Qays Sheikh Najib


Qays Sheikh Najib is a Syrian film, television and theatre actor born on June 5 1977 in Damascus. His father, actor and director Mohammed Sheikh Najib, and his mother, Khadija El-Abed, a traditional Syrian folk dancer inspired his early curiosity about the stage. Growing up, Sheikh Najib used to accompany his father on set, which nurtured his passion for the craft of acting. He made a few appearances on television and on stage when only a teenager. Sheikh Najib graduated from Damascus's Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts in 1998. Soon after, he earned a scholarship to study in France, where he acted in several festivals, and also appeared in plays in Germany. His repertoire includes not only modern theatre but also world-renowned classics such as Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment.
By 2020, Qays Sheikh Najib had more than 70 TV shows to his credit, as well as half a dozen feature films. He has tackled tragedy and comedy, mainstream soap operas and dramas addressing deep social issues.

Television career

After his graduation from the acting academy, Sheikh Najib soon got his break on television with popular Ramadan nighttime Syrian dramas, Al Tayr in 1998, and Al Jamal '', the next year, which were broadcast across the Arab world. He then appeared in Baqaya Suwar in 1999 and part 3 of Al Bawasel in 2002. Sheikh Najib anchored his reputation with Layali al-Salhiya in 2004, a Syrian crime drama with an all-star cast. The same year, he also appeared as Salah in director Hatem Ali's Al-Taghriba Al-Falastiniya, which dealt with the struggles of a Palestinian family over several generations. Sheikh Najib also acted in other titles tackling social issues, such as 2010's Ma Malakat Aymanukum, which talked about extremism and social chaos.
Qays Sheikh Najib has also acted in several historical dramas, among them Salah El-Din El Ayoubi, Saqf el-Alam, where he reprised the role of Antonio Banderas in the 1999 feature film The 13th Warrior, playing Ahmad bin Fadlan, and in Zaman el Barghout, set in Syria during the French Mandate. He also guest-starred in Bab Al-Hara for the first few seasons of the 10-year-running Ramadan nighttime series.
In 2014, Qays Sheikh Najib starred as Fadi in Al-Ikhwa, which was partly directed by his brother Saif Sheikh Najib. The series dealt with a tense internal conflict between five siblings fighting for their wealthy father's inheritance. He also starred in romantic comedies such as Madraset el Hobb, Yaret and Julia, where he played the role of a psychiatrist. Earlier, he had already played a romantic interest in the 2015 Ottoman-era Lebanese drama Bint al-Shahbandar.
In 2019, Qays Sheikh Najib starred in two high-profile TV series: Syrian contemporary crime drama Massafet Aman, and Haramlek, whose intrigue was set among the background of the rise of the Mamluk in Egypt. In 2020, Sheikh Najib starred as Saad in Awlad Adam ,'' a role he entirely played with one eye patched. This Pan-Arab series, which was broadcast internationally, centered around two couples' hidden scandals and yearning for triumph.

Film work

Alongside his television work, Sheikh Najib has also appeared in a number of films. He notably acted under the direction of his father in Wa Maza Baad in 2002, in Ghassan Shemeit's Al-Hawiye in 2007, and Joud Saeed's Marra Ukhra .

Television presenting

Qays has also delved into television presenting. In 2015, he hosted Arab Presenter on Abu Dhabi TV. In September 2020, he returned to host the third season of the hit talk show A'det Rigala on Orbit Showtime Network, alongside Nicolas Mouawad and Khaled Selim. Each episode features a female celebrity guest, whom the hosts question from different perspectives, to confront male and female points of views on personal and social issues.

Awards

Qays has been honored with several awards, among them Lebanon's Murex d'Or in 2020, which recognizes excellence in art and entertainment, as well as the Best Actor award in 2007 for his role in the series Aala Haffet al-Hawiya at the Adonia Festival for his role of Nader. Since 2014, he has been a member of the semi-finals jury of the International Emmy Awards.

Charity work

Qays Sheikh Najib is involved in multiple charity endeavors, including supporting the cause of refugees, on which topic he led discussions with the UNHCR. He has notably been working for several years already with NGO Mentor Arabia, which is dedicated to empowering Arab youth.

Selected filmography

Awlad Adam Haramlek Julia Orchadia Madraset al-Hob Yaret Bint al-Shahbandar  Al-Ikhwa Zain Marra Okhra Al-Hawiya 
  • ''Bab al-Hara''