Karim Elemary
The start

From the cockpit to the camera

3 min read

Before audiences knew him as an actor, Karim Elemary was a pilot officer. Born in Port Said and a graduate of the Egyptian Air Force Academy, he served in the air force until he left the service for health reasons, as he told the press.

Acting began as a hobby

Karim describes acting as more of a hobby than a profession, and he never studied it formally. He came into the field by chance through producer Ahmed Abdel Aty; his first moment in front of a camera was a table-read rehearsal for the second season of “Nasibi wa Qesmetik”, directed by Mostafa Fekry.

Early milestones

  • “Nasibi wa Qesmetik 2” (2017) — the launch.
  • “El Zoga 18” (2019) and “Hekayat Banat” (2020).
  • “Khatem El Nemr” (2020) — shot in Aswan just before he signed on to “El Ekhteyar”.

Flying taught him discipline; acting gave him new stories to tell.

That military background would soon become his secret weapon on screen — which is the story of the next piece.

Keep reading

More stories

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  1. 01Behind the scenesCaptain Hesham: how Karim prepared for “El Ekhteyar”
  2. 02New for 2026Qesmet El-Adl: a role that steps outside the serious mould
  3. 03Works“2 Qahwa” and “Rouge Aswad”: what Karim says about his work
Behind the scenes4 min readCaptain Hesham: how Karim prepared for “El Ekhteyar”A strict diet, rope descents from the third floor, no stunt double — the making of a special-forces officer.Read the storyNew for 20263 min readQesmet El-Adl: a role that steps outside the serious mouldIn a TV interview he spoke about the audience’s warm reaction and his wish for richer acting ground.Read the storyWorks3 min read“2 Qahwa” and “Rouge Aswad”: what Karim says about his workA reunion with producer Ahmed Abdel Aty, and how much of his “Rouge Aswad” part is already done.Read the story
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