Kuwaiti actor Mishaal Al-Qamlas dies aged 50

Tributes paid to stage and screen star, whose leg was recently amputated due to diabetes-related complications

Mishaal Al-Qamlas began his career in theatre and went on to direct several productions. @alomran889 / X

Mishaal Al-Qamlas, one of the first Kuwaiti actors to transition from theatre to cinema, has died. According to Sada News Agency, Al-Qamlas had been undergoing treatment for diabetes for years and had been in and out of the hospital for various treatments until his health deteriorated. He died on Thursday at a hospital in Kuwait City aged 50.

In August, Al-Qamlas announced on social media that doctors had to make the painful decision to amputate his left leg due to gangrene.

In a post-surgery video posted by Kuwaiti journalist Naif Al-Shammari on his Instagram, Al-Qamlas appeared to be in good spirits as he spoke from a hospital bed. "I’ve had the operation because blood was not reaching my leg and it had started to darken and get worse,” Al-Qamlas said in the video. “God gives and God takes, and God heals all of the nation of Muhammad.”

Born in 1974, Al-Qamlas began his career in theatre and went on to direct several productions. He later transitioned to television as well as films, appearing in more than 15 shows and movies.

Besides his theatre, TV and film work, Al-Qamlas was also an academic. A graduate of the Faculty of Arts, Alexandria University, he produced several research papers throughout his career. In 2019, he was named the goodwill ambassador for the city of Cairo by the Egyptian government. At the time of his death, he was also a professor at Kuwait's Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts.

Several actors from the Gulf and fans have expressed their sorrow on social media following his death.

“My brother Mishaal Al-Qamlas has passed away, may God have mercy on him,” Kuwaiti actor Yousif Al Blooshi wrote on Instagram. “I will miss you, my love."

“May you be in heaven and its bliss, smiling as we knew you,” Bahraini actress Fay Al Sharqawi posted on X. “Oh God comfort the hearts of his family and loved ones. There is no power or strength except with God.”

Kuwait writer Hamad Bader also shared his grief on X, posting: “No matter what I say about him, I will be falling short of his beautiful soul, his smile and his sense of humour despite the illness and pain he was suffering from. No matter what words I say, they will not do justice to Mishaal Al-Qamlas. May God have mercy on him.”