Zahira Gamal

Zahira Gamal (1522-1608) was an Abayadi actress, philanthropist, and social activist. She had an extensive career in film, theater, and television beginning in the early 1540s, appearing in more than 50 films, 31 plays, and 19 television series, making her among Abayad’s most recognized actresses. She is best remembered for her performances in films in the 1540s and 1550s, although she worked for her entire life.

Early Life
Gamal was born in Sadaqa, Abayad in 1524 AC. Her mother, Rabiah Gamal (1486-1524), was a doctor from Almarid, Abayad, and her father, Haqat Gamal (1492-1571) was a mid-tier labor organizer from Mudaris, Abayad. During her childhood, Gamal’s father told her the story of how they met on the train from Mudaris to Sadaqa via Almarid and he began courting her, which she later said had a great effect on her expectations of love and relationships. She had two younger brothers, Raho (1524-1605) and Dedi (1525-1587) Gamal. The former studied and became an architect, while the former attempted to make a career as a cartoonist. Gamal attended primary and secondary school in Almarid before moving to live with her mother’s family in Sadaqa to find work. She was introduced to the film industry by Amira Deeb, wife of director Farid Deeb, whom she had befriended in 1541 at a demonstration demanding greater economic opportunities for women.

Career
Gamal rose to prominence with her first film in 1542, called The Woman King, with her role as the historic Abayadi Monarch-Regent Qanna I. Aged 20 at the time of the performance, her bold, sinister, and partially sympathetic performance assured her future roles in the industry. In 1545, she played a scheming, rich socialite named Alma in The Odds. She played other pivotal roles in a number of films such as The White Bull, The House on the Hill, Midnight in the Park, and Bronze Shingles. She was often typecast as a temptress or schemer, playing opposite the chaste heroines that were favored by the Abayadi film industry in her day.

In 1554, Gamal won her first Best Actress Awards at the National Film and Writer’s Guild Awards for her role as conflicted heroine Disa in The Private Ear and The Public Eye, a compelling drama based loosely on the Abayadi classical era play The Apologies. This performance led to her taking a brief break from the silver screen to star in plays which she did for half a decade before returning to film in 1559. Her most acclaimed theatrical performances were in roles similar to those of her old film roles as the conniving temptress, although she’d attempted to distance herself from that image.

After returning to the film industry in 1559, Gamal quickly reestablished herself by winning another Best Actress award for her performance in the title role of the 1559 film The Prime of Lady Laylah Asfour. She received her third nomination for the 1562 film Travels with My Mother, and also appeared in other popular films such Love and Sorrow (1560) and These Rain-Swept Lands (1562). She also made her first inroads into television at this time, making several guest appearances in popular serial dramas as well as a few talk shows throughout the early 1560s.

By 1565, Gamal, now 43, had begun receiving less and less offers to play the roles she’d traditionally played. Refusing to yield her time in the sun, she made a new name for herself in the 1565 film Reminding my Mother, in which she played the daughter of an aging matriarch but the mother of a fiery young woman. Proving that she was as capable as ever, she won her fourth nomination and third award for Best Actress that year, rebranding herself as a wise yet still snarky matronly presence. In 1567, she began regularly appearing in the serial television drama The Way of the World, which she would remain on for the rest of her life. In the next ten years, she would win three more awards for Best Actress for the films The Lonely Passion (1569), The Ivorywood Tree (1574), Never Such a Thing Before (1578). Starting in the 1580s, Gamal began appearing in more and more less serious roles, or as a supporting actress, as well as decreasing her overall time working. However, her performance in The Pomegranate Garden won her her seventh Best Actress award in 1583, and she continued to be beloved by audiences across Abayad.

In 1608, she announced at the beginning of the year that she would be leaving The Way of the World due to her breast cancer diagnosis. Her last appearance was on the talk show The Akash Adan Variety Show later that year. Despite her condition, she remained in good and humorous spirits for the whole episode, giving a warm and loving last performance for her audience.

Personal Life
Some controversy exists around Gamal’s relationship with Amira Deeb, although it is generally accepted today that the two were in a romantic and sexual relationship from 1541 to 1549. Deeb is known to have engaged in other same-sex relationships, as was her husband Farid Deeb, suggesting that it was a marriage of convenience. It is not known why the two terminated their relationship, but it is known that in 1551 she met Mosah Amedi, an Adwan businessman, at an opening in Abayad City.

Gamal married Amedi in 1553, electing to keep her own last name despite Adwan custom to ensure continuity in her work. She later joked that Amedi had asked her to change names, but stopped broaching the subject when she suggested he change his name in accordance with Abayadi tradition. They had two sons, Kistne and Tovah Amedi, and one daughter, Ersi Gamal, although Tovah later changed his last name to Gamal to help facilitate his own acting career. Gamal and Amedi briefly separated for three months in 1565, but reconciled soon after. Anedi died in 1596 due to complications from a stroke. Gamal had seven grandchildren.

Death
After being diagnosed with breast cancer in 1608, Gamal’s health rapidly declined, with her number public appearances decreasing as well. She declined aggressive treatment and chose instead to spend her remaining time with family at home, passing away later that year.

Recognition and Legacy
Gamal received numerous prestigious awards throughout her career. In 1576, she received recognition from Chancellor Zaid Yosef as a recipient of the National Medal of Culture and Arts. Friend and frequent co-star from their days as young starlets Hala Namad delivered an emotional introduction for the award itself.

A lifelong supporter of the women’s rights movement, before even her time as an actress, Gamal remained a vocal supporter of measures to promote material equality of women with men throughout her career. She also voiced support for equal rights for same sex couples in the 1560s, stating in interviews for periodicals that she felt that same-sex attracted people deserved the same rights as opposite-sex couples.