Youssef Sabet is an Australian actor whom I had the pleasure to interview on behalf of Honi Soit. He has an upcoming performance called, ‘The Juggling Act,’ which is a part of the show called, ‘Supper Club’ at the Riverside Theatre in Parramatta. He is passionate about acting and contributing to diversity and multiculturalism in this profession.
HK: What is your cultural identity and what role has it played in shaping your life?
YS: I am Egyptian-Australian. My parents immigrated to New Zealand and then we moved here to Australia. I grew up in Melbourne, specifically Lysterfield. I speak Arabic and English but I am not as fluent in Arabic as I am in English. I grew up in a predominantly white area. So as a kid, I tried to assimilate as much as I could to my context. I thought being different wasn’t a socially acceptable thing so I tried to blend in as much as I could especially at school.
HK: In your day-to-day life, how much has your cultural identity influenced you?
YS: As a kid, I didn’t embrace my cultural identity as much I just wanted to fit in, but now I feel very grateful to have a dual cultural identity. That is, I enjoy being a proud Australian and Egyptian. I look forward to the Arabic cuisine and I am very patriotic about being an Australian. I look forward to celebrations like ANZAC Day. I also celebrate Christmas at home, not as a religious thing, but we host BBQs every year and we have a diverse group of people from all our family and friends. Some are from the same background as my family and others are also different, you know from different cultures and religions. And you know what, we enjoy the diversity!
HK: How do you think the profession of acting can benefit from people from multicultural backgrounds?
YS: The simple answer for that would be that it adds more diversity to the acting profession really. For example, the show Moe adds more stories and perspectives to what we think we may know about a group of people. So, it makes people aware of other cultural backgrounds. Also, the TV series The Sopranos was released at a time when Italians were really copping it and the show made people aware of the Italian culture, the food and the people. And it showed a different side of things than what we may have thought was characteristic to a certain group of people.
HK: Do you think more on-screen stories help with racism and discrimination issues in our Australian society?
YS: Yes, it’s a powerful platform, I certainly think so! I remember growing up and never really seeing someone like me on TV and if there was someone like me they were a bad guy, you know because of the stereotypes of Arabs and Muslims. And now it has gotten better because more people of all races are being chucked into theatre and film. And I think I am more comfortable talking about my religious upbringing influencing my life now more than I did before. Now [TV] shows like One Day show people with different ethnicities dating and this was not what I had grown up with and I wished it was more normalised. And now I can see there being a shift and more acceptance in attitudes.
HK: You mentioned your religion; how has your religious upbringing influenced your life?
YS: It influenced me very much as I am an Egyptian Muslim; I’m not as religious now, but it still influences me every day of my life. The main influence my religion has on my life is that firstly, it guides me in moments of conflict — so acting out in moral and ethical ways. Next, I’m also very grateful for life thanks to my religion. I feel like it was drilled into me. And most of all, in moments of crisis I do still feel like God has my back.
HK: I agree with you, the theatre arena does allow an opportunity to display diversity. So, could you tell us a bit about your upcoming show?
YS: I am performing at the Riverside Theatre [in Parramatta]. I love Sydney, I live here now. I am performing in an hour-long show, called Supper Club. It’s a comedy and drama. My part is called The Juggling Act. It’s about being Australian and loving that and being Egyptian and loving that and how I can mix the two. There are a lot of funny things that have happened in my family like first time things and show how Arab-Muslims go through the same things as others. There’s stories about my parents divorcing, like me dealing with puberty, my sister dealing with her boyfriends. It’s family life stuff with a funny twist. It’s like a stand up special, or a one man show.
HK: So how did you come up with the idea for this show?
YS: I was actually thinking about this idea for years when I was about twenty years old as a therapeutic thing, but with so much humour I wanted to share it with everyone. I have spent six or seven years on it, so everyone can see it now. I am working with Phil Spencer, the producer of Supper Club and he has given me suggestions on my writing.
HK: So, what’s in the Supper Club?
YS: It’s a late show at supper time, around 8:30 pm and till about 10 pm. It’s a variety show. It’s got my comedy, musicians, and some poets. So it’s gonna be so much fun — it’s literally at supper time, so they will be providing supper as well.
HK: That’s amazing! So now I want to learn about your acting journey: how did you start out in acting?
YS: From a very young age, I have always loved movies and acting. I would always try to perform in front of family and friends. I started performing in my primary school plays and that was where I started. It was a cool thing, and I told my parents I wanted to do acting, so they put me in acting classes. So in year 9, my teacher put me in a play during the Christmas holidays. I did acting and prepared for the play. Then from there I picked it up and then did it all throughout high school, and then I went to international acting school in New York. It was the best thing I have done; it changed me and gave me a work ethic and [allowed me to] understand the world.
HK: This may sound cliche, but what do you love about acting?
YS: I love being a character when I am acting. You are seeing Youssef’s version of a character, and it feels good. If I can make you laugh or maybe cry, I think it leaves people feeling great and [it] makes me feel positive. I feel a thrill when I perform. The opening night of anything is so much fun, because everyone has this nervous energy, but then everything goes well and it’s just awesome.
HK: How did your family and friends support you in your acting ambitions?
YS: I have a great social support; my dad’s a doctor and [my] mum’s an accountant, and they always supported me and they were always excited about my acting ambition. I know some parents are conservative, but mine weren’t, and I am very lucky in that sense. I used to think fame and material possessions was all I should aim for, but my parents taught me to go for my passions and dreams instead.
HK: What are some barriers you have faced in acting, and have there been any due to your cultural background?
YS: Yes, definitely, I have faced barriers. But the barriers are mostly within me, and I feel like I judge myself according to others. You have to learn to encourage yourself and not get stuck in thinking ‘my acting isn’t working out because of my cultural background or race or whatever’. Like Vin Diesel, he wrote a film called Multi-facial (1995) and I resonate with that because he played so many different cultural characters. So my point is I now think that I am in control, and I think I can bring something different to the acting profession.
HK: According to [American philosopher] Alan Watts, we all put on a ‘persona’ in life. How do you feel about putting on a ‘persona’ for a play and in your life?
YS: I think we used to love being fake and selling something that wasn’t true, like material possessions and a certain way of life, but now I think people want others to be true to themselves and they want us to show real people, real personas on stage. I think it’s hard as an actor to fully let myself go give them another real persona, but I feel I am able to do that now.
Youssef Sabet will be performing in The Juggling Act at the Supper Club, at Riverside Theatre in Parramatta, on 3rd July. Tickets are available here.
