Mostafa Shaaban always had an inclination for the arts. He joined the school of Mass Communication in Cairo University where he pursued his passion for directing in the university theater. After a few directorial successes, Shaaban entered the world of acting in 1996 with a small role in the movie “Romantica”. He continued to appear on the big screen in a number of movies from the years 1997 to 2000 but it was his role as Saeed in the TV hit “El Hag Metwaly” in 2001 that saw him rise to stardom and cemented his status as one of Egyptian TV and cinema’s sweethearts. Through his diverse and versatile roles and his strong presence in both TV and cinema, Mostafa Shaaban managed to become a box office favorite and an acting force to reckon with. Acting, however, is not Shaaban’s only true calling. From a very young age, he developed an interest and passion for sports, as is evident in a number of his movies such as “Ahlam Omrena” and “Mafia”. From soccer to tennis to horseback riding, he’s done it all. In recent years, he has had to take a step back from sports to focus more on acting. So, when Sports and Fitness caught news of Shaaban returning strongly to the sports scene, we sat down with him for a one on one interview during one of his training sessions to discuss his love for sports and working out. We thank him for the exclusive interview and photo shoot.

Q- At what age did you develop an interest in sports and start practicing?

I started playing sports at a very young age. Sports have been a part of my life ever since I can remember. I remember playing soccer and swimming as a child and then playing tennis when I was a bit older. As an adult, I loved running. At some point, I took a break from both acting and sports but when I resumed acting I picked up sports again because it helps with your breathing and vocal ability, which are integrals parts of acting.

Q- What are some of the sports that you’ve practiced throughout your life?

I’ve participated in a lot of sports: boxing, aikido, tennis, running, and swimming. I’ve also participated in horseback riding; I’ve been riding and raising horses for almost my entire life. These are the sports that I’m mainly interested in.

Q- What sports do you regularly partake in currently?

I frequent the gym a lot. I also still run regularly. Every now and then I can take on a new sport just to try it out.

Q- What made you return to playing sports so vigorously in recent months?

I wanted to change my appearance to be more athletic and healthy, so I started working out regularly last August. I’ve been going strong for almost six months now.

Q- And in those six months, how did regular exercise physically transform you?

I weighed 89 kilograms last August. Now I weigh 80 kilograms and am 180cm tall. I did not achieve this by playing sports alone, I also follow a very strict diet that was put in place for me by a nutrition specialist.

Q- What is Mostafa Shaaban’s daily routine?

I wake up at 8am and exercise till 10:30am and then have a healthy breakfast. If I have any filming scheduled, I attend to that after breakfast. If my schedule is free, I visit my horse ranch for some horseback riding or go to the shooting range. In the evenings, I like to have some alone time to read or watch movies.

Q- Do you think being athletic is an important part of being an actor?

Of course. Big international stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, and Tom Cruise are all very athletic and in shape despite their advancing age. Acting is a very versatile profession. Actors need to have a healthy baseline and be flexible enough to transform their bodies to cater to a role. If a role dictates that you be fit, you should be able to do that. If it requires you be overweight and unhealthy, you should also be able to do that. Actors should have the ability and determination to change how they look for a role. Of course that should be done under the supervision of a team of nutrition specialists and coaches.

Q- Which sport do you find the most calming to practice?

Horseback riding is definitely the most calming. Whenever I am tense, I just get on the back of a horse. Ironically, I also find a lot of peace and tranquility at the shooting range.

Q- Are you currently working on something new?

Yes! I’m working on a new film that will come out very soon and you should expect a lot of sports in it.

Photography: Gearbox Studios Jr

Art Direction: Nour El-Din Selim

Action Supervisor: Abdelrahman El-Kady

Makeup: Farida El Rafie

Location: Fit Box Corner

Written by: Amira Waleed