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Ghassan
Massoud
Ghassan Massoud, 2003

Born Ghassan Massoud
September 20, 1958 (1958-09-20)
Damascus, Syria
Ghassan Massoud (Arabic:
غسّان مسعود;
born September 20, 1958) is a Syrian actor and filmmaker. He is known in
the West for playing the role of Saladin in Ridley Scott's 2005 film
Kingdom of Heaven.
Massoud also played the "Sheikh" in
the Turkish film "Kurtlar Vadisi: Irak" (Valley of the Wolves: Iraq), and
Ammand the Corsair in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End film
Massoud turned down a role in the
2005 film Syriana, claiming he feared the movie would be anti-Arab.
Massoud also cited concerns regarding the political situation in his
country and the wider region in declining the role. He later said he
regretted his decision after seeing the completed film. Massoud is known
in Syria for his appearance in many Syrian-made films, and writing and
directing the theatre play Diplomasiyyoun, and was part of the Syrian
Ministry of Culture’s National Theater’s 2002 season. He has appeared in
the Syrian television miniseries The Chant of Rain, and in Haytham Hakky's
well known work Memories of the Forthcoming Age, and on the Syrian stage
was an actor in August Strindberg's Miss Julie.
Massoud was born in Damascus. Married
with both a son and daughter, Massoud teaches Drama at both the Damascus
Music and Drama School and Higher Institute for Dramatic Arts.
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