Renowned Armenian actor Samvel Sargsyan has passed away, informed the Theatre Workers' Union of Armenia.

He would have turned 68 in just a few days.

Sargsyan was born on September 18, 1955, in Yerevan.

He played a number of roles in many theatric plays and acted in numerous films.

Between 2005 and 2008, Sargsyan lived in the US, where he staged plays for the Armenian audience.

He was the artistic director and chief director of the Yerevan State Theatre of Choreography.

In 2014, Samvel Sargsyan was awarded the gold medal of the Ministry of Culture of Armenia.