Vivianne Antonios to Arabstoday: I'm 'very violent' when annoyed

Lebanese actress Vivianne Antonios has revealed she only wants her fans’ love, and hence refuses to play negative roles. While she does not consider herself a writer, she received a TV writing stint after an idea about cancer, as explained in her interview with Arabstoday: Arabstoday: To what extent do you love acting and are you considering it as a profession-change? VA: From my early childhood I dreamed of acting. Especially due to my fondness of the late actress Hend Abi Allmaa and her roles with the veteran stars Abdel Majeed Magzoob and Elsie Fernini who I starred with after that. it was like a dream come true. Considering the plays I participated in when I was in school, mainly from Rahbany’s works, I think acting chose me. I felt that the world was beautiful and my talent attracted me, so I challenged myself and hid the news from my parents in order to enter the Fine Arts Institute. AT: We can see you moving very quickly between comedy, drama and romance, are you like this in real life? VA: I can change my character anytime depending on how people treat me and although I adore acting I can leave this industry if I receive any insult from the director or any responsible person on the set. For me respect in my career is essential and I care about my dignity more than anything. Whoever makes me angry or annoys me while shooting will find a very violent reaction from me as I’ll not hesitate to hit back, and maybe in a certain moment I can be a man. Life forces us to be strong, and this is what I teach to while raising my girls. AT: You refuse to kiss in acting? VA: In Lebanon, I am against kissing and I am sorry for the actresses who accept it and I totally respect them but I think it is used as commercial material and not for the correct reasons. AT: What about the new project between you and Lora? VA: “Shawarea Al Zol” (The Streets of Humiliation) deals with child beggars in the streets. I decided to start writing and to choose issues that relate to our society, so I intend to write about this ignored segment of our society which is the poor people and locals who play a big part in our lives. AT: Biopic films are very popular nowadays, do you think about writing for a character you like? VA: I did not claim to be a writer or researcher and when I decide to write it depends on my mood and my spontaneity. But if I was asked to play the role of a famous character I would choose the late actress Soad Hosny. I announced this many times because our characters are similar in terms of spontaneity and being funny. If it was a Lebanese character I would not hesitate to play the late Hend Abi Allmaa. AT: Why do you refuse or hate playing negative roles? VA: (Laughing) Because I want people to love me. AT: But shouldn't an actress play all roles? VA: I think people do not love me in these roles and for me, especially in Lebanon, it left an impression on the audiences. This what I realised after previous experiences.