Striking. That is the term that best describes Yaqoub AlFarhan. His sharp Saudi features, mop of untamable hair and deep brown eyes that impossibly seem both emotionless and full of wisdom at the same time. He is handsome, but unconventionally so, the kind of handsome that is loved by the camera and the silver screen. Striking.
It is no surprise that his rise in the new world of modern Saudi cinema has been meteoric. Alfarhan’s talent’s first came to the public’s attention in Shahad Ameen’s award-winning film, Scales, before being instrumental in recalibrating the boundaries of what Saudi TV drama could be with NBC’s big budget Rashash—the Narcos-esque story of notorious criminal who lived in 1980s Saudi Arabia and the police’s gallant efforts to take him down. It was AlFarhan’s turn as the title character, Rashash Al-Otaibi, that not only captivated the viewers with the brilliant depiction of a rugged outlaw anti-hero, but also marked him as one of the most compelling actors of the new wave of Saudi cinema.
He followed Rashash up with the popular TV series The Fates Hotel, and later this year will star in period-drama written and directed by Tawfik Alzaidi, Norah, playing the role of a teacher who moves to a remote village to help a young girl on her journey to become an artist against society’s norms.
On screen AlFarhan has the aesthetic, mannerisms and edgy energy that lures you in to his characters—the kind where you want to know more, but you’re afraid to ask. However, away from the cameras, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Gentle, soft spoken and a self-confessed introvert, the 38-year-old tells Esquire Saudi that he found his passion for acting as a way to deal with his shy personality, but it is through the maturity of experience and fatherhood that he found himself…
ESQUIRE: Despite your success now, is it correct to say that being famous was never a big motivator in your career?
ALFARHAN: Yes, that is true. I have never been motivated by an obsession for being famous. I am quite reserved as a person and I don’t like committing to projects that I feel that I am either not ready for it, or where I cannot add something to it. I am not someone
who constantly knocks on doors in order to push my agenda on others. I believe that effort and honesty are the cause of success. When you look back at my work over the last decade, you can clearly see the development of my performances in stable and continuous way—this is how I know that I’m on the right path to success. This is what motivates me.
What sparked you passion for acting, and how did you get into this world?
I think the passion for cinema has always been in me since I was a child. I remember growing up in Jeddah in the 1980s and I used to watch lots of foreign films on VHS that my older brothers would buy, but the actual manifestation of it didn’t happen until I was around 20 years old.
It was around then that my cinematic taste shifted away from the mainstream and into watching more artistic films that were influenced by real life, character-led stories. Through the Olive Trees was one that had a big impact on me. I remember reading in a magazine
that Iranian director, Abbas Kiarostami, was creating stunning works that were being compared to the films of Wes Anderson and Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan, and being praised by Quentin Tarantino. It was there that I knew that I wanted to be part of that world, and I knew I had to start learning how to act through the theatre.
You started theatre acting while you were at university, correct?
Yes. It was the ideal place for me at that stage in my life. It had both Arabic and Western classics, strong character-driven performances and genius scripts that were really stimulating and took a lot of preparation to get right. It was like a school that helped me refine my emotions, my voice and allowed me to find my self-confidence.
Has anything changed over time when it comes to the kinds of projects you choose to work on?
The criteria of the work hasn’t changed for me, whether it is the theatre, cinema or television. I am, however, more aware of the nature and the direction of the projects, for example, if there is a story that I believe in or a script that touched me in a profound way—
those are the things that I put more value in.
Do you think a professional actor should also be a good writer?
They are two very different skill sets but, as an actor, because we read many scripts, you can really notice stories where the characters are one-dimensional and not very well thought through. It is important for an actor to identify what they believe is good writing, so that they can further develop the character. For example, I believe that real human emotion is complex and multi-dimensional, so for me to get the best out of myself I need to deeply understand the mental and emotional state of a character. I really enjoy sitting with script writers before any project to try and understand exactly what the writer and director wants so that the vision is formed in front of you.
Is it hard to access the darker, more intense emotions and roles?
It depends on the role and the scene. When that level of intensity is crucial for the scene, you have to respect it and give it the correct commitment and preparation. This takes a technical ability, as you need know how to tap into real and sincere feelings that are within you, and bring them to the surface. It’s interesting because I find that when lots of big negative emotions come out during filming, it has a psychologically relaxing effect on me. When you dive deep into the dark side of your emotions for acting purposes, it is important to not be imprisoned by them—that’s where the technical side of things comes in. I find that I can shake it off afterwards by distracting myself and changing the atmosphere around me.
Rashash was a huge hit and pulled you into the spotlight. How do you deal with people now having an interest in you and your life now?
Honestly, I don’t try to do anything differently. I prefer not to lean into it, or lean away from it. In the past, I achieved a good level of fame through my work, but I don’t think I was expecting the extent of the success that came after Rashash. It was like a huge wave. The thing is, I’m someone who suffers from anxiety, and therefore I’ve never been very good at accepting direct praise—but I have learned to deal with the balance of it. I am grateful that the nature of the Saudi public is one of respect.
You are one of the most exciting actors in this new generation of Saudi talent. Who else do you enjoy watching?
I really appreciate Ibrahim Al-Hajjajas a human being, and he is one of the few actors who can make me both laugh and cry. Of the other young people who deserve the opportunity to develop and stand out is Saad Aziz, he can transform and change through many different roles, and he was great in Al Maktab. For actresses, Ayda Al-Qusayy has beautiful spontaneity and ignores the surrounding momentum to focus on her work. There are so many. Regarding directors, I love Mujtaba Saeed. He is someone who possesses both professionalism and has a unique perspective on things—I am excited to be working with him on a project soon. I also really enjoyed working with Tawfiq Al-Zaidi on Norah, which is out later this year in October.
Speaking of Norah, it is your first project for some time. Why did you decide to take a break?
Honestly, I needed to take some time away from work for personal reasons, the most important of which was the need to be near my son, Youssef. Before that I had been working pretty much non-stop, and I wanted to take some time to be with him and watch him grow. It also helped me mentally as a person because my work can be pretty intense, so forcing myself to take a break means that I can ensure that I can recover and be better on both a human and professional level. Right now, I am working again, and I have some exciting projects that are coming up—and, trust me, Esquire magazine will be the first to hear about them!