Rafiq Subaie

February 9, 1930 — Syria

A Syrian actor, born in Al-Buzuriya neighborhood in Damascus, nicknamed "People's Artist". He began his artistic career in the late 40s by presenting improvised comedy parts on Damascus theaters and its private clubs, then moved on to singing and acting in several artistic groups such as Ali Al-Aris, Abdul Latif Fathi and Al-Bayrouti. In the late 1950s, he played the famous character of Abu Sayyah. His first appearance on television was in the series Happiness Restaurant (1960) with Duraid Lahham, followed many Syrian TV series, including: Salhiya Nights, Ghawar's Pranks and The Struggle of Time. He died in Damascus in 2017, at the age of 86, after a long artistic career during which he was one of the pillars of Syrian drama, in theatre, television, radio and cinema.