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Lebanese comedian Samy Khayat dies aged 79

Khayat created and produced 62 satirical shows in French since 1960 and authored several books.

Lebanese comedian Samy Khayat dies aged 79

Lebanese actor, director and scriptwriter Samy Khayat. (Credit: Alain Brenas)

BEIRUT — Prolific Lebanese actor, director and scriptwriter Samy Khayat died on Wednesday of an illness, one of his close friends confirmed to L'Orient-Le Jour.

The French-speaking actor's career began in 1960, when he was a teenager.

Samy Khayat was a graduate in law, political science, modern literature and linguistics from French universities in Lebanon (Saint-Joseph University and Beirut School of Letters).

A creator and producer of 62 satirical shows in Lebanon since 1960, he was also the author of several books in French.

He was a fervent spokesperson of "franbanais," a spoken mixture of French and Lebanese Arabic, and wrote a book on the subject that was published in 2023.

In the 1970s, alongside his wife Nayla who accompanied him on stage for many years, he revived the Society for the Protection of Animals in Lebanon, founded by his father Albert Khayat in 1927.

In 2020, he received the Medal of the French Order of Arts and Letters, at the rank of officer, in recognition of his career on stage.

"Writers express themselves by writing, painters by painting. As for me, I express myself by laughing," he often said.

BEIRUT — Prolific Lebanese actor, director and scriptwriter Samy Khayat died on Wednesday of an illness, one of his close friends confirmed to L'Orient-Le Jour.The French-speaking actor's career began in 1960, when he was a teenager.Samy Khayat was a graduate in law, political science, modern literature and linguistics from French universities in Lebanon (Saint-Joseph University and Beirut...