Tahar Rahim

Tahar Rahim (born 4 July 1981) is a French actor. His breakthrough performance was in the 2009 French film '' A Prophet'', for which he won the César Award for Best Actor and Most Promising Actor. He then starred as FBI agent Ali Soufan in the miniseries '' The Looming Tower'' and Judas in the film ''Mary Magdalene'' (both 2018).

Rahim garnered critical acclaim and nominations for the Golden Globe Award and the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for portraying Mohamedou Ould Salahi in '' The Mauritanian'' (2021). He received another Golden Globe Award nomination for portraying Charles Sobhraj in the miniseries '' The Serpent'' (2021). Rahim has since portrayed Paul Barras in the period film ''Napoleon'' (2023) and Ezekiel Sims in the Sony Spider-Man Universe film ''Madame Web'' (2024).

Early life

Rahim was born in Belfort, France, to a family from Oran, Algeria.

After earning a Baccalauréat at the ''Lycée Condorcet'' of Belfort, Rahim enrolled first in sports and then computer science programmes. After two subsequent years of boredom studying the subjects in Strasbourg and Marseille, Rahim decided to pursue his passion and began to study film at the Paul Valéry University of Montpellier. His life as a film student was chronicled in a docufiction by fellow ''Belfortain'' Cyril Mennegun titled "Tahar, student", aired on French TV channel France 5 in 2006.

Following this, Rahim moved to Paris in 2005 and studied drama at the ''Laboratoire de l'Acteur'' under Hélène Zidi-Chéruy while working in a factory during the week, and in a nightclub at weekends, to make ends meet.

Career

In mid-2006, after signing with an agent, Rahim won a part in the hit Canal+ television series ''La Commune'' written by Abdel Raouf Dafri.

After a two-line appearance in the 2007 horror movie '' Inside'' starring Béatrice Dalle, he went through a gruelling three months of auditioning. After eight callbacks, he landed his breakthrough role.

Rahim also starred in Chinese director Lou Ye's film '' Love and Bruises''. The controversial director had twice been banned by the Chinese government from making movies. The director likely met Rahim at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, where they were presenting '' Spring Fever'' and ''A Prophet'', respectively. ''Love and Bruises'' is the adaptation of the banned biography of Jie Liu Falin.

Rahim also starred in '' Free Men'', the biopic about Si Kaddour Benghabrit, the French-Muslim founder of the Great Mosque of Paris, directed by Ismaël Ferroukhi of '' Le Grand Voyage'' fame.

In 2015, Rahim was selected to be on the jury for the '' Un Certain Regard'' section of the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. He later starred in the European crime drama television series '' The Last Panthers''.

In 2018, he appeared as Judas in the film ''Mary Magdalene'', written by Helen Edmundson. In the U.S. that year, he had a starring role as FBI agent Ali Soufan in '' The Looming Tower'' miniseries.

In 2021, he was nominated for a Golden Globe for portraying Mohamedou Ould Salahi in '' The Mauritanian'', set among detainees at the US camp at Guantanamo. Rahim also served as a jury member at the 74th Cannes Film Festival.

Rahim played Paul Barras in Ridley Scott's ''Napoleon'' (2023), starring Joaquin Phoenix, for Apple TV+. He played the character Ezekiel Sims in the Sony's Spider-Man Universe film ''Madame Web''. In 2023, Rahim was announced to be playing French singer Charles Aznavour in the biopic film '' Monsieur Aznavour''.

Personal life

Rahim is married to fellow French actress Leïla Bekhti, whom he met while filming ''A Prophet'' in 2007. Together they have four children.

In June 2024, Rahim signed a petition addressed to French President Emmanuel Macron demanding France to officially recognize the State of Palestine.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

* 2007 – 2008: ''Libres sont les papillons'' in the role of the blind character Benjamin. The play was an adaption from its original English into French of '' Butterflies are free'' written by Leonard Gershe by Hélène Zidi-Chéruy who also directed and staged it at the Côté Court Theater, 11th arrondissement of Paris.

Accolades

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Rahim, Tahar
1981 births
Living people
People from Belfort
Male actors from Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
Best Actor César Award winners
Most Promising Actor César Award winners
European Film Award for Best Actor winners
Best Actor Lumières Award winners
French male film actors
French male stage actors
French Muslims
French people of Arab descent
French people of Algerian descent
Male actors of Algerian descent
French male television actors
21st-century French male actors