His real name was Youssef Mahmoud Gargiss, and was born in Mosul in 1948 to a poor family. He co-founded El Nasr Troupe with several other actors in Mosul and they performed several plays including Oedipus Rex in 1969 directed by Shifaa El Emary. Other works of his include Yakathan's Dreams, a play, and The Palm and the Neighbors (2010), a TV series and a film titled The Truth (2009).