Her glamorous beauty combines the mystique of the East and the West. Her talent and vulnerable passion for acting reminds her audience of the stars of the cinema's golden ages.
Tunisian actress Dorra Zarrouq is known around the Arab world for playing a large variety of roles in films and serials.
Currently shooting for romantic film "Fares Al Ahlam," written by Dr. Mohamed Rifaat and directed by Attiya Amin, the talented actress met with Saudi Gazette to shed some light on her career.
Zarrouq confessed that although she has starred in many Tunisian TV serial that have enjoyed high viewership rate, her ticket to stardom in the Arab world was through Egyptian media.
"My success was limited to my local audience (Tunisia), but the Arab world. In Egypt, I felt proud as an actress because I was capable of becoming an accomplished actress beyond the borders of my country. I get roles to represent Egyptian women on Pan-Arab TV dramas, and this makes me joyful because I have proved myself as an actress. Being successful in Egypt granted me an entrance ticket to the whole Arab world," she said.
She is now considered among the A-list celebrities in Egypt, but Zarrouq experienced a rough patch in between despite working with big names - Youssif Shaheen, Khaled Youssif and Waheed Hamed among others - in the Egyptian industry.
She was fortunate enough to bag the role of "Wanisa" in "Al Awela fi Al Gharam," a meaty role which any established actress would have wanted.
"Playing the role of 'Wanisa' was a challenge for me. She was very interesting and challenging at the same time. It required me to be feminine and have true Egyptian spirit. It was not easy but thankfully people believed my performance and believed the character," said Zarrouq, adding that portraying a believable character excellently requires paying attention to intricate details like body language, that is why she likes to meet people from different social classes and backgrounds.
On playing opposite Hani Salama, Zarrouq said he is one cooperative star with whom she would like to work with again.
"When I was new in Cairo, he was very supportive during rehearsals. He deals professionally with his colleagues on the set. Hani is a kind and nice character in real life, and very modest," she said.
After having a hiccup in the entertainment industry, Zarrouq got her break in Egyptian star Yousra’s TV series "Khaas Gedan (Very Personal)" followed by Samiha in Al-Rayyan.
Zarrouq enjoyed working with Ranya Youssif at "Mouja Harra" and shares a remarkable chemistry with Egyptian actor Mostafa Shaaban.
"We have a remarkable chemistry together. It was obvious what we both felt right from the first scene we acted together in 'Al Aar.' We both understand each other and are good friends. I am happy with the success we accomplished together."
The beautiful actress constantly experiments with different kinds of roles. "I like to create balance between different types of project. For instance, I am now planning on working on different kinds of roles that I have not played before to insure that as an actress I can continually take different challenges," she said.
Commenting on the stability in her life, Zarrouq, who likes to be around her friends and family, said: "I believe stability happens from within. If one does not work on finding their inner peace, it would be difficult to find it elsewhere. After which one can take the right decision by starting a family.
My life now is not fully stable as the intense shooting schedule forces you to follow. I try to find stability with my family as much as I can. Therefore, I visit Tunisia to spend time with them whenever I get the chance to do so."
By Ghada Aboud
