Yassmine Othman is an award-winning Spanish actress, VO artista, writer and producer. She received the 2022 Best Supporting Actress Award from the Unión de Actores y Actrices de España for her performance as Naima Ibrahim in La Unidad and was later pre-selected for nomination for Best Actress in an International Television Production for her role as Doña Marga in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon. Fluent in English, Spanish, French and Italian, she works across European and international productions.
Her upcoming projects include A Cry In The Dark, directed by Fatima Isse and produced by J and R Films LLC, and Intermediate, the first English-language feature by acclaimed Asturian filmmaker Kiko Prada. She is also the creator of BORDERLESS – The Actor’s International Blueprint and the founder of Othman Legacy Productions, where she is developing original projects including Entre Dos Mujeres, an LGBTQ+ period drama set in Franco’s Spain.
Some careers are carefully planned. Others take unexpected turns before leading us exactly where we were always meant to be. For Spanish actress Yassmine Othman, the road to international film and television wasn’t straight forward. Before winning one of Spain’s most prestigious acting awards and appearing in productions such as La Unidad and The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, she spent years building a successful career in international trade and sales.
Yassmine Othman International Reel
Eleven years ago, she made a decision that changed everything. She walked away from security, returned to acting school and began again from scratch.
Today, she is preparing two international feature films, mentoring actors through her masterclass BORDERLESS – The Actor’s International Blueprint, developing original projects through Othman Legacy Productions, and proving that it’s never too late to follow the path you were always meant to take. Yassmine talks about courage, resilience, multicultural identity and why the best chapters of her career are still ahead.
indieactivity: Your journey into acting wasn’t exactly conventional, was it?
Yassmine Othman (YO): Not at all. Actually, acting was my first love. When I was a little girl, I was always involved in school theatre. I loved performing and telling stories. Looking back now, I think that little girl already knew exactly what she wanted to do.
Life, however, had different plans. Like many parents, mine wanted me to have a stable profession, something they believed would give me security and opportunities. So I put acting aside and studied International Trade before building a career in international sales.
For many years, I travelled, negotiated contracts, worked with clients from different countries and built a successful professional life. I learned an incredible amount. But somewhere inside me, acting never disappeared. It simply waited.
What made you finally take the leap?
Yassmine Othman (YO): About eleven years ago, I reached a point where I realized I had a choice. I could continue doing something I was good at… or I could finally pursue the dream that had never really left me. There was a line I once heard that stayed with me:
“If not now, when?” It really resonated with me. I realized there would never be a perfect moment. There would always be another reason to wait. So I decided to stop waiting. I left my career, went back to acting school, started training again and began rebuilding my life from the beginning. Looking back now… t was one of the scariest decisions I’ve ever made. But it was also the best one.
Did you ever think, “Maybe I’m starting too late”?
Yassmine Othman (YO): Of course. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t. The industry often makes us believe there’s a timetable we have to follow. But life doesn’t work like that. Everything I lived before becoming a full-time actress has made me a better performer. Working internationally taught me discipline.
Travelling taught me curiosity. Meeting people from different cultures taught me empathy. Today, all of those experiences become part of every character I play. So I don’t see my previous career as time lost. I see it as preparation.
Yassmine Othman Arab Dariya Pashto Reel
Speaking of different cultures, you’ve built a career working in several languages. How important is that?
Yassmine Othman (YO): It’s been one of the greatest gifts of my life. People often think languages are simply another skill on a CV. For me, they’re much more than that. Every language has its own music, its own rhythm and its own emotional world.
When I work in English, French, Spanish, Italian or Moroccan Arabic, I genuinely feel that different parts of me come alive. That helps enormously when creating characters because every culture expresses emotions differently. Being multicultural has never been something I’ve tried to hide. It’s become one of my greatest strengths.
To win Best Supporting Actress Award for La Unidad is a defining moment in a career. What’d it mean to you?
Yassmine Othman (YO): Awards are never why we become actors. But when recognition comes from your fellow actors from the Union de Actores y Actrices España, it becomes incredibly special. Winning Best Supporting Actress as Naima Ibrahim for La Unidad was one of those moments where everything stopped for a second. I remember thinking, “Maybe I’m actually doing something right.”
To the best of my knowledge, I became one of the first Spanish actresses of Moroccan heritage to receive this award. When I realized that, the moment became even more meaningful. If my journey encourages even one young actor from a multicultural background to believe there’s a place for them in this industry, then it will have meant far more than any trophy ever could.
A few years later, being pre-selected for nomination for The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon 3 as Doña Marga was another reminder that perseverance really does pay off.
Do you still get nervous before filming?
Yassmine Othman (YO): Every single time. People think nerves disappear after you’ve worked on big productions. They don’t. The difference is that now I understand those nerves mean I care. I still remember arriving on some of the biggest sets I’ve worked on and quietly thinking, “Wow… I’m really here.”
Then someone calls “Action”…and suddenly everything disappears. That’s the magic of acting.
Like every actor, you’ve also experienced rejection. How do you deal with it today?
Yassmine Othman (YO): With perspective. When I was younger, every rejection felt personal. Now I understand casting is about so many things that have nothing to do with talent. Sometimes you’re simply not the person they’re looking for. That doesn’t make you a bad actor. I’ve learned to focus on what I can control: Training. Preparation. Professionalism. Curiosity. The next opportunity is always around the corner.
You created your masterclass, BORDERLESS–The Actor’s International Blueprint. Why is this important?
Yassmine Othman (YO): Because I kept meeting actors who were asking exactly the same questions. How do I work internationally? How do I find representation abroad? How do I prepare self-tapes in English? How do I build an international career? After answering those questions hundreds of times, I realized maybe everything I’d learned could actually help someone else.
That’s how BORDERLESS was born. It’s not about promising success. Nobody can do that. It’s about giving actors practical tools, sharing honest experiences and helping them navigate an industry that can sometimes feel overwhelming. I wish something like this had existed when I was starting again.
You have two exciting feature films coming up. Tell us about them?
Yassmine Othman (YO): I’m incredibly excited because they’re completely different characters. This autumn I’ll be travelling to New Orleans, Louisiana and Charlotte, North Carolina, to film A Cry In The Dark, an international drama thriller directed by the multi-award-winning filmmaker Fatima Isse and produced by J and R Films LLC.
I play Isabella “La Reina” Vasquez, a powerful Spanish drug lord. What interested me wasn’t the criminal world itself. It was discovering the woman behind the legend.
Then, in January 2027, I’ll begin filming Intermediate, the first English-language feature film by acclaimed multi-award-winning Asturian director Kiko Prada.
I play Anne, the fiercely protective mother of the story’s protagonist. She’s driven entirely by love, and sometimes love asks us to make impossible choices. I think audiences are going to be surprised by that film.
You’re also writing and producing now. Was that always part of the plan?
Yassmine Othman (YO): Not really. It happened naturally. As actors, we spend a lot of our lives waiting for someone else to say yes. Eventually, I realized I also wanted to create opportunities. That’s why I founded Othman Legacy Productions.
One of the projects closest to my heart is Entre Dos Mujeres, an LGBTQ+ period drama set during Franco’s Spain.I wrote it because I wanted to tell a story about love, identity and courage at a time when simply loving the wrong person could change your entire life.
In the spring of 2027, we’ll co-produce the short film with Anaya Films, directed by Charo Anaya and we’ll be shooting in Seville. For me, producing isn’t about control. It’s about helping stories that matter find their audience.
What advice would you give someone who’s afraid of starting over?
Yassmine Othman (YO): Don’t wait for the perfect moment. It probably doesn’t exist. If there’s something you truly love… Start. One small step is enough. You don’t have to know exactly how the journey will unfold. You simply have to begin.
Finally… what does success mean to you today?
Yassmine Othman (YO): Success has changed. When I was younger, maybe I thought it was about achieving certain goals. Today, success is waking up excited about what’s next. It’s working with talented people. It’s continuing to learn. It’s creating stories. It’s helping other actors believe in themselves. And above all… It’s knowing I finally listened to that little girl who loved theatre. I’m very grateful that I did.
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