Rania Kurdi

Rania Kurdi, born to a British mother and an Arab father, spent her early life in Jordan before pursuing her education in England. She graduated from the Guildford School of Acting in 1996 after completing a three-year acting course. Her career began early, with her first acting role at age 11 playing Oliver Twist in a local stage production. This foundational training and early experience set the stage for her diverse career across various entertainment mediums.

Kurdi achieved significant recognition in the Arab world, notably for her role as ‘Mona’ in the Egyptian film ‘The Seventh Sense’ (2005). She also gained Pan-Arab success as the co-host of the first Pan-Arab “Pop Idol” with Fremantle Media on Future TV, Lebanon, a role that further established her presence in regional entertainment. Her capabilities as a writer and performer were showcased in her own comedy sketch show, ‘The Rania Show,’ which ran for two seasons on Roya TV in Jordan. Recognized for her versatile acting, Rania was described by Stanford University as the ‘Arab Tracey Ullman,’ with her sketches and Arab characters utilized as teaching material. In music, she released two albums, with her song ‘Shayef Nafsak’ from the album ‘Oulli Leh’ topping the Arab pop music charts.

In 2013, Rania Kurdi returned to the UK, where she continued her work in television, theatre, film, and voice acting. Her more recent acting credits include playing Sofia in the feature film ‘Daphne’ (2017) and Lamia in ‘Salma’s Home’ (2022). In 2024, she appeared as Mariam – Mama in ‘Layla’ and Zeina in the short film ‘Ladies Coffee.’ Beyond her entertainment career, she is also involved in humanitarian efforts, serving as an ambassador for The Children of War Foundation in Jordan and hosting events to raise funds for children in Syria. She has also transitioned into a role as a confidence coach, leveraging her experiences to assist others.