A character in a children’s show can be vivid and real to a child. Tempo contributor and award-winning poet, Dorian “Paul D” Rogers sat down for cafe lattes with Emirati actor, Ayham Subaihi to converse about all things acting, and about being the ‘Arabic Elmo’ of the UAE.
Dorian: Tell me about yourself Ayham…
Ayham: I’m a light-hearted half-Emirati, half-Egyptian. I’ve lived in the UAE all my life and spent four years studying abroad. I spent my teenage years in Sharjah, which is where I get my chilled vibe from. I now live and work Dubai as a Station Master at Serco Dubai Metro, which makes me the dude in charge of making sure the station runs smoothly.
Dorian: How long have you been into acting?
Ayham: I studied film in university and I’ve loved acting since I was young boy. My first role was for my brother in his short documentary about children and TV in 2002. In 2004, I received an award for best actor in the Emirates Film Competitions for a short film I acted in called My World My Pitch about a young boy running through different landscapes with a football when suddenly he snaps out of his “dream state” in a wheelchair. Since then I’ve done a few short films a year, and, this year, I’ve taken the initiative to include myself in some professional productions and acting classes.
Dorian: You do the Arabic voiceover for Elmo of Sesame Street. What do you think of Sesame Street in Arabic?
Ayham: As the famous saying goes, “What goes around, comes around, goes around comes back around”. The actual term sesame came from the Arab tale, “Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves”. The first Arabic Sesame Street was actually from Kuwait in the 70s called Iftah Ya Simsim (Open Sesame). Since then a few other Arab countries have adapted the Sesame Street program making their own cultural flavour in the show. Sesame Street decided to come down to the UAE and adapt their show in an Emirati light calling the show Iftah Ya Simsim Bil Arabi (Open Sesame in Arabic).
Dorian: How did you get into this?
Ayham: During an acting class in NYUAD a fellow classmate approached me about a voice casting for a children’s show. She worked for a media company called Badaya Media and their sole client is Sesame Street. They held a private seminar where after people were networking, and I walked up to the person who gave the presentation and told him I was going to be the next Elmo even though I was asked to cast for Cookie Monster. With practice and precision, I became the Emirati Elmo for a cartoon version.
Dorian: What is your favorite character on Sesame Street?
Ayham: My favorite character has always been Cookie Monster from the way he stuffs his face with cookies and they crumble everywhere and he never actually swallowed them. Also the fact that he never gave up looking for what he loved most in this world. Yours?
Dorian: Oscar the Grouch was really cool to me and Big Bird was really parenting and positive to the rest of the puppets. What was the hardest part about becoming Elmo?
Ayham: The hardest part was to think and talk like I was the actual three and half year old that is recognized by people all over the world. Also “Al Baha,” meaning Elmo’s hoarseness, that my voice director would keep remind me to evoke. I would call my nieces and pretend I’m in the car with Elmo switching my voice just to see if they believed if I was Elmo or not.
Dorian: That’s cool. I bet they think you are the coolest uncle in the world since you know Elmo! Are you also interested in puppetry, or do you just do Arabic voiceovers?
Ayham: I was told if things go as planned, Bedaya would send me to New York to do workshops on puppetry. I personally would love for the opportunity because I think bringing joy to children has always been something I love to do since I started to be an uncle at the age of thirteen.
Dorian: You’re right. There’s nothing like putting smiles on children’s faces. Are there any original puppetry television shows in this region that you know of?
Ayham: At the moment I don’t follow or know any, but as a child I use to watch a puppet show called Boogie Wa Tum Tum made in Egypt. As I’m half-Egyptian, every summer I would visit Egypt and watch that show in my grandparents old-school black and white TV where there was just a knob to switch between channels.
Dorian: What are your ultimate aspirations in acting?
Ayham: This is probably the hardest question to answer. Since acting is my true passion in its purist form, I’m not after fame or money although it would be great. I would say just to be acknowledged and respected as an artist who brings characters to life on the big screen.
