Badih Abou Chakra: From architecture to acting

BEIRUT: In the pursuit of self-satisfaction, Badih Abou Chakra allowed passion to take his life's steering wheel, shifting his direction toward acting.

By doing what he loves and loving what he does, he achieved success.

After completing one year at the university, the architecture undergraduate was invited by his friend to attend a play. When he went, he was mesmerized by the whole scene. This incident changed the course of his life; it was a dream trigger and a passion stimulator that later shaped his career.

As a result, Abou Chakra decided to study acting in the Institute of Fine Arts at the Lebanese University. He then visited his friend in Canada and shared the stage with him at the MT space theater there. 

Abou Chakra explained his definition of acting.

“Acting is based on two factors: point of view and technique. An actor must have his own zone of interpretation, adding what he has to say between the lines. An actor without a point of view is not an actor, he’s just a good-looking person,” he told Annahar.

Abou Chakra starred in several Lebanese soap operas such as “Lamhet Hobb,” “Talbin Al Orb,” “Kabset Zerr,” “Al Ghaliboun,” and many others.

He also played the lead role in the Lebanese film “Ahebbini”and in the award-winning movie “Stray Bullet.”

Recently, he stole people’s hearts by playing the role of a lover in the two Lebanese series “Mesh Ana” and “La Akher Nafas” alongside Carine Rizkalla.

Abou Chakra describes love as “moments,” since to him it is neither eternal nor everlasting.

As well as being an actor, Abou Chakra is a writer and a poet. He is the author of the 2001 volume of poetry “Al Rajol Allazi Raqasa.”

In 2002, Abou Chakra received local recognition, winning the Best Male Actor Award at the Murex D’Or.

Additionally, he participated in the fourth season of Dancing with the Stars and won the first place.

Despite these achievements, Abou Chakra has a different view on success.

“In my opinion, success is doing what you feel. The internal success is more important than the external one. Every moment on stage is my ultimate success. Art is about exploration, you either fail or succeed. However, the most important part is the pleasure in the process,” he said.

Abou Chakra doesn’t enjoy playing the role of historical figures and indicates that complex roles such as psychopaths offer a wide margin of interpretation for the actor.

As for his secret technique, Abou Chakra studies his upcoming roles by daydreaming about the character.

Abou Chakra’s latest work is a concert called “Kas w Mitras” in Teatro Verdun. It is based on adrenaline-pumping songs of the Lebanese Civil War. He lived that period through all its details, and nostalgia encouraged him to go on that stage.

Abou Chakra noted his advice to rising actors.

“When you become an actor, you gain inner freedom, and you’ll be free from taboos as your tolerance increases. You’ll also become compassionate and more sensitive. In the process of acting, one should pursue self-satisfaction and the pleasure it gives. That is the most efficient road to success,” he told Annahar.