Lebanese TV has a long way to go

Hisham Abu Suleiman Beirut - Soheila Keyali He is perennially positive about the future of Lebanese drama, and chooses his roles carefully but never announces anything new until signing of the contract. Arabstoday interviews the charming actor Hisham Abu Suleiman: Suleiman: I'm a graduate the of Lebanese University, with a diploma in acting and directing. Before graduation, I started working in production and as a theatre director, until I started acting in 2001 in a Lebanese-Egyptian TV series. I also taught drama for five years. I've always chosen the roles that suited me...I did not give priority to acting, but to theatre and teaching, until four or five years ago. AT: What were your most significant parts? Suleiman: Working in "When the Mountains Crumble" and  "Time of Bastards," opened up the art scene more broadly for me. I then worked in a few other successful TV series, such as "Forbidden Love" with Nicole Saba; "In the Presence of Absence", that tells the story of poet Mahmoud Darwish, in which I played Elias Khoury; and " Ashahrora", the biography of singer Sabah, where I played the late and brilliant journalist Mohammed Badi Serbih. AT: How were you chosen to play Serbih in Ashahrora? Suleiman: They contacted me from casting, which I respect a lot. All great artists have gone through auditions as it shows their acting ability. I do not deny that the fact that I look like Serbih helped me to get the part, though. However, I appreciate that, in this series, the director was keen on hiring professional actors. He wanted the actors to be viewed with normal looks without botox. AT:How would you describe Lebanese drama? Suleiman:  It needs to be developed. Some actors can't act, and the to blame are the producer and the script. AT: Isn't art a combination of all factors; acting, script, production and direction? Suleiman: Certainly. There are only a few good directors, and most do not have time to help create the character with the actor. A professional actor shall always be ready. AT: Serbih is the part that granted you exposure, is this true? Suleiman: Of course, It was a big part and the show aired in many TV networks that had never aired a Lebanese series before...it granted me exposure all around the Arab world.   AT: Is there a chance for Lebanese drama to prosper? Suleiman: "Ashahrora" was an important step in that respect. We need good scripts to produce not only biographical shows, but also drama. I have played parts in Syrian, Egyptian and Moroccan shows, and I hoped we can do the same in Lebanon and collaborate with other Arabs. AT: What are you working on right now? Suleiman: After Ramadan season, we start preparing for new shows. I'm working now on season 2 of the series "Victorious". I may take part in a couple of Syrian shows, as well. I'm very selective when it comes to the parts I play. Now I'm working on dubbing for a few cartoon shows on "Kids Island" and "Cartoon Network". I don't like to announce what I'm working on unless I've signed the contract.