She is a box-office sensation, one of the most glamorous and famous women in Arab cinema with a string of blockbusters to her name.
Yet, after all these years, Egyptian actress Yousra feels she has achieved little - and she is more than willing to try out daring roles so she can realise her ambitions.
The 52-year-old, known for films such as Dam El Ghazal, Athkiya' Laken Aghbiya' and Kaboos, says she still "has a lot to give".
"I have never wanted to stick with a specific role. I love to change because by changing, nobody can put you in one place or say you are one character," says Yousra, who starred in her first film back in 1980.
"I have done many different roles with many different looks. I have done comedy, drama and entertainment. I choose the roles and I choose what's best for me.
"And yet I still don't feel that have achieved anything. That's why I love my job and why I enjoy it."
Cinema as a mirror
Yousra feels that it is tough for Arab actresses in general to achieve their dreams. They are not being given enough leading parts, she says.
"In the history of Egyptian cinema, there have been big roles for women. The golden times were the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s, but in the '90s and 2000s it's been more about roles for men; the woman is secondary or it's a duet. And the cinema is a mirror for what's happening in society," she says.
While she may lament the status of women in Arab cinema, Yousra herself has not struggled to gain headlines in the past few years. Her recent parts have been some of the most talked about of her career.
Scared
Take her 2007 Ramadan television series Qadiyat Ra'i 'Aam, which dealt with the sensitive topic of rape.
"It was a great success in Egypt and all over the Middle East. It was a taboo - it was one of the most daring subjects," says the friendly actress, who spoke to tabloid! while being styled at Boutique 1 in Dubai for last Sunday's General Motors Style Dubai event at Madinat Arena.
"I was a little bit scared. I was worried I would not deliver the message properly. It's a very thin line between giving the right message and giving the wrong message.
"In our society, they look at a raped woman as though she is a [source of] shame. She is not a [source of] shame. She is a victim. She should be given all the support in the world."
Just as Yousra's recent Ramadan series dealt with a controversial subject, so her 2005 movie Dam El Ghazal also tackled a difficult area - extremism and terrorism.
"It looked at why people would do this type of violence and why people would be brainwashed because they feel they are weak," she says.
Having a choice
Although some in the West have come to associate with Islam with violence, Yousra insists causing harm to others is not a part of her religion.
"This is not the role of Islam; it's not the faith of Islam. The faith is much more dignified and much more civilised," she says.
The ever-glamorous Yousra is also keen to emphasise that being a Muslim does not stop her from having a choice about the way she looks.
"I am a woman and I am not wearing a headscarf. It's totally left to you. One of my best friends over there [she points to the lady accompanying her] is a Muslim and she does wear a headscarf," she says.
"It's not the outfits that show whether you are a good person or a bad person: it's how you deal with people and how you behave. You should be clean inside and out."
Noteworthy
As if acting in scores of films and television series was not enough, the energetic Yousra also tries her hand at singing - and she is currently working on a new album. Few people realise that she owes her first big break to her singing voice.
"I love [singing]. I began as a singer. When I was chosen as a lead actress it was through the radio. The producer said: 'Would you like to act?' and he gave me my first step into the cinema as a leading actress, not as a second. That was a great opportunity," she says.
Yousra says she hopes her next album will hit music stores some time next summer and she promises it will showcase a variety of musical styles.
"With singing, you can say your message in just two minutes, whether it's slow or dramatic, so in one album you can have quite a combination," she says.
While she does find time in her packed schedule for singing, sadly, this year Yousra does not have any space in her calendar to visit the Dubai International Film Festival. During the festival in December, she will be in Morocco to collect an award.
"I would have loved to have been here in Dubai for the festival. Definitely, I will make it next year," she promises.
On a mission
The kind-hearted Yousra has acted as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
She is happy to lend herself to good causes and to use her fame for the benefit of others.
"I used to help as much as I could, but now I can give my help in a much bigger way. I believe poverty is one of the most important issues in the world. It is the key to misery," she says.
"If we can reduce the kind of poverty we see, then I believe pain will be much less. Also violence against children and violence against women are big problems. Education is very important and the environment is as well."
It is not just the UNDP that benefits from Yousra's involvement with the organisation. The actress feels that her own performances improve because her charity work gives her greater depth as a person.
"[Being an ambassador] helps me to know more about different problems and this can help me in my work as it means that I know more about the world," she says.
Did you know?
Yousra's birth name is Sevine Mohamed Nasim.
She was born on March 10, 1955, in Cairo, Egypt.
She first appeared in the 1980 film Athkiya' Laken Aghbiya'. Increasingly popular with audiences in Egypt and across the Arab world, she went on to co-star with leading actor Adel Emam in several films.
In her latest TV series, Ahlam 'Adiya, she portrayed an enterprising con woman in what the English version of Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram called "a major departure from the star's usual Ramadan roles, which has consistently verged on the romantic and the demure."
She made a number of films in 2005, like: Dam El Ghazal, Kalam Fel Hob. In 2006, she participated in Yaccoubian Building, a star-laden adaptation of the novel of the same name.
The film is reported to have had the highest budget of any Egyptian production to date.
Her latest film is Mategy Norkos, starring with Hala Sadky, Emmy, Talaat Zeen, Tamer Hagras, directed by Enas Al Daghidy.
Star support
Egyptian superstar Yousra, who is also known for her humanitarian work, visited children at Dubai Autism Centre this week.
She was joined by singer Waad and actor Tamer Hagras among other stars at the centre on Sunday. The celebrities were in Dubai to attend the General Motors (GM) Style Gala held at Madinat Jumeirah arena. The proceeds for the event were donated to Dubai Autism Centre.
