Sayyora Yunusova

Sayyora Yunusova was born in Tashkent in 1956. She studied at the Tashkent Theatre and Art Institute from 1973 to 1977 and has worked at the Uzbek National Academic Drama Theatre since 1977, where she is regarded as one of the leading actresses.

On stage she has created more than 80 characters, among them Firdavs in «Al-Farghani», Zuhra in «The Golden Wall», Gertrude in «Hamlet», Zebuniso in «Zebuniso», Amelia in «Trees Die Standing», O'zbekoyim in «Bygone Days», the mother-in-law in «Chimildiq», Gavharshodbegim in «Starry Nights», and the nurse in the plays «Alisher Navoi» and «Jalaluddin Manguberdi». She has also played Dilora in «Bir koshona sirlari», Beg'am and Sayyora in «Bir qadam yo'l», the Storyteller in «Bor ekanda, yo'q ekanda», Gulsum momo in «Taqdir sinovlari», the lawyer in «Tortardurman jabrimni», Oynisa opa in «Kuzgi maktublar», the old woman in «The White Ship», Oykarim in «Abay» and Biydi momo in «Urush odamlari».

In cinema she has appeared in more than 40 feature films and series, including «Changak» (1989), «Bobur» (1990), «Shaytanat» (1998), «Pari momo» (2000), «Meni yolg'iz qoldirma» (2004), «Suv yoqalab» (2009), «Umid» and «Jasur» (2011), «Ko'rgim keladi» (2014) and «Zurriyot» (2017). Wider audiences know her as Ra'no, the mother of the sisters, in the series «Opa-singillar». In 2025 she appeared in the films «Shamsiqamar» and «Farz». She has also played several roles in the television programmes «Otalar so'zi, aqlning ko'zi» and «Dengizdan tomchi».

Yunusova is also a dubbing artist. Even before 2000 she voiced characters in films and cartoons; in the Uzbek dub of the Japanese series «Oshin» she voiced the title character and several other actresses, her first dubbed series. She also took part in the Uzbek dub of the Korean series «Winter Sonata» (2003, 1 TV).

In 1999 she was given the honorary title Honoured Artist of the Republic of Uzbekistan. In 2021 she received the commemorative medal «30th Anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Uzbekistan», and in 2022 the badge «Madaniyat va san'at fidokori» («Devoted Servant of Culture and Art»). By presidential decree of 28 May 2026 she was awarded the Order of Labor Glory (Mehnat shuhrati).