Bassam Kousa
- Acting
- November 7, 1954 · Aleppo, Syria
Biography
A prominent film and television actor in the Arab world, Bassam Kousa is known for his unconventional roles and his willingness to push the boundaries. Born in Aleppo, Syria on November 7, 1963, Kousa broke into the public consciousness with a string of prominent roles in Syrian TV shows such as ‘Ayyam Shamiyah’. One of his most popular roles was on ‘Bab Al Hara’, one of the most-watched TV shows in the Arab region. Although he only appeared in the first season of the show, his character, Idaghshiri, became instantly identifiable to an audience stretching from Gaza to the Arabian Gulf. Kousa has also acted in a number of feature films, including Usama Muhammad’s ‘The Box of Life’, which was screened at the 2002 Cannes Festival winning the Un Certain Regard award. In 2010, Kousa won the prestigious Adonia award, Syria’s version of the Emmys, for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his role in ‘Wara’a al Shams’. In the show, Kousa plays a man struggling with autism, a controversial role that has raised eyebrows in a traditionally conservative region. A passionate supporter of the Arab film industry, Kousa has called for a shift in perceptions in the Arab world, with a number of people still considering acting as an ‘immoral’ profession. He has said that in order to change perceptions, cultural establishments in the public and private sectors should cooperate to raise awareness on art as a form of entertainment and enlightenment. During a recent visit to Amman, he was honoured by the Royal Film Commission, who screened three of his films.
Known for
Filmography
- The enemy Syrians
- The Hero · يوسف
- Kanoon · عبد القادر عبد القادر
- Taj · رياض بك الجوهر
- Steelyard banknote · نعمان الزير
- The Stranger
- Souq Al Harir · عمران الحرايري
- سر
- Golden Chains · مهيوب
- Rozana
- Solitaire · Riad
- Faces Behind the Faces
- Alhaqa'eb · Khalil - خليل
- Qamar Sham
- Tahoun Al-Shar
- The mirage · Abu Alkhair
- Behind the Sun · بدر
- The Black Box
- The Age of Shame
- Summer Cloud · ديب الهادي
- Neighborhood Live On Air · أبو وديع
- Al-Hout
- Grandpa's house
- العشاق
- kum alhajar
- The Wait · وائل
- People of Love
- Bab Al-Hara · الإدعشري
- صدى الروح
- The Penguin
- Behind Bars
- Layali Al-Salehiya · المخرز
- Big Dreams · أبو عمر
- Asr Aljonoon · صالح محفوظ
- Law, However · ناظم أبو الخل (مدير عام)
- Sons of Oppression · عصام
- Sacrifices
- Spotlight
- Al Khawali
- Al Zeer Salem · التبع اليماني - ضيف شرف
- Biography of Al-Jalali Family
- They Asked Me
- The Four Seasons · نجيب
- Good Party · Director, Story
- The Straner's Dust
- Sarab
- Al Ababeed
- Breeze of the Soul
- Missing Painting · ضيف شرف
- Khan Al-Hareer · Ahmad
- The Survivor · يورام
- Rising Rain
- Layl Al-Khaefeen · شريف
- The Extras · Salem
- Something Is Burning · Ramzy
- درب التبان
- Ayyam Shamiyya · حمدي القاق
- Migration of Hearts to Hearts · مصطفى
- Nights of The Jackal
- The Half-Metre Incident
- Ealmakshuf