Syrian actor Jowan Khodor revealed in a live broadcast during the weekly show presented by the "Wiyyak" platform, his reaction to the controversy stirred by the series "Street of Chicago," which was unexpected, especially since it occurred after the encrypted airing. He stated that "the writer and director of the work, Mohamed Abdel Aziz, has a perspective that he likes to present through the work, whether I agree with it or not. However, when we talk about this series and its deep dive into a street surrounded by bars, and the events unfold around it, we have to expect the level of conversation between the characters. For example, when we handle period dramas in the Levantine context, we adopt a Levantine accent and use deep terminology because the environment inherently possesses these terms."
Jowan emphasized that he is not prepared to play a gay role as a form of daring. He said: "I cannot detach myself from my identity, even though I am a graduate of the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts. However, I come from a background that does not accept these characters. Even though an actor should play all roles, in reality, I cannot reconcile with a gay character, and I cannot defend them because I do not accept their existence; I view them as individuals with psychological issues. I might empathize with them and understand their struggles, but I treat them as if they are suffering from depression or schizophrenia, and their existence should not be normalized in society." Currently, actor Jowan Khodor is filming his role in the series "Return of the Heart," written by Fadel Mar'i and directed by Ammar Tamim, where he portrays the character Taif, who seeks revenge against an adversary and strives over 30 episodes to achieve her goal.
