“Egyptian men are known for their charisma”, “Egyptian and proud”, “if I were him I’d end my acting career at this point,” and “he must’ve been in the clouds.” These are some of the comments that followed the 16-second video in which Egyptian actor Amr Waked, known for his role in the Jan. 25 revolution, kisses American actress Scarlet Johansson in the new movie “Lucy.”
The video went viral on social networking sites in Egypt immediately after it was posted. Some have made fun of Waked’s performance, while others expressed disapproval of the scene, in particular the kiss, which has been the subject of press interviews.
“The police officer [Waked] does not decide to help Lucy [Johansson] because she kisses him, but because she manages to overcome all his team and he realizes that she possesses superpowers,” he told the Egyptian independent daily Al-Masry al-Youm. “This is why he surrenders to her, not because of the kiss.”
Media reports have pointed to the kissing scene being given precedence over the movie’s ability to secure top spot at the U.S. box office, and to outdo popular hits such as “Hercules.”
Boycott calls
There has been controversy surrounding Waked and Johansson in relation to Israel. Johansson’s participation in a commercial for Israeli company SodaStream, a drink produced in the occupied Palestinian territories, has stirred heated debate. Calls for her to ditch her association with the company, including from Oxfam, resulted in her resignation as a global ambassador for the charity.
“While Oxfam respects the independence of our ambassadors, Ms. Johansson’s role promoting the company SodaStream is incompatible with her role as an Oxfam Global Ambassador,” said an Oxfam statement issued after her resignation.
Waked stirred controversy in 2008 for his role in the BBC mini-series “House of Saddam,” in which Israeli actor Yigal Naor played the late Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. The Egyptian Actors’ Syndicate ordered an investigation into the matter, on the basis that Waked violated the syndicate’s stance against normalizing ties with Israel. “Members of the syndicate have to abide by its rules,” said syndicate head Ashraf Zaki.
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