Egyptian-British actor Amir El-Masry was presented with the Variety International Vanguard Actor Award at the Red Sea Film Festival, recognizing a career that has moved fluidly between Arab and Western cinema and continues to gain international momentum.

Born in Cairo and raised in London, El-Masry, who stars as British-Yemeni boxer “Prince” Naseem Hamed in the festival’s opening film, Rowan Athale’s “Giant,” accepted the honor calling it “a great validation.” “I’m a product of both the Middle East and the West,” he said. “I’ve been fortunate to persevere, and I hope to open doors for myself and for everyone who looks like me.”

Speaking during an In Conversation event that followed the award presentation, El-Masry expanded on the responsibility he feels as an Arab and Muslim actor working on an international stage, stressing his determination to resist reductive or stereotypical portrayals in favor of depth. “I want to play three-dimensional characters,” he said, noting that representation is about complexity.

El-Masry discussed preparing for the two films he stars in screening at the festival, starting with “Giant,” for which he had just four weeks to get into fighting shape. He worked with an accent coach, trained intensively, and studied archival footage of Naseem Hamed from childhood through adulthood, focusing on capturing the nuances in his movements and speech. “It’s not about imitation,” El-Masry said. “You have to capture the essence of who he is.”

He also spoke about his work in Abu Bakr Shawky’s “The Stories,” in which he plays a Cairo pianist who becomes pen-pals with an Austrian woman, whom he later marries. El-Masry admitted he initially claimed he could already play piano before getting the role. During two months of intensive piano lessons, where he played Mozart, Bach and Beethoven incessantly, he says the director encouraged him to train by focusing on the first minute or last 30 seconds of each piece. “Preparing for any character, you have to block out the noise,” he said. “You wake up every day completely focused on the role.”

El-Masry first broke out internationally with a small standout role in “The Night Manager” and went on to win a BAFTA Scotland award for Ben Sharrock’s “Limbo.” His credits span projects like “The Crown,” “Vigil” and “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” alongside high-profile Egyptian productions like the smash hit TV musical series “Crazy About You.”