Syrian artist Rashid Assaf has made what some have described as “fiery” statements, which have been circulated by social media users, discussing the level of boldness in scenes from recent series.
In the statements attributed to him, Rashid Assaf said: "It's not appropriate in our series to see someone's wife going with someone else, and that someone else sleeping with someone's wife? It's shameful, especially with Ramadan approaching. People ask me, 'Why is this, teacher?? In our work, isn’t kissing forbidden, right or wrong??'" He added, "Even from an educational standpoint, I do not smoke on screen unless the role requires it. I mean, when someone is watching a series and sees an actor smoking, unconsciously, a person might pick up a cigarette and start smoking. Laughter is contagious, sadness is contagious, tears are contagious, and smoking is contagious."
Assaf continued: "I am classified in the syndicate as a director... and I'm an anxious person; I don’t want to collapse early. The profession of directing is difficult and full of pressures and extra effort. Being classified by the audience as a first-class actor is enough for me."
Syrian star Jumana Murad praised Assaf’s statements, and he received significant interaction from fans and followers who commented supporting his words. Throughout his lengthy artistic career, the Syrian artist has delivered many successful works, including the series "Al-Bawasel," "Al-Fawaris," and "Al-Kawasir" where he portrayed the character Khaled, showcasing his eloquence in speaking in classical Arabic.
The role Rashid Assaf played in the series "Guardian of Jerusalem" received great admiration from followers and critics, who noted that the Syrian artist deserves an international award for his accurate and masterful performance of the character Bishop Hilarion Capucci. It is worth mentioning that Rashid Assaf has participated in several works of Sham (Levantine) environment such as "Zaman Al-Barghout" and "Touq Al-Banat," as well as social works like "Al-Ghareeb" and comedic ones like "Al-Kharba" and "Al-Waq Waq."
