Leading Syrian comedian and director Duraid Lahham said he has received several offers to star in drama series but has declined them all as most of them were “superficial and valueless.”
In an interview with Arab Today, the veteran actor said: “My history and the success I have achieved during the past decades make it hard when it comes to choose a drama.”
He added that he is currently preparing for a new film that he hopes will achieve a new success in his career.
Lahham also spoke about his thoughts on the Syrian crisis, saying the reason for the Syrian crisis are that there are many parties involved and there is a systematic plan to destroy the country and its heritage.
Lahham was born in the Shi'ite Hay al-Amin neighborhood of Damascus in 1934. He grew up in poverty and had to work at several odd jobs to earn a living. He later would recall these difficult days, saying that he used to buy used clothes, reserved for the poor in Syria, and barely made enough money to feed himself.
He enrolled at the University of Damascus and studied chemistry. During his college years, he was active in a form of folklore Arabic dance called "dabke" and became obsessed with acting. When he completed his education, Lahham became an instructor at the Chemistry Department at the University.