A great talent and a lot of humor … The artist Bonita Saadé excels in the imitation of personalities. A precious and rare gift, that she cultivated through her participation in TV programs and plays. Bonita delivers her confidences to Prestige.
- You have been working for fifteen years in the comic field, why did you choose this profession? From an early age, I love art in all its forms, including comedy. I grew up watching classic Egyptian movies. I also remember the friendly Lebanese actress Feryal Karim, the comedy series «Al Mou3allima wal Istaz», and others, as well as Simon Asmar’s programs with Lady Madonna, Majida el Roumi … I also like ballroom dancing. Every girl dreams to win a title in a beauty contest or to see her prince charming arrive on a white horse. Personally, I dreamed of playing theater, being applauded by the public, to leave an impact on him. The real chance came in 2013, as part of the Talk of the Town program. Since then, I found myself in imitation. Before, I went to see Mario Bassil and Marc Kodeih at the theater, but I do not like to look like others. Regarding television, I waited 15 years to play a role in the series Caramel, a role that resembles me.
- You participate in the play Laugh Story with Hicham Haddad and Tony Abou Jaoudé. What are the reactions of the public? At the theater, the contact is direct with the audience and it is easy to detect if I succeeded to make them laugh, if they appreciated the performance or if they were not satisfied. I am appreciated by the great majority of the public who greets me and confides to me that it has liked such or such character that I imitated.
- You were among Golden Night guests to celebrate the 19th anniversary of the Murex d’Or. In your opinion, what is the added value of a prize received in an artist’s career? I was invited to the 19th anniversary of the Murex d’Or and presented an imitation sequence on the stage for 8 minutes. I did a Medley. I am a little away from these ceremonies, because in Lebanon, whether it is the Murex d’Or or Biaf or Diyafa in the Arab countries, we do not know how credible these ceremonies are. We live in a time when prizes are awarded on a friendly basis, or maybe the artists deserve them. The important thing is to be appreciated by the public. When we receive a prize and people tell us that we deserve it, that is the greatest appreciation. The important thing is not to have a prize, but to deserve it.
- If you have the opportunity, will you participate in a comedy television series? Unfortunately, the current programs do not have the same strong ideas as before. The ideas are borrowed from social media than transformed into sketches. This method does not look like me. I take into consideration the scriptwriter, the director. As a matter of principle, I would like to participate in a Light Comedy series, but I prefer to present a program hosting guests, to entertain the public through dialogue. But the period is not yet favorable.
- People often say that it is easier to make them cry than to make them laugh, what is your opinion? It is true that it is more difficult to make people laugh, but making them cry is also not easy. Imitation is very difficult, the reason why there are not many imitators. These are counted on the fingers of one hand. To enter this field is currently difficult if you don’t get to be known through a beauty contest or others.
- What are your future projects? A show «Bonita Nashretkoum» in February 2019 on the site Nawa3em, Instagram, OLN, facebook and the full episode on Youtube. A nice show during which I do an imitation sketch while commenting on topics from social media. I already collaborated on a video about Wafa2 Kilani with Elissa that was well viewed. In parallel, and to change from local names, I prepare a project on international characters like Lady Diana and Charlie Chaplin. I change and diversify to prove that I am able to imitate other people. Interview Conducted by Rita Saadé
