{"id":67787,"date":"2025-11-27T14:30:05","date_gmt":"2025-11-27T10:30:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/?post_type=articles&p=271597"},"modified":"2025-12-19T10:59:01","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T06:59:01","slug":"tara-emad-cover-interview","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/articles\/tara-emad-cover-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"Tara Emad Is Embracing Her Next Chapter"},"content":{"rendered":"
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LONG DRAPED DRESS IN PRINTED CREPE CHIFFON WITH FLOUNCES AND A CAMELLIA, SHOP NOW<\/strong><\/a>, LONG GLOVES IN PRINTED SILK SATIN, SHOP NOW<\/strong><\/a>, HEELED MULES IN PATENT LEATHER, SHOP NOW<\/strong><\/a>, CHANEL<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There\u2019s something truly cinematic and wondrous about Lake Como, yet at the same time, there\u2019s a stillness and an unhurried rhythm to this postcard destination. It was a fitting location for GRAZIA to meet Egyptian-Montenegrin actress Tara Emad just a few months ago, wrapped in the elegance of Chanel Cruise 2026<\/a>. It\u2019s evident the camera loves her and she loves it back \u2013 the kind of reciprocal chemistry you can\u2019t fake. She has, after all, been in front of the lens since her teens.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m friends with the camera,\u201d she tells me later, not as a boast but a fact learned over the last couple of decades. \u201cI know my angles\u2026there\u2019s so much confidence I gained from modelling that I put into my shoots \u2013 especially with Chanel.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s no surprise Tara was destined for a life in front of the camera. After all, her ease in front of the lens isn\u2019t accidental or a simple stroke of luck; it was always the plan. \u201cI always wanted to be an actress,\u201d she recalls as we catch up over Zoom \u2013 she in Paris, me in Dubai. \u201cI always wanted to appear on TV, in cinemas, on stage, in any form. It\u2019s something my mum recognised from a very young age.\u201d<\/p>\n

By 11 years old, she was already on set. \u201cMy first TV ad \u2013 I wasn\u2019t even visible,\u201d she laughs. \u201cThere were hundreds of us, and I was just a tiny person in a field, but it felt amazing. I thought, \u2018This is what I want to do for the rest of my life.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

While Tara had her sights firmly set on acting, she also immersed herself in the modelling world, which saw her intertwine both careers throughout her teens and early twenties.<\/p>\n

\u201cI did my first TV series when I was 15,\u201d she reflects. \u201cIt took two years to film \u2013 it was a small role, but it made a great impact.\u201d Another at 17 followed \u2013 \u201ca teeny, tiny role, maybe seven scenes in 60 episodes\u201d \u2013 but it was enough to keep her hooked.<\/p>\n

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SHORT JACKET IN COATED LACE WITH JEWELLED BUTTONS, SLEEVELESS TOP IN COTTON WITH A BOW, SHOP NOW<\/strong><\/a>, TROUSERS IN COATED LACE WITH A JEWELLED BUTTON, SHOP NOW<\/strong><\/a>, RING IN METAL WITH RESIN, SHOP NOW<\/strong><\/a>, CHANEL<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Still, progress was anything but linear, and it seemed the universe had other plans for the budding starlet. \u201cFrom 17 to 21, I did thousands of auditions, but nothing was coming up. I was doing workshops in Egypt and online, but acting just wasn\u2019t working out.\u201d It was when she was offered a substantial six-month-long modelling contract in Paris that Tara mused that \u201cmaybe this whole acting thing isn\u2019t for me\u201d.<\/p>\n

Then came a twist of fate that sounds scripted, ironically.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mom called me and said, \u2018Tara, this big actor\u2019s son just called me\u2019,\u201d she remembers. \u201cI said, \u2018What?\u2019 And she said, \u2018Adel Emam\u2019s son, Mohamed Emam \u2013 they want you.\u201d The Egyptian actor then called her directly. \u201cHe said, \u2018Hey Tara, we want to meet you.\u2019 I told him I was in Paris, and he said, \u2018That\u2019s fine. Book the first flight. We already cast you. You\u2019ll love it. We start filming tomorrow.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Given that she was set to start a six-month modelling contract the next day, it must\u2019ve been a really confronting decision to make, I wondered.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot at all,\u201d she responds. \u201cIt was like a two-second decision. It was not even like, \u2018Oh, let me sleep on it.\u2019 I booked the flight [back to Cairo] that night. The next day, I flew back to Egyp,t and the day after that, we started filming.\u201d<\/p>\n

That series, Saheb El Saa\u2019da<\/em>, which aired during Ramadan 2014, changed everything, as Tara recalls.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always say that this was the birth of my acting career,\u201d Tara explains. \u201cEverything happened overnight. \u201cMy Instagram went from 800 or 1,000 followers to over 10,000 \u2013 overnight. I remember I couldn\u2019t go outside for a week because people were waiting downstairs. It was surreal.\u201d But for someone who was naturally shy, the adjustment to being thrust into the spotlight was no small feat. \u201cThrough school and university, I was really introverted, so to have all of those eyes on me, it was a shock,\u201d she admits.<\/p>\n

And while finally finding the break she had been craving so long in the world of cinema, navigating publicity from such a young age wasn\u2019t easy.<\/p>\n

\u201cGrowing up in front of the camera can be exhausting,\u201d she says. \u201cPeople want you to stay a little girl, then suddenly they want you to be a woman, then they tell you you\u2019re too much of a woman. You can\u2019t please everyone.\u201d But it\u2019s something she now speaks of with acceptance, reflecting on the years of self-critique she endured.<\/p>\n

\"tara-emad-interview\"
FLOUNCED SHORT DRESS WITH TRAIN IN SILK VOILE WITH STRIPES, SHOP NOW<\/strong><\/a>, LONG GLOVES IN SILK SATIN, SHOP NOW<\/strong><\/a>, CHANEL<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Now in her thirties, it feels different. \u201cMy twenties were chaos,\u201d she laughs. \u201cI was all over the place, mentally and physically. But in my thirties, I\u2019m so much more comfortable in my own body, more in touch with what I like and don\u2019t like. I hear my own voice. I\u2019m more attuned to my own wishes. It\u2019s made all the difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

That self-awareness grew from what she describes as a \u201ccrazy burnout\u201d in 2024. \u201cThere was a time when I wanted to work constantly \u2013 more, more, more,\u201d the now 32-year-old recalls. \u201cNow I care about quality. I want to have fun. I had a crazy burnout where I felt so disconnected from my craft and from myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tara\u2019s beloved mother had passed away in February of that year and by the end of 2024, she needed a pause. \u201cI told myself, no one\u2019s pushing me to do this. So, why am I doing it if I\u2019m not feeling it anymore?\u201d the actress muses. \u201cIt was incredibly hard,\u201d she adds, reflecting on her mother\u2019s death. You don\u2019t get past it; you grow around it.\u201d But she believes her mother is still near and guiding her. \u201cI ask her for signs all the time\u2026 I believe she hears me.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the first anniversary of her mother\u2019s death, while she was still on her hiatus, a long-dreamed-of film offer arrived, which felt like divine timing. \u201cI cried so much,\u201d she admits. \u201cIt felt like a gift from her. I\u2019d told my management I wasn\u2019t working until April, but I went to Saudi Arabia for two months to shoot. Since then, everything\u2019s changed. \u201cI\u2019ve done four or five projects this year. I feel so much more present, more dedicated, more connected to my work. I was doing amazing things before, but I wasn\u2019t really in my body, and now I am.\u201d<\/p>\n

That shift has also extended into her personal life. \u201cWhen my mum passed, it put everything into perspective,\u201d she says. \u201cIt made me realise the importance of boundaries. I used to let people cross lines, and I never said anything. Now, I protect my energy. I started cleansing my palate in a healthy way.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Lam\u2019i El Ott star also ensures to keep her mother\u2019s lessons close to her daily. \u201cShe taught me to always have a book with me,\u201d Tara says. \u201cShe\u2019d say, \u2018You\u2019ll never please everyone and that\u2019s OK. You just have to please yourself.\u2019 And she always told me to give back \u2013 to help others the way someone once helped me.\u201d<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s because of this grounded presence that she treats visibility and her celebrity as something to be utilised, not just enjoyed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t take it lightly. I use it to advocate for causes I believe in \u2013 education for girls, equal opportunities for women in the Arab region and, of course, Palestine. If one woman succeeds, it creates a domino effect for all women,\u201d Tara affirms.<\/span><\/p>\n

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SEERSUCKER BLOUSE WITH LACE PLASTRON AND STRASS FLOWERS IN COTTON POPLIN, SHOP NOW<\/strong><\/a>, SILK CHIFFON FLOUNCES WITH JEWELLED BUTTONS, SHOP NOW<\/strong><\/a>, SEERSUCKER CROPPED TROUSERS WITH A JEWELLED BUTTON, SHOP NOW<\/strong><\/a>, JEWELLED BELT IN METAL WITH GLASS AND STRASS, SHOP NOW<\/strong><\/a>, NECKLACE IN METAL WITH RESIN AND GLASS, BRACELETS IN METAL WITH GLASS AND STRASS, SHOP NOW<\/strong><\/a>, CHANEL<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWhat touches me most is when mothers come up to me and say, \u2018I hope my daughter grows up to be like you.\u2019 It\u2019s not about being an actress, it\u2019s about not giving up on their dreams.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s evident that her mother has been a vital support throughout her life and her career \u2013 something she still holds close, including her Montenegrin heritage from her mother\u2019s side. She describes growing up in a mixed Egyptian and Montenegrin household as a \u201cblessing\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love both countries so much, but I grew up in Egypt; my first language was Arabic, then English, then Montenegrin. When I was four, I went to Montenegro and came back with no Arabic or English,\u201d Tara laughs. \u201cMy grandmother and aunt taught me their language so well that I forgot the others. But both cultures shaped me \u2013 through family, food, and nature. In Egypt, I miss Montenegro; in Montenegro, I miss Egypt.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her home life reflects her \u201cunique\u201d upbringing, as she describes it \u2013 a fusion of plants, art, animals and warmth. \u201cI\u2019m always redecorating,\u201d she smiles. \u201cI love collecting vintage pieces, finding art, and creating cosy spaces. My mum and I both loved the cosiness of our home. It still brings me close to her.\u201d Gardening is also another home ritual the mother-daughter duo shared. \u201cMy mom loved gardening. She used to talk to plants. I had one that was dying, and she came and spoke to it a month before she passed \u2013 now it\u2019s thriving. I do the same now. Every week, I spend time gardening and replanting. It keeps me connected to her and teaches me patience.\u201d<\/p>\n

The pair also shared a love of fashion, and she describes her mother as a \u201ctruly chic, timeless woman\u201d. So, when Chanel first contacted her to work with the Maison, it \u201cfelt fitting\u201d, she affirms.<\/p>\n

That brings us back to the picturesque location of Villa d\u2019Este on the edge of Lake Como. The storied and historic hotel has long been a glamorous spot for artists, actors and the upper crust. \u201cIt was my first time in Como,\u201d she reflects on the trip. \u201cI remember the moment I stepped out of the car \u2013 postcard, postcard, postcard. Everything was just so picturesque. The show at Villa d\u2019Este was gorgeous.\u201d What followed was the marrying of two worlds Tara has long inhabited: cinema and fashion. \u201cIt feels natural to be in front of the camera. It\u2019s easy for me to pose, to be there, to be present. I know myself in that space.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"tara-emad-interview\"
FLOUNCED SHORT DRESS WITH TRAIN IN SILK VOILE WITH STRIPES, SHOP NOW<\/strong><\/a>, LONG GLOVES IN SILK SATIN, SHOP NOW<\/strong><\/a>, NECKLACES IN METAL AND GLASS WITH RESIN AND STRASS, SHOP NOW<\/strong><\/a>, HEELED MULES IN PATENT LEATHER, SHOP NOW<\/strong><\/a>, CHANEL<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Our Zoom call is somewhat of a full-circle moment, as we\u2019re speaking a mere 12 hours after Matthieu Blazy\u2019s official debut for Chanel as artistic director. Tara describes the show as \u201ca whole universe.\u201d \u201cI always advocate for change,\u201d she says. \u201cI loved that he kept Chanel\u2019s timeless pieces but added new touches. I was so happy to witness it myself. I\u2019m excited for this new era.\u201d<\/p>\n

Perhaps the same could be said for herself, too. After nearly 20 years in front of the camera, she\u2019s learned the art of pace. \u201cI guess I\u2019ve always proven that no matter how much I plan, and how much I plan it well, God has a different plan,\u201d she asserts. No trace of frustration, just humble acceptance. This is possibly what defines Tara best now \u2013 not in the celebrity, fashion or filmography, but in the quiet conviction of a woman who has learned, through loss and rediscovery, what it means to be fully present.<\/p>\n

DISCOVER GRAZIA’S FULL PHOTO SHOOT WITH TARA EMAD HERE.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

CREATIVE DIRECTION: <\/strong><\/span>DAN\u00c9 STOJANOVIC & MARNE SCHWARTZ. <\/span>PHOTOGRAPHY: <\/strong>STEFANO SCIUTO. FASHION STYLIST: <\/strong>CHRISTIAN MARCHESICH. HAIR: <\/strong>CHIARA MARINOSCI. MAKEUP: <\/strong>FRANCESCA VINCIGUERRA. SENIOR PRODUCER: <\/strong>STEFF HAWKER. TALENT: <\/strong>TARA EMAD. WORDS: <\/strong>OLIVIA MORRIS<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

THIS FEATURE IS PUBLISHED IN THE 16th\u00a0 EDITION OF GRAZIA middle east. 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