Yakub Akhmedov. Photo: zamin.uz
People’s Artist of Uzbekistan and master of the stage Yakub Akhmedov has passed away at the age of 87, the Uzbek National Academic Drama Theater reported on its Telegram channel.
Akhmedov was one of the most prominent figures in Uzbek theater, known for his many roles in stage productions and films.
He was born in 1938 in Namangan and graduated in 1959 from the Tashkent Theater and Art Institute named after Ostrovsky (now the State Institute of Arts and Culture of Uzbekistan). Since 1958, he had worked at the Hamza Academic Drama Theater (now the National Academic Drama Theater of Uzbekistan). Over his career, Akhmedov created around 50 memorable stage characters, leaving an indelible mark on the history of Uzbek performing arts.
In the late 1990s, he became the head of the theater, serving in that role until 2013. In 2015, the artist founded the School of Acting Mastery studio, where he trained several generations of talented young actors.
Much of Akhmedov’s life was also devoted to cinema. He appeared in hundreds of films, including I’m Enchanted by You, The Adventures of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, Furqat, Bygone Days, and Shaytanat: The Kingdom of Devils, among others. He was also renowned for his dubbing work, voicing characters in more than 400 films in the Uzbek language.
In 1974, Akhmedov was awarded the title of People’s Artist of the Uzbek SSR, and in 1990, he was named People’s Artist of the USSR. He was also a recipient of the Dustlik (“Friendship”) and Fidokorona xizmatlari uchun (“For Selfless Service”) orders.
