Renowned Lebanese actor and theater legend Antoine Kerbaj has died at the age of 90, state news agency NNA reported on Sunday.
Kerbaj, a towering figure in Lebanon’s artistic scene, passed away following a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
He was known for his distinctive arched eyebrows, twitching moustache, and powerful voice – traits that made him one of the most recognisable performers in the Arab world with a career spanning nearly half a century across stage, television, and cinema.
Lebanon’s Culture Minister Ghassan Salameh paid tribute to the late actor, describing him as “a monument in his own right” who played a pivotal role in Lebanese theatre’s golden age.
“His famous frown on-screen hid a sincere inner kindness, a refined professional dedication, and a tireless concern for the state of this beautiful art and the interests of his children,” Salameh said in a post on X.
Born in Zabbougha in Matn – east of the capital Beirut, Kerbaj studied at Saint Joseph University of Beirut (USJ) before launching his theatrical career under the direction of Mounir Abou Debs in the 1960s.
He married artist and journalist Laure Ghorayeb in 1966, and together they had three children.
Kerbaj’s career flourished on Lebanon’s most prominent stages, where he performed both Western classics – many of which he translated himself – and Lebanese works by acclaimed writers such as Jalal Khoury, Issam Mahfouz, and Yaacoub Chedraoui, as well as productions by the Caracalla troupe, the Rahbani brothers, and Antoine Ghandour.
His versatility allowed him to excel in dramas, comedies, and historical epics. Among his most memorable roles was his portrayal of Jean Valjean in the 1974 televised adaptation of Les Misérables by Bassem Nasr, as well as his depiction of the popular hero Barbar Agha in 1980.
Kerbaj’s legacy is also being preserved by his son, Mazen Kerbaj, a recognised artist who is chronicling his father’s life in a series of graphic novels titled ‘Antoine’, offering an intimate look at the man behind the iconic career.
