At the age of 12, Bashar Rahal was already standing in front of the camera for television sketches. Only a few years later, his first big encounter with cinema came – in 1989, when he starred in the film “Ivan and Alexandra“. Today, more than three decades after this debut, the actor turns 52.
Rahal was born on October 20, 1974 in Dubai. His mother Mariana is Bulgarian, and his father Munzer is Lebanese. When Bashar was 6 years old, the family settled in Bulgaria. He graduated from the First English High School in Sofia, and then was accepted into the VITIZ, today the National Academy of Dramatic Arts, in the class of Prof. Stefan Danailov.
From the Bulgarian Stage to Los Angeles
His early years in theater and television gradually paved the way for cinema. In 1999, Rahal left for the United States and began appearing at castings in Los Angeles. There, he received roles in productions of various genres - from action and thrillers to historical and comedic films.
Among the international titles in which he participated are “Corporation War“ with John Cusack, “Ice Death“ with Kate Beckinsale, “Conan the Barbarian“, “The Expendables 3“, “Fight: The Undisputed 4“ and “September in Shiraz“. Some of these roles are small, but they give him the opportunity to work on big productions and alongside famous actors.
“People think that as an actor, it's easy to imitate, but we, actors, strive to be authentic“, Rahal tells NOVA about his participation in “Like Two Drops of Water“. His words also describe one of the distinguishing features of his career – interest in different images, instead of a uniform presence on the screen.
Actor, producer and teacher
In Bulgaria, Bashar Rahal became widely known for his roles in „Glass House“ and „The Tree of Life“. He also participated in films such as „Rapid Response Corps“, „Gasoline“, „Attraction“ and „Return“, gradually expanding his work beyond acting.
As a producer, he was behind „Attraction“ and „Return“, and later behind „Wingless“ - a film by Niki Iliev about the life of the Paralympic world long jump champion Mihail Hristov. In the production, Rahal is also part of the cast.
His other important role in recent years has been related to young actors. He teaches cinema at the "Lyuben Groys" theater college and runs a theater school. Rahal says about the influence of his teacher Stefan Danailov: "What Lambo taught us was to have self-confidence."
His path begins with children's television sketches, goes through classical acting training, American castings and major international productions, to reach his own film projects and students. This is what makes Bashar Rahal not only a recognizable actor, but also a person who continues to pass on the profession that he himself entered as a child.
Sources: nova.bg, btv.bg, old-news.bnr.bg