Huda Shaarawi

Acting · Born October 28, 1938 · Damascus, Syria

A Syrian actress and singer who was among the pioneering figures of Syrian radio and television. She began her artistic career at the age of nine after being discovered by actor Anwar Al-Baba, becoming one of the first female performers to work in Syrian radio. Despite opposition from her family, she continued pursuing acting and participated in numerous radio productions, including the long-running crime drama Hukm Al-Adala. She was also a founding member of the Syrian Artists Syndicate. Her career expanded into theater, cinema, and television, where she became known for her distinctive voice, natural comedic ability, and memorable portrayals of traditional Syrian women. Her notable television credits include Five-Star Family (1994), The End of a Brave Man (1994), Abu Al-Hana's Dreams (1996), Seven-Star Family (1997), The Return of Ghawar (1998), and A Hero from This Time (1999). She portrayed Umm Soso in Abu Al-Hana's Dreams and Umm Hani in Seven-Star Family. She achieved widespread recognition for portraying Umm Zaki, the neighborhood midwife, in the popular Syrian television series Bab Al-Hara (2006), a character she continued playing for more than a decade. Her performance became one of the series' most recognizable elements and introduced her to new generations of Arab viewers. She continued appearing in television productions throughout her later years, including Fire with Fire (2023), Taj (2024), and Layali Al-Roxy (2025). On January 29, 2026, she was tragically murdered inside her home in the Bab Sreijeh neighborhood of Damascus. Syrian authorities arrested a domestic worker suspected of the killing and reported that she confessed during questioning. Her violent death brought a devastating end to a career that had spanned more than seven decades.