 13 short films, some of which opened the doors of Hollywood. He participated in the movie “The Misfits” and then in the famous American series “NCIS.LA”.
Regarding the difficulties he faced at the beginning of his career, he told Asharq Al-Awsat: “Every professional career has its difficulties, especially in the art world. At first, I found it difficult to find opportunities to show off my talent. Also, my name (Ahmed) restricted me in the roles of the terrorist Arab until I made my decision to withdraw from this representative circle. Then I went through a period of drought where no one asked me. And I began to ask myself: What am I missing? How can I get the required opportunities? Suddenly, they asked me to participate in the movie (Misfits), which I shot in Dubai. It was my first artistic experience outside America, which prompted me to be proud of my Arab nationality.
This experience restored Ahmed’s self-confidence, as well as returning him to his Arab origins once more. In addition to electrical engineering, Ahmed studied the art of acting in America, because he wanted to own the assets of the profession. “In the film industry, I discovered that the means exist, it is true, but the effort and adherence to the dream until it is realized is the most beneficial. Today I am able to choose the role that suits me. Also, thanks to my insistence on my artistic work, I have reached the stage of film production at the required level. This is what authorized me to choose my work team myself and embark on tournaments that I would like to do as an actor.”
Ahmed does not regret every moment he wasted searching for his Hollywood dream, and catching up with it despite the many difficulties he overcame. “I think my parents have the biggest role in urging me to persevere and follow my dream. They stipulated that I finish my university studies so that my degree would be my weapon in life. Indeed, without engineering, I would not have been able to secure the necessary funds for cinematic productions that caught the attention of others. She has worked with Pierce Brosnan, producer Qais Kandil, and Elijah Long, producer of the Rambo films. Today my name is known and I am making my way steadily, just as I wish.”
Ahmad al-Mawas speaks Arabic fluently, as if he had never left Lebanon. His long alienation between Britain, in which he was born, and America, in which he studied, did not prevent him from sticking to his mother tongue. He comments: “When I felt that I might lose my proficiency in speaking my mother tongue, I started watching many Arabic series. I also allocate certain times every day to talk to my family via FaceTime. We discuss several matters, and I ask them regarding the conditions of Tripoli and Lebanon as a whole. The conversations became so long that I mastered my language much better than before. This matter was reversed in the past. When I decided to go to America, I started watching CNN in order to be fluent in English.
The latest series that Ahmed followed, “For Death”, in its first and second parts, and he says: “It is a wonderful series that I fell in love with its story and its heroes. The electronic platforms stole the glow of cinema. It also facilitated the cinematic productions that are shown through it and achieve wide spreads. I personally got to know Nadine Labaki and other Arab directors through (Netflix).
His talent in acting did not come out of nowhere, as he used to accompany his father when he was young to attend many cinematic films. «My father loved the cinema and instead of taking me to a football match or to hunting trips, for example, as parents usually do, he turned my attention to the cinema. My acting dream grew since that time, and I realized that cinema is my main dream.
Ahmed was greatly influenced by Hollywood star Jean-Claude Van Damme, as well as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone. “Vandamme’s films in particular motivated me to act, and I used to imitate him in karate, as he was the title of my Hollywood dream par excellence.”
And regarding the “Best Actor” award he won at the European Film Festival, he says: “It was like a reward for my effort. In fact, I did the (casting) process for this role on the side of the road when the film producer asked me to present him an acting scene regarding a young drug addict. He was impressed by my performance and asked me to play the title role in the movie (Beauty of Worms).
Today, Ahmed is preparing to film an international film written by him and produced by Emirati-born Qais Qandil. “When I told him regarding the idea I had, he liked it and asked me to complete the text for him to read. This is how it happened, and the romantic story revolves between America and Lebanon. Today we are preparing to shoot this work at the end of next summer. I intend to have talents from Lebanon participate in it, in order to allow her to realize her cinematic dream. I will also seek the assistance of a technical team from my country as well, along with another American, in order to contribute to opening the doors of work for my countrymen.
And he points out that filming locations will not be limited to America or Hollywood in particular, because electronic platforms have liberated producers from this condition in order for the work to spread.
“Hollywood is no longer a prerequisite as a filming location for the film to be universal. And the majority of American films today are shot outside of California thanks to the cross-platform streaming service. Even the fame and transformation into a global actor was absent from Los Angeles, California and others for the same reason.
Ahmed, who has an attractive appearance, resonates in his memory with phrases of praise he heard from well-known producers and actors regarding his performance and personality.
“Some of them told me that my performance was spontaneous and in it lies the secret of my success, while others told me that my outward appearance emanating from a Lebanese and African mixture provides me with an unfamiliar attraction in the world of cinema. But what is engraved most in my memory is the phrase that one of the international producers told me that I have raw energy that I can fly high with. But in the depths of my heart, I am grateful for the support of my parents, who did not hesitate to support me throughout this difficult journey.”
What regarding the dream he has when he closes his eyes today? He concludes to Asharq Al-Awsat: “I dream of being on a huge film set, with my wife and children at my side. I will be a model for my children regarding the self-made father who strived to succeed. Thus, they will be with me on the ground, observing the nature of my work, which I love.”