“I have had the most wonderful time on ‘EastEnders’ and I will miss you all. The show has changed my life and I want you all to continue the good work, because I’ll be at home watching you.”

I am not like my image; I take my work so seriously. Everyone thinks I just bounce in, but I study and everything has to be just right.

I check all my props, everything. Acting is something I love. I have done it since I was 13 but it had completely taken over my life absolutely.

I was so exhausted and not sleeping at night. I’m not quite ready for it.

I miss ‘EastEnders.’ I loved it. But I was exhausted when I left. They asked me to go back recently – they’ve asked a few times. I am tempted! But my husband Scott says you have to really think about it. Because, towards the end.

They say an actor is only as good as his parts. Well, my parts have done me pretty well, darling.

Egypt is kind of like the Hollywood of the Middle East. I mean, we had cinema maybe decades before the other Arab countries ever got independence.

You have different parties, different factions, you have different ideologies ; you have everything in Middle East region now.

This is the Middle East, where every week you have something new; so whatever you talk about this week will not be valuable next week.

We face neither East nor West: we face forward.

Although born in a prosperous realm, we did not believe that its boundaries should limit our knowledge, and that the lore of the East should alone enlighten us.

Syria is geographically and politically in the middle of the Middle East.

Should the fragrance of Thy praise be shed abroad by any of the divers tongues of the world, out of the East or out of the West, it would, verily, be prized and greatly cherished.

And they just saw me on that and – from the time I was 11 until I was 12, I guess. And then when I had just turned 13, they asked me if I wanted to tour with Johnny Cash back East.