Jamel Debbouze

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Jamel Debbouze bigraphy, stories - Film

Jamel Debbouze : biography

18 June 1975 –

Jamel Debbouze ( born 18 June 1975) is a French and Moroccan actor, comedian, and producer.

Filmography

  • Sur la piste du Marsupilami (2012)
  • Chicken with Plums (2011)
  • Hollywoo (2011) – Farres
  • 360 (2011)
  • Outside the Law (2010)
  • Why I Did (Not) Eat My Father – (2009)
  • Parlez-moi de la pluie – (2008)
  • Asterix at the Olympic Games – (2008) – Numerobis
  • Indigènes – (2006, English title Days of Glory, also a coproducer)
  • Angel-A – (2005)
  • She Hate Me – Doak (2004)
  • Les Clefs de bagnole – Voice of the modelling-clay dog (2003)
  • Le Boulet – The Malian guard (2002)
  • Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cléopatre – Numerobis (2002)
  • Le fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain – Lucien (2001, English title: Amélie)
  • Granturismo – François (2000)
  • Elie annonce Semoun – Various characters (2000)
  • Les Petits souliers – Zinedine Haouita (1999)
  • Rêve de cauchemar – Saïd (1999)
  • Le Ciel, les oiseaux et… ta mère! – Youssef (1999, English title: Boys On the Beach)
  • Un pavé dans la mire – The prison guard (1998)
  • H – Jamel Dridi (1998–2002, TV Series)
  • Zonzon – Kader (1998)
  • Y a du foutage de gueule dans l’air – (1996)
  • Les Deux papas et la maman – (1996, English title: Two Dads and One Mom)
  • Les Pierres bleues du desert – (1992)

Biography

Debbouze was born in Paris, France, but his family, from Taza, moved back to Morocco the following year. They returned in 1979 and settled in Trappes in 1983, in the Paris region, where Debbouze spent the rest of his childhood. He is the eldest of six siblings: Jamel, Mohamed, Hayat, Karim, Rachid and Nawel Debbouze.

On 17 January 1990, at the train station in Trappes, he was struck by a passing train travelling at 150 km/h. He lost the use of his right arm, while another young man, Jean-Paul Admette, the son of the singer Michel Admette from Reunion, died. Debbouze was sued by the victim’s family for manslaughter but the case was dismissed for lack of proof, most of the witnesses retracting. In December 2004, he was going to perform on stage on the French island of Réunion, but Debbouze cancelled, claiming illness, as Michel Admette’s parents had organized a demonstration against his arrival.Marie Jocher et Alain Kéramoal, Jamel Debbouze, la vérité, Seuil, janvier 2008.

In 1995, he was spotted by the bosses of Radio Nova, Jacques Massadian and Jean-François Bizot, who made him famous (Jacques Massadian would become his manager). He debuted on Radio Nova, with a film review show, Le Cinéma de Jamel and on television around 1996-1997 on cable channel Paris Première, in a TV show co-produced by Radio Nova and the channel. He took Le Cinéma de Jamel to television on Canal+ in 1998. On the same channel, he contributed to another show, H, along with Éric Judor and Ramzy Bedia.

He played in the movies Zonzon (1998), international box-office hit Amélie (2001), domestic hit Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cléopâtre (2002), and Angel-A, directed by Luc Besson (2005).

In 2006, he played in the historical movie Indigènes (which he co-produced), paying tribute to the North-African soldiers who fought for France during WW2. For this movie, he got the prize for best male actor at the 59th edition of the Cannes Film Festival with Samy Naceri, Roschdy Zem, Sami Bouajila and Bernard Blancan.

In April 2008, Debbouze opened a Comedy Club in Paris, aimed at launching newcomers on the stand-up scene.Le , au 42 boulevard Bonne Nouvelle à Paris, dispose d’une salle implantée dans un ancien cinéma parisien qui peut accueillir jusqu’à 120 spectateurs:

On 29 March 2008 Debbouze became engaged to French journalist and news anchor Mélissa Theuriau; the two married on 7 May 2008.http://www.vivre-maroc.com/actu/2008/06/13/mariage-de-jamel-debbouze-et-melissa-theuriau/