Hamidou Benmessaoud ( ar, حميدو بنمسعود; 2 August 1935 – 19 September 2013), best known as Amidou, was a Moroccan-French film, television, and stage actor. Born in

Rabat Rabat (, also , ; ar, الرِّبَاط, er-Ribât; ber, ⵕⵕⴱⴰⵟ, ṛṛbaṭ) is the capital city of Morocco and the country's seventh largest city with an urban population of approximately 580,000 (2014) and a metropolitan populatio ...

, at 17 Amidou moved to Paris to attend the CNSAD. In 1968 he made his debut on stage, in

Jean Genet Jean Genet (; – ) was a French novelist, playwright, poet, essayist, and political activist. In his early life he was a vagabond and petty criminal, but he later became a writer and playwright. His major works include the novels '' The Thief ...

's '' Les paravents''. Amidou was best known for his association with director

Claude Lelouch Claude Barruck Joseph Lelouch (; born 30 October 1937) is a French film director, writer, cinematographer, actor and producer. Lelouch grew up in an Algerian Jewish Family. He emerged as a prominent director in the 1960s. Lelouch gained critica ...

, with whom he shot eleven films, including Lelouch's film debut '' Le propre de l'homme'' (1960). He made his debut in a Moroccan film in 1969, starring in ''Soleil de printemps'' directed by Latif Lahlou. His career included roles in Spaghetti Westerns like ''

Buddy Goes West ''Buddy goes West'' ( it, Occhio alla penna, also known as ''A fist goes West'') is a 1981 Spaghetti Western comedy film directed by Michele Lupo. Plot In the Old West, a mysterious man, nicknamed "Doc", arrives in a dusty town. Doc is a ban ...

'' and several American productions, including

William Friedkin William "Billy" Friedkin (born August 29, 1935)Biskind, p. 200. is an American film and television director, producer and screenwriter closely identified with the " New Hollywood" movement of the 1970s. Beginning his career in documentaries in ...

's ''Sorcerer'',

John Frankenheimer John Michael Frankenheimer (February 19, 1930 – July 6, 2002) was an American film and television director known for social dramas and action/suspense films. Among his credits were ''Birdman of Alcatraz'' (1962), '' The Manchurian Candidate'' ( ...

's ''Ronin'' and

John Huston John Marcellus Huston ( ; August 5, 1906 – August 28, 1987) was an American film director, screenwriter, actor and visual artist. He wrote the screenplays for most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered ...

's ''

Escape to Victory ''Escape to Victory'' (stylized as ''Victory'') is a 1981 American-British-Italian sports war film directed by John Huston and starring Sylvester Stallone, Michael Caine, Max von Sydow and Pelé. The film is about Allied prisoners of wa ...

''. In 1969, Amidou was awarded best actor at the

Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival The Festival do Rio is an international film festival in Rio de Janeiro. The festival was the result of a 1999 merger of two previous film festivals, the Rio Cine Festival and the Mostra Banco Nacional de Cinema. Founded in 1984 and 1988 respective ...

for his role in ''

Life Love Death ''La Vie, l’Amour, la Mort'' is a film directed by Claude Lelouch in 1968 (released in France in 1969). Synopsis François Toledo, a married businessman and father, falls head-over-heels in love with Janine, a colleague. However, after three d ...

'' by Claude Lelouch, and later won best actor awards at the

Cairo Film Festival The Cairo International Film Festival ( ar, مهرجان القاهرة السينمائي الدولي) is an annual internationally accredited film festival held in Cairo Opera House. It was established in 1976 and has taken place every year si ...

(for ''Pursuit'' by Leila Triquie) and at the Tangier Film Festival (for Rachid Boutounes' ''Here and There''). In 2005 he received, from the hands of

Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of many major accolades, incl ...

, a Lifetime Career Award at the International Film Festival of Marrakech. He was also the first Moroccan actor to have won an acting award at the National Conservatory of Dramatic Art. Amidou died on 19 September 2013 in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

, France, from an undisclosed illness.

Filmography

*'' Le propre de l'homme'' (1961) *'' Une fille et des fusils'' (1965) - Amidou *'' The Grand Moments'' (1966) - Roger Amy *''

Brigade antigangs ''Brigade antigangs'' is a 1966 French-Italian film directed by Bernard Borderie. Synopsis Restaurateur Sartet is investigated over being behind a great many robberies. When a special task force known as ''Brigade antigangs'' under the helm o ...

'' (1966) - Broken Nose *''

Live for Life ''Live for Life'' (french: Vivre pour vivre) is a 1967 French film directed by Claude Lelouch starring Yves Montand, Candice Bergen and Annie Girardot. The film won the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film and was nominated for the Academy A ...

'' (1967) - Photographer *''Fleur d'oseille'' (1967) - Francis *''La Fille d'en face'' (1968) - The seducer *''

La Chamade ''La Chamade'' is a 1965 novel by French playwright and novelist Françoise Sagan. It was adapted into a 1968 movie starring Catherine Deneuve and Michel Piccoli Jacques Daniel Michel Piccoli (27 December 1925 – 12 May 2020) was a French ac ...

'' (1968) - Etienne *''

'' (1969) - François Toledo *''Soleil de printemps'' (1969) *''

Le Voyou ''Le Voyou'', also known as ''The Crook'', is a highly stylized French action film which follows Simon the Swiss during his largest heist. Directed by Claude Lelouch in 1970, and starring Jean-Louis Trintignant, the movie makes use of several ci ...

'' (1970) - Bill *''Comptes à rebours'' (1971) - Macyas *'' Smic Smac Smoc'' (1971) - Smoc *''La Poudre d'escampette'' (1971) - Ali *''

Trois milliards sans ascenseur ''Trois milliards sans ascenseur'' (Translation: ''Three Billions Without an Elevator'') ( it, Sette cervelli per un colpo perfetto/ ''Seven Brains for a Perfect Shot'') is a 1972 French-Italian film, directed by Roger Pigaut. It stars actor Gab ...

'' (1972) - José *''What a Flash!'' (1972) *''La Punition'' (1973) - Raymond *''La Valise'' (1973) - Lieutenant Abdul Fouad *''

Rosebud Rosebud may refer to: * Rose bud, the bud of a rose flower Arts * The name of Jerry Garcia's guitar from 1990 until his death in 1995. * In the 1941 film ''Citizen Kane'', the last words of Charles Foster Kane and an overall plot device. * "Ros ...

'' (1975) - Kirkbane *'' Sorcerer'' (1977) - Kassem / Martinez *''

'' (1981) - Girolamo / Eagle Eye *''

'' (1981) - André *''Les P'tites Têtes'' (1982) - Prince Douzami *''Afghanistan pourquoi ?'' (1983) *'' La Nuit porte-jarretelles'' (1985) *'' Adieu Blaireau'' (1985) - Poupée *''

Catherine Katherine, also spelled Catherine, and other variations are feminine names. They are popular in Christian countries because of their derivation from the name of one of the first Christian saints, Catherine of Alexandria. In the early Christ ...

'' (1986) - Abou-al-Khayr (TV Series) *''Champagne amer'' (1989) - Slim *''L'union sacrée'' (1989) - Le Kabyle *'' There Were Days... and Moons'' (1990) - The incredulous policeman *''

La Belle Histoire ''La Belle Histoire'' (1992) is a French film directed by Claude Lelouch, featuring Gérard Lanvin and Béatrice Dalle. Synopsis A film with emphasis on visuals and music, the plot concerns characters who meet in present time, mainly the male gy ...

'' (1992) - The shepherd *'' Day of Atonement'' (1992) - Si Ali *''Unveiled'' (1994) - Det. Brahms *''Lalla Hobby'' (1996) - Haj Moussa *''Soleil'' (1997) - Mokzar *'' Ronin'' (1998) - Man at Exchange *''

Hideous Kinky ''Hideous Kinky'' is an autobiographical novel by Esther Freud, daughter of British painter Lucian Freud and Bernardine Coverley and great-granddaughter of Sigmund Freud. It depicts the author's unconventional childhood in Morocco with her mothe ...

'' (1998) - Sufi Sheikh *''

Rules of Engagement Rules of engagement (ROE) are the internal rules or directives afforded military forces (including individuals) that define the circumstances, conditions, degree, and manner in which the use of force, or actions which might be construed as pro ...

'' (2000) - Dr. Ahmar *''

Spy Game ''Spy Game'' is a 2001 American action thriller film directed by Tony Scott and starring Robert Redford and Brad Pitt. The film grossed $62 million in the United States and $143 million worldwide on a $115 million budget, and received mostly ...

'' (2001) - Dr. Ahmed *'' And Now... Ladies and Gentlemen...'' (2002) - Police Inspector *''Heaven's Doors'' (2006) - Mansour *''Moussem lamchaoucha'' (2009) - Haj Lamfadel *''Comme les cinq doigts de la main'' (2010) - Lakdar

Theater

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Amidou 1935 births Moroccan male film actors People from Rabat 2013 deaths Moroccan emigrants to France Moroccan male stage actors Moroccan male television actors French National Academy of Dramatic Arts alumni 20th-century Moroccan male actors 21st-century Moroccan male actors