Renowned Armenian actor, People’s Artist of the Republic of Armenia Guzh Manukyan has passed away, the Union of Theatre Workers of Armenia informs.
Born on May 6, 1937, in Leninakan (now Gyumri), Guzh Manukyan graduated from the Acting Department of the Yerevan Fine Arts and Theatre Institute in 1958. His theatrical career began that same year, with performances at the Kapan Drama Theatre (1958–1959), followed by the Yerevan State Youth Theatre (1959–1967), and later at the capital’s leading drama theatres from 1967 onward.
Throughout his career, Manukyan portrayed a wide range of memorable characters, including:
- Mitrofan in Denis Fonvizin’s The Minor,
- Saro in Anush (based on Hovhannes Tumanyan’s work),
- Pyotr in Maxim Gorky’s The Philistines,
- Buckingham in William Shakespeare’s Richard III,
- Bluntschli in Bernard Shaw’s Arms and the Man,
- Karandyshev in Alexander Ostrovsky’s Without a Dowry,
- Tigran the Great in Perch Zeytuntsyan’s The Call of the Gods, a role that earned him the State Prize of Armenia in 1981,
- Alfred in Shaw’s My Fair Lady.
Manukyan also left a mark in Armenian cinema, starting in 1964. Among his notable screen roles are:
- Marcelin in The Mourning Snow (based on Henri Troyat, directed by Yuri Yerznkyan),
- Armen in The Best Half of Life (directed by Albert Mkrtchyan),
- Guy in Die on Horseback (directed by Grigor Mrlik-Avagyan).
Guzh Manukyan was known for his ability to embody characters with psychological depth, offering clear and convincing interpretations that resonated with audiences.
His passing marks the loss of a treasured figure in Armenian performing arts.
