Bassam Kousa

Known for ActingBorn 1954-11-07 (age 71)Aleppo, Syria

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.Read more

Movies & web series

Souq Al Harir

سر

كوم الحجر

Big Dreams

The Four Seasons

Alhaqa'eb

The Half-Metre Incident

Taj

Rozana

Al Zeer Salem

Bab Al-Hara

Solitaire

Golden Chains

The Straner's Dust

Sacrifices

That Which Remains

Layali Al-Salehiya

Nights of The Jackal

The Extras

Ayyam Shamiyya

The enemy Syrians

Kanoon

The Hero

Steelyard banknote

The Stranger

Faces Behind the Faces

Qamar Sham

Tahoun Al-Shar

The Black Box

Behind the Sun

The Age of Shame

Summer Cloud

العشاق

Neighborhood Live On Air

Al-Hout

The Penguin

The Wait

People of Love

صدى الروح

Behind Bars

Asr Aljonoon

Law, However

Sons of Oppression

Spotlight

Al Khawali

Biography of Al-Jalali Family

They Asked Me

Good Party