Khadija Assad ( ar, خديجة أسد; died 25 January 2023) was a Moroccan actress and comedian. Nicknamed "The Lioness", she was considered an emblematic figure in Moroccan cinema and television. Assad was best known for her work alongside her husband Aziz Saadallah and for her role in ''Lalla Fatima,'' one of Morocco's most famous sitcoms.

Early life and education

Assad was born in Casablanca, Morocco. She studied at the Lalla Aicha secondary school. In 1971, encouraged by her parents, she enrolled at the Municipal Conservatory of Casablanca, where she studied for four years.

Career

Assad's debut as a professional actress was in 1973 when she participated in the "artistic evenings" transmitted from the

Ain Chock Ain (, ; frp, En) is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Eastern France. Named after the Ain river, it is bordered by the Saône and Rhône rivers. Ain is located on the country's eastern edge, on the Swiss border, where i ...

studios. A member of the Masrah Annass theatrical troupe, her first role in theater was in

Tayeb Saddiki Tayeb Saddiki (; 5 January 1939 – 5 February 2016) was a Moroccan theatre director and one of the most iconic and prominent Arab artists, and is considered among the foremost Arab dramatists of the twentieth century. Trained in classical Wes ...

's ''Maqamat Badi3 Zaman Hamadani.''

Personal life and death

Assad was married to Moroccan actor Aziz Saadallah until his death in 2020. The couple was described as "Moroccan television's most famous couple". Assad died in Casablanca on 25 January 2023 after a long battle with cancer.

Filmography

Television

* ''Lalla Fatima'' * ''Lalla Laroussa'' * ''Bent Bladi'' (2009) * ''Machi Bhalhoum'' (2018)

Feature films

* ''Les Casablancais'' (1998) * ''Number One'' (2009) * '' The Bait (L'Appât)'' (2010)

References

20th-century births Year of birth missing 2023 deaths 20th-century Moroccan actresses 21st-century Moroccan actresses People from Casablanca {{Morocco-actor-stub