Ahmed Ezz to Arab Today: Mubarak's destiny doesn't matter

Ahmed Ezz has claimed that Egyptians have bigger problems than ex-president Hosni Mubarak's smile in prison. The Egyptian actor, a critic of Mubarak, told Arabstoday that the country's flailing economy is a bigger concern for him than the ousted head of state's trial. "Inflation is a huge problem. We have to reduce the price of the dollar, and provide food and health facilities for the poor," the actor said. "Talking about Mubarak's smile is nonsense. It doesn't concern me as an Egyptian. Why don't we talk about what the country needs instead of broadcasting his trial? "Discussing whether he should have been imprisoned or not won't help Egypt's economy. At the end of the day, he will be judged on his good and bad work," the actor added. In an exclusive interview with Arabstoday, Ezz denied his involvement in the production of Abou Dakn Genan (With A Magnificent Beard), Rafik Rasmy's film which has been rejected a licence by Egypt's censorship board. The actor claimed that he knew nothing about the movie, adding that he has never had any problems with obtaining a licence from the censorship board, because his films don't court controversy. The Cairo-born bachelor said he was delighted to have been honoured by the High Institution of Theatre Arts at the recent International Theatre Film Festival.  "It's a great honour for me to be rewarded by the Institute. Even though I didn't graduate from the academy, it has played a great role in my artistic development. "I would like to thank senior officials such as Dr Samira Mohsen, and Dr Ashraf Zaki for their continuous support," he said. Commenting on his upcoming projects, Ezz explained that his new television series Al Khadiea (The Deceit) has been postponed for broadcast on Egyptian television until after the Islamic month of Ramadan. "The drama has been written by Magdy Saber, and we're still finalising the scripts. I usually like to immerse myself in my character, and because I am still getting used to it, we've decided to postpone shooting until after Ramadan," Ezz clarified. The Egyptian star's latest movie, El Hafla (The Party) is currently on general release across Egypt. The film stars Mohamed Ragab, Jomana Mourad, Ruby and Dina el-Sherbiny. The script has been put together by Wael Abdullah, with film direction from Ahmed Alaa el-Deeb.