The Syrian Artists Syndicate (Damascus Branch) announced the death of the artist Ahmed Khalifa at the age of 81 after an artistic career that spanned more than 6 decades, leaving behind a great legacy in Syrian and Arab drama.
The syndicate's statement on its Instagram account reads:
"The Damascus branch of the Artists Syndicate mourns the death of the able artist Ahmed Khalifa, and we will inform you later of the date of the funeral, burial and the date of condolences, we belong to God and to Him we return."
The news of Khalifa's death witnessed a wide reaction on social media platforms, where the audience and his colleagues in the artistic community expressed their deep sadness over the loss of one of the well-established faces in Syrian drama, recalling his human presence and roles that formed part of the memory of the Arab viewer.
A simple life in the spotlight
Ahmed Khalifa is a Syrian actor, writer and theater director, born in Damascus in 1945, who was an expert in the history of the Syrian drama industry since its inception, and was famous for minor roles that had a distinguished presence in Syrian drama, and grew up in an authentic Damascus environment that was later reflected in his performance in the works of the Levantine environment.
He was married with two sons, and throughout his life he was keen to keep his family out of the limelight, maintaining his privacy despite his wide artistic presence.
Khalifa was known among his colleagues for his calm and humble personality, and for his human relations that left a good mark on the artistic community.
A busy artistic career that started from the theater
The late Ahmed Khalifa began his artistic career in the 1960s on stage, before moving to cinema and television, and one of his first cinematic works was his participation in the film "City Dreams", which was an important milestone in its beginnings.
Over the years, Khalifa has established his presence as one of the most prominent Syrian actors, relying on his long experience and remarkable ability to embody supporting characters that have given him a clear human depth.
Immortal works in the memory of Syrian drama
The late artist participated in dozens of works that have become part of the history of Syrian drama, including, Cute But, Diary of Jamil and Hana, Al-Khawali, Layali Al-Salhiya, Bab Al-Hara, and The 6-Star Family.
Khalifa was distinguished by his ability to perform social, comedic and Levantine roles, which made him a strong presence in the success of many works, despite his distance from absolute heroism.
With the departure of Ahmed Khalifa, Syrian drama has lost one of its veteran faces who contributed to building its Arab presence, and left a clear imprint on the audience through roles that remained present in the memory.