TEHRAN -- Veteran actor/director Mostafa Abdollahi, who was one of the leading actors of acclaimed TV series “Heroes Never Die”, passed away at Tehran’s Parsian Hospital on Thursday morning after 13 years of battling blood cancer.

He was admitted to the hospital on May 8 but went into a coma on Wednesday and died a day after, Persian news media reported.

Born in Borujerd in 1955, Abdollahi entered the world of acting in 1970 after acting in several theatrical performances in his homeland.

Shortly afterwards, he left the city to develop his skills in Tehran, where he joined the Honar Theater Troupe, which was led by director and actor Qotbeddin Sadeqi.

He also performed in many teleplays and radio dramas, but he faced a difficult situation in 2002 when he was informed that he was suffering from leukemia.

Treatment for the fatal illness was by a bone marrow transplant. However leukemia reappeared in early 2008, and since then, he had been undergoing chemotherapy.

Last winter, he brought together a cast of 17 actors to stage Russian playwright Maxim Gorky’s “The Lower Depths” at the 33rd Fajr International Theater Festival in Tehran.

In late April, his group came together again to reprise the play at the City Theater Complex. Due to his critical condition, Abdollahi could not accompany the troupe, and his aide, Mikail Shahrestani, directed the play, which is currently on stage at the hall.

“He never staged dull and useless plays, which are far from the culture of his homeland and he had faith in what he did on stage,” Sadeqi said in a ceremony that the troupe held at the City Theater Complex on Thursday evening to commemorate Abdollahi.

Iranian Theater Forum Managing Director Iraj Rad also attended the ceremony.

“His patience in confronting the illness and the difficulties in theater made him a legend, to which we should take our hats off,” Rad stated.

He played roles in over 30 dramas, including “A-ye bi Kolah, A-ye ba Kolah”, “An Eye for an Eye” by Gholamhossein Saedi and “War on the Third Floor” by Pavel Kohout.

Photo: Actor/director Mostafa Abdollahi in an undated photo

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