The highly-revered Iranian actor, Mohammad Ali Keshavarz, with a stellar track records of professional role-playing in stage plays, television series and movies for more than 70 years, has passed away after a period of disease.
Keshavarz was born on April 15, 1930 in the city of Isfahan and was among five legendary actors in the history of Iran’s stage plays and movies, out of whom only one is now alive.
The prominent actor was hospitalized in Tehran last month due to a kidney disease, which caused his blood creatinine level to rise. During the course of his therapy, Keshavarz went down with pulmonary infection and was taken to the intensive care unit, where he finally passed away.
He had obtained the top medal of Iranian Culture and Arts for acting a broad range of roles.
The deceased actor played in major TV series such as Pedar Salar, Sarbedaran, Hezar Dastan (The Nightingale), Daei Jan Napelon (Dear Uncle Napoleon), Atash Bedoune-e Doud (Fire with No Smoke), Soltan va Shaban (The Sultan and the Shepard), and Gorg'ha (The Wolves).
Keshavarz had also appeared in dozens of movies, including Khesht Va Ayeeneh (Adobe and Mirror), Aqaye Halou (Mr. Naive), Sadeq Kordeh (Sadeq, the Kurd), Ragbar (Wind Chess), Kamalolmolk, Mardi Ke Moosh Shod (The Man Who Became a Mouse), Kafsh Haye Mirza Norooz (Mirza Norooz’ Shoes), Madar (Mother), Delshodegan (The Infatuated), Nassereddin Shah, a Cinema Actor, and Zire Derakhtan-e Zeytoon (Though the Olive Trees).
The actor also played the role of Shakkur in Caravans, a 1978 Iranian-American film directed by James Fargo based on the novel by James Michener. The movie was shot in Afghanistan and Iran and starred Anthony Quinn playing the role of Zulffiqar.