Jihad Saad

Jihad Saad

Syrian Actor

Personal Information

Born: March 5, 1953 (age 71) – Latakia, Syria

Nationality: Syrian

Father: Nicola

Mother: Layla

Children: Mariam, Nouran, Youssef

Career

Profession: Actor, Director, Writer

Years Active: 1979 – Present

🔹 Early Life

📍 At the age of 12, his family moved to Aleppo due to his father's job.

📍 He studied at Franciscan School, then returned to Latakia to complete his education.

📍 Enrolled in the French Literature department at Damascus University but didn’t complete his studies.

📍 Moved to France to study Architectural Engineering in Lyon.

📍 Worked in various jobs in France, including:

🛒 Vegetable carrier in markets

📰 Newspaper distributor

🏢 Night guard in a clothing factory

💡 His passion for acting was always present, and after two years of engineering studies, he attempted to enroll in a directing school in Paris but was unsuccessful.

🔹 Journey to Egypt

🎭 He headed to the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts in Egypt, as no similar institute existed in Damascus at that time.

⚡ Despite being late for enrollment, he convinced the director to accept him after several auditions.

🎓 Studied under renowned professors like:

Galal El Sharkawy

Sanaa Shafea

Salah Abu Seif

Mahmoud Morsi

📖 Learned theater and Greek literature under specialized professors such as:

Rashad Rachdi

Ibrahim Hamada

Ibrahim Sukkar

📺 During his studies, he trained practically with:

Ahmed Khadr

Nour El Damaradash

🎓 Graduated in 1980 and began his artistic career.

🔹 Professional Career

🌍 Traveled to France and later to the United States, where he was offered work in Hollywood but chose to return to Syria.

🎭 Started his artistic career in the late 1970s, with notable films including:

🎬 Habibati Ya Hob Al-Tout

🎬 The Sun in a Cloudy Day

🎬 The Uprising

🎬 The Intruder

🎭 Served as Director of the Syrian National Theater from 1993 to 1999.

🏆 Won the Golden Palm at the Carthage Theater Festival in 1995 for directing the play "Caligula."

📺 Entered the media industry in 1999 by hosting the TV program "Khabarni Ya Tayr", which continued until 2006.

📺 Participated in Egyptian drama with roles in:

🎬 Naji Atallah's Squad with Adel Imam

🎬 Mamoun & Partners

🎬 The Caesar

🎬 Birth Certificate

🎬 Don't Turn Off the Sun

🎭 Played a role in Bab Al-Hara (Season 7) - 2015, but later stated that he wasn’t keen on joining due to its repetitive storyline.

📖 Announced in 2015 that he was working on four novels, along with an autobiographical book detailing his artistic journey and travels worldwide.

🔹 Notable Works

📺 TV Series

Al-Zeer Salem (2000) – Imru’ Al-Qais

Al-Zahir Baybars (2005) – Orlando

Tales of Night and Day (2006)

Ghazlan in a Forest of Wolves (2006) – Abu Iyad

Bab Al-Hara (2015) – Season 7

Naji Atallah’s Squad (2012) – Menachem

Mamoun & Partners (2016)

The Caesar (2016)

🎭 Films

The Sun in a Cloudy Day (1985)

The Uprising

The Intruder

🎭 Theater Plays

Caligula (1995) – Golden Palm for Best Director

Outside the Flock (Directed – Performed 70 nights in Damascus)

Ghosts (2006) – Lahore Festival in Pakistan

Antigone's Migration (2005) – Performed in Spain, Carthage, and Cairo Festivals

Opera Carmen – European Union Collaboration (Damascus 2008)

🔹 Awards & Recognition

🏆 Golden Palm – Carthage Theater Days (1995)

🏆 Multiple awards from Arab and international festivals

🎭 Jihad Saad is considered one of Syria’s most distinguished artists in theater and drama, with a rich career spanning local and international experiences.