Mahmoud Mabsout
actor · film actor
- July 25, 2011
- 69 years
- heart attack
About Mahmoud Mabsout
Mahmoud Mabsout, 69, Lebanese actor, heart attack.
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Full Biography
|Mahmoud Mabsout (Arabic: محمود مبسوط), also known by the character Fehmen (Arabic: فهمان) (1941 – 25 July 2011) was a Lebanese actor.
Biography
Mahmoud was born in 1941 in Tripoli, North Lebanon. He was not good at school, as he said in an interview. He failed first grade six times, and when he was 12 years old, the principal of his school told his father "your son is not good for school." Meanwhile, Mahmoud spent his time acting sketches that he invented with his friends.
Mahmoud formed with his friends the "Drabzin Agha" troupe, and made some sketches that made it to festival of the «Ecole des Freres» (school). His father didn't want him to act, and was reported to beat Mahmoud in order to stop him from acting. The father locked his son to prohibit him from going out because acting was a «forbidden art» in his point of view. Mahmoud escaped using a rope tied to the balcony.
At the age of sixteen, his father sent him to Africa to work with his brothers. He worked with them during the day, but spent nights playing the «Tarneeb» card game. During one of those games, he met a man named "Asmarani", who was influential in the Arab community in Ghana. "Asmarani" supported him as he formed a troupe with a group of amateurs which he met in nightclubs. They presented plays at homes of Lebanese people around the country. Mahmoud again was beaten, this time by his two brothers. They also imprisoned him at home, but the «Asmarani» intervened and asked and threatened them, not to block the rising artist's carrier. His brothers sent him back to Lebanon.
In Lebanon, he joined the comedy troupe of "Abou Salim", led by Salah Tizani, who is also from Tripoli. The troupe worked at "Channel 7" of Tele Liban, performing "live" sketches, after only a few months from its opening, marking the golden era of Tele-Liban. In 1962, they created the "Abou Salim el Tabel" troupe on which Mahmoud assumed the recurring character of Fehmen.
Filmography
Beside his work in Tele-Liban, Mahmoud Starred in around 25 plays and 33 Films. He worked with many directors such as Muhammad Salman, Samir El Ghosayni, Ziad Doueiry, Atef Al Tayeb, Hani Tamba, Philip Aractanji, Samir Habchi, Borhane Alaouié.
Quotes
- Life's a joke. It's true it may be heavy sometimes, but still there is always a chance to rejoice with no cost.
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahmoud_Mabsout
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- View record
- September 29, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Mahmoud Mabsout's archived record and the sources above.
1.In what year was Mahmoud Mabsout born?
- A.1947
- B.1935
- C.1952
- D.1941correct
The biography states that Mahmoud Mabsout was born in 1941.
Source: Biography introduction
2.In which city was Mahmoud Mabsout born?
- A.Sidon
- B.Tyre
- C.Beirut
- D.Tripolicorrect
Mahmoud Mabsout was born in 1941 in Tripoli, North Lebanon.
Source: Biography section
3.How many times did Mahmoud Mabsout fail the first grade?
- A.Six timescorrect
- B.Eight times
- C.Ten times
- D.Four times
Mahmoud Mabsout admitted in an interview that he failed the first grade six times.
Source: Biography section
4.What was the name of the first troupe formed by Mahmoud Mabsout and his friends?
- A.Abou Salim el Tabel
- B.The Tripoli Stars
- C.Tele Liban Troupe
- D.Drabzin Aghacorrect
Mahmoud Mabsout formed the Drabzin Agha troupe with his friends during his school years.
Source: Biography section
5.How did Mahmoud Mabsout escape when his father locked him inside to stop him from acting?
- A.He broke the door
- B.He hid in a delivery truck
- C.He used a rope tied to the balconycorrect
- D.He climbed through a window
Mahmoud Mabsout escaped his home using a rope tied to the balcony to continue acting.
Source: Biography section
6.To which continent was Mahmoud Mabsout sent by his father at the age of sixteen?
- A.Asia
- B.Africacorrect
- C.South America
- D.Europe
At the age of sixteen, Mahmoud Mabsout's father sent him to Africa to work with his brothers.
Source: Biography section
7.What card game did Mahmoud Mabsout play during his time in Africa?
- A.Poker
- B.Bridge
- C.Tarneebcorrect
- D.Belote
While in Africa, Mahmoud Mabsout spent his nights playing the Tarneeb card game.
Source: Biography section
8.Who intervened when Mahmoud Mabsout's brothers imprisoned him in Africa?
- A.His father
- B.A man named Asmaranicorrect
- C.A local school principal
- D.A Lebanese television producer
Asmarani intervened and threatened the brothers to stop them from blocking the rising artist's career.
Source: Biography section
9.Which television channel featured the troupe Mahmoud Mabsout joined in Lebanon?
- A.Channel 9
- B.Channel 4
- C.Channel 12
- D.Channel 7correct
Mahmoud Mabsout joined the comedy troupe of Abou Salim which worked at Channel 7 of Tele Liban.
Source: Biography section
10.In what year was the 'Abou Salim el Tabel' troupe created?
- A.1958
- B.1965
- C.1962correct
- D.1960
In 1962, the Abou Salim el Tabel troupe was created, where Mahmoud Mabsout played Fehmen.
Source: Biography section
11.What is the recurring character name famously played by Mahmoud Mabsout?
- A.Asmarani
- B.Abou Salim
- C.Fehmencorrect
- D.Drabzin
Mahmoud Mabsout was widely known by the recurring character Fehmen.
Source: Biography introduction
12.Approximately how many films did Mahmoud Mabsout star in?
- A.33correct
- B.45
- C.15
- D.25
Mahmoud Mabsout starred in around 25 plays and 33 films throughout his career.
Source: Filmography section
13.Which of these directors did Mahmoud Mabsout work with?
- A.Youssef Chahine
- B.Ziad Doueirycorrect
- C.Nadine Labaki
- D.Maroun Bagdadi
The text lists Ziad Doueiry among the many directors that Mahmoud Mabsout worked with.
Source: Filmography section
14.On what date did Mahmoud Mabsout pass away?
- A.15 July 2011
- B.25 July 2011correct
- C.5 August 2011
- D.25 August 2011
Mahmoud Mabsout died on 25 July 2011.
Source: Biography introduction
15.What is the primary message in Mahmoud Mabsout's quote about life?
- A.Life is a tragedy.
- B.Life is a joke.correct
- C.Life is a long journey.
- D.Life is a test.
In his quotes, Mahmoud Mabsout famously stated that life is a joke.
Source: Quotes section
16.Who led the comedy troupe that Mahmoud Mabsout joined upon returning to Lebanon?
- A.Philip Aractanji
- B.Salah Tizanicorrect
- C.Hani Tamba
- D.Muhammad Salman
Mahmoud Mabsout joined the troupe of Abou Salim, which was led by Salah Tizani.
Source: Biography section
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