A quick smile and Ghassan's acting career is born

DUBAI // When you have Ghassan al Katheri's looks, an acting career is as easy as popping down to the mall. Ten years ago, he did just that and ran into an old friend who happened to be a television producer. It wasn't exactly a tough audition.

"A friend of mine approached me and asked me to smile for him, so I did," says Al Katheri, a 34-year-old Emirati and father of three. "He liked my smile and said he wanted me to be in a Crest toothpaste commercial. I agreed. We shot it over seven hours at a supermarket late at night. I was a bit nervous but really enjoyed the experience."

Al Katheri, who has his doctorate in microbiology and master's degree in marketing and media, had been working at the time as a radio presenter and producer with Noor Dubai Radio, where for two years, live on air, he solved consumers' problems.

"I would visit the merchants and discuss with them the issue the consumers posed," he says. "For example, one company in Sharjah was charging Dh200 to find people a job, but once they received the cash, they did nothing. Through the investigation we found out that it was a scam. It was a fake business, but we got them to refund the money back to those who complained."

There were no casting agencies in Dubai when he started out, so al Katheri's phone number was passed from one producer to another. All of a sudden he found himself acting in commercials not only in the UAE, but throughout the Gulf.

"I acted in several telecom company commercials in the UAE, Saudi and Oman and did several commercials for banks and car manufacturers," he recalls.

Al Katheri says he decided to concentrate on acting full-time in 2004. A breakthrough came when he landed a minor role in 2005 in the film Syriana, opposite George Clooney.

"That was my first feature film," he says. "We filmed it in the desert during Ramadan. Even with the heat and fasting, it was an amazing experience, and I knew that is what I wanted to do with my life."

Last year he was cast as a lead in Malal, the first Arab-Hindi movie, directed by the female Emirati director Nayla al Khaja. The plot tackles the subject of arranged marriages and the challenges that these new couples face.

The film won the Best Script award during the 2010 Gulf Film Festival, and two weeks ago won the Al Muhr Emirati Films award at the Dubai International Film Festival.

"Ghassan was the perfect man for the character in Malal," al Khaja says. "He has the looks, strong features, and was easy to work with. He's a flexible character and is excellent at taking direction and his facial expressions are excellent as well. He's extremely passionate about acting and he's headed in the right direction."

Sarah Abdullah, the owner and managing director of the casting agency Take One Dubai, considers him a "natural".

"I would love for Ghassan to sign with my agency, especially as the Emirati filmmaking industry is now beginning to have an impact internationally," Ms Abdullah says. "But to ask him to sign exclusively with Take One would be unfair to him, especially with so many production houses wanting to cast him."

Al Katheri has managed to keep his income steady through acting, but he won't accept just any role.

"I am selective and don't accept any script that portrays Arabs in a negative light," he says.

He still gets a kick out of seeing his image on billboards, in the press, on television or the big screen. And when people tell him he looks familiar he keeps his career a secret, preferring to reply "I don't know if we've met before."

With a decade of experience under his belt, al Katheri has some sage advice for industry hopefuls. "Avoid working with freelance casters," he says. "Go register with a well-known casting company such as Take One Dubai. Put together a portfolio and keep auditioning.

"No one can promise to make you a star - you have to chase it yourself. Start with a role you believe in, but keep in mind that there is no money in this job as a beginner and the income is not stable, so you have to keep at it."

ealghalib@thenational.ae