Jamel Debbouze
Encyclopedia
Jamel Debbouze is an actor
, comedian
and producer
of Moroccan
descent.
, France
, but his family moved to Morocco
the following year. They returned in 1979 and settled in Trappes
, where Jamel spent the rest of his childhood.
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, died. After this accident Debbouze met Alain Degois, his mentor, and began his career as a comedian/actor.
On 29 March 2008 Jamel Debbouze became engaged to French
journalist
and news anchor Mélissa Theuriau
; the two married on 7 May 2008.
and Morocco. In 1992, he got his first part in a film called Les Pierres Bleues du Désert. After this film, Jamel wanted to work as an actor and create his own show. This happened in 1995 with the show C'est Tout Neuf which had been enjoyed a lot. Then he had an approximative role on the radio program Radio Nova and took part in the television program Nova Premiere where he was noticed by Canal+
.
In March 1999, Jamel started his new show Jamel en Scène. In this show, Jamel talked about his beginnings, his childhood and show business. The show played at La Cigale
and then at the Bataclan
in Paris. He went on tour throughout France in 2000. At the end of the year, he returned to Paris with his show at the Olympia
for three weeks.
In 2002, Jamel returned with a new show, 100% Debbouze. For three years this show played in the top Parisian theaters: the Casino de Paris
, the Bataclan, the Zenith, and the Olympia. He then toured France, Morocco, Tunisia, Switzerland and Belgium. The DVD of the show went on sale in 2004, and sold more than 1 million copies.
In 2006, Jamel became the presenter of a new program, Jamel Comedy Club
, which featured a half an hour of the new generation of French humorists each week. With this troupe, Jamel went to the Casino de Paris in 2007 for a new show, le Jamel Comedy Club Envahit le Casino de Paris. This show was very successful, its run was extended and it also played in Canada.
and Arielle Dombasle
. Three years later he received his first big role in a feature film called Le Ciel les oiseaux et ta ... mère! (Boys on the Beach). This comedy was successful, with more than one million tickets sold. Over the next two years he continued his stage shows, before returning to film with the highly-successful Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain
. He was nominated for his part in this film for the César Award
of the Best Supporting Actor in 2002. In 2002, Debbouze appeared in another big French film, Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra
directed by Alain Chabat
. This successful film was seen by 14,000,000 spectators. In 2005 he had the leading role in Luc Besson
's film Angel-A
.
In 2006, Debbouze played one of the most important parts of his career in the film Indigènes (Days of Glory in the United States). The film told the story of four African soldiers who participate in the liberation of France during World War II. Debbouze, Samy Naceri
, Sami Bouajila
and Roschdy Zem
shared the prize for the best male performance at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival
.
.
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
and producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
of Moroccan
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
descent.
Biography
Debbouze is the oldest of five brothers. He was born in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, but his family moved to Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
the following year. They returned in 1979 and settled in Trappes
Trappes
Trappes is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris from the center in the new town of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines.-Transport:...
, where Jamel spent the rest of his childhood.
On 17 January 1990, at the train station in Trappes
Trappes
Trappes is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris from the center in the new town of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines.-Transport:...
, 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, died. After this accident Debbouze met Alain Degois, his mentor, and began his career as a comedian/actor.
On 29 March 2008 Jamel Debbouze became engaged to French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and news anchor Mélissa Theuriau
Mélissa Theuriau
Mélissa Theuriau is a French journalist and news anchor for M6. She studied Journalism and became a newscaster on TV. She became an internet phenomenon when a compilation of her reading news was uploaded and newspapers voted her the world's most beautiful news reporter...
; the two married on 7 May 2008.
First works
In 1990, Jamel met Alain Degois, an educator who organized theater improvisation workshops, and joined his troupe. With this troupe, he took part in the French Championship of Improvisation in 1991 and toured QuebecQuebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
and Morocco. In 1992, he got his first part in a film called Les Pierres Bleues du Désert. After this film, Jamel wanted to work as an actor and create his own show. This happened in 1995 with the show C'est Tout Neuf which had been enjoyed a lot. Then he had an approximative role on the radio program Radio Nova and took part in the television program Nova Premiere where he was noticed by Canal+
Canal+
Canal+ is a French premium pay television channel launched in 1984. It is 80% owned by the Canal+ Group, which in turn is owned by Vivendi SA. The channel broadcasts several kinds of programming, mostly encrypted...
.
Jamel's various shows
In 1998, Debbouze played Jamel Dridi an operator, in the hospital sitcom, H on Canal+, alongside fellow comedians Eric and Ramzy. By the time the series ended in 2002, Jamel had achieved national fame.In March 1999, Jamel started his new show Jamel en Scène. In this show, Jamel talked about his beginnings, his childhood and show business. The show played at La Cigale
La Cigale
La Cigale is a theater at 120, boulevard de Rochechouart near Place Pigalle, in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. The theatre is part of a complex that is connected to Le Trabendo and the Boule Noire. The hall can accommodate 1389 people or 954 people...
and then at the Bataclan
Bataclan (theatre)
The Bataclan is a "salle de spectacle" at 50 boulevard Voltaire in the 11th arrondissement of Paris. It was built in 1864 by the architect Charles Duval. Its name refers to Ba-Ta-Clan, an operetta by Offenbach...
in Paris. He went on tour throughout France in 2000. At the end of the year, he returned to Paris with his show at the Olympia
Paris Olympia
The Olympia is a music hall in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. Located at No. 28, Boulevard des Capucines, its closest métro/RER stations are Madeleine, Opéra, Havre – Caumartin and Auber....
for three weeks.
In 2002, Jamel returned with a new show, 100% Debbouze. For three years this show played in the top Parisian theaters: the Casino de Paris
Casino de Paris
The Casino de Paris, located at 16, rue de Clichy, in the 9th arrondissement is one of the well known music halls of Paris, with a history dating back to the 18th century. Contrary to what the name might suggest, it is a performance venue, not a gambling house...
, the Bataclan, the Zenith, and the Olympia. He then toured France, Morocco, Tunisia, Switzerland and Belgium. The DVD of the show went on sale in 2004, and sold more than 1 million copies.
In 2006, Jamel became the presenter of a new program, Jamel Comedy Club
Jamel Comedy Club
Jamel Comedy Club is a French comedy show on the television station Canal+, produced and presented by the French actor/comedian Jamel Debbouze....
, which featured a half an hour of the new generation of French humorists each week. With this troupe, Jamel went to the Casino de Paris in 2007 for a new show, le Jamel Comedy Club Envahit le Casino de Paris. This show was very successful, its run was extended and it also played in Canada.
Cinematic works
In 1992, the seventeen-year-old Debbouze appeared in his first film, Les Pierres Bleues du Désert. The film tells the story of a young boy who is persecuted because he believes in the existence of blue stones in the desert. It was the first of numerous film roles for Debbouze. In 1996, he played a small part in Les Deux papas et la maman, a film by Jean-Marc Doval with SmaïnSmaïn
Smaïn is a French comedian, humorist, writer, actor and director of Algerian descent.-External links:...
and Arielle Dombasle
Arielle Dombasle
Arielle Dombasle is a French-American singer, actress, director and model. Her breakthrough roles were in Éric Rohmer's Pauline at the Beach and Alain Robbe-Grillet's The Blue Villa...
. Three years later he received his first big role in a feature film called Le Ciel les oiseaux et ta ... mère! (Boys on the Beach). This comedy was successful, with more than one million tickets sold. Over the next two years he continued his stage shows, before returning to film with the highly-successful Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain
Amélie
Amélie is a 2001 romantic comedy film directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Written by Jeunet with Guillaume Laurant, the film is a whimsical depiction of contemporary Parisian life, set in Montmartre...
. He was nominated for his part in this film for the César Award
César Award
The César Award is the national film award of France, first given out in 1975. The nominations are selected by the members of the Académie des arts et techniques du cinéma....
of the Best Supporting Actor in 2002. In 2002, Debbouze appeared in another big French film, Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra
Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra
Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra, originally titled Astérix & Obélix: Mission Cléopâtre, is a 2002 French-German film based on the comic book Astérix et Cléopatre by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo and a sequel for the 1999 movie Asterix & Obelix Take On Caesar. It was the most expensive French...
directed by Alain Chabat
Alain Chabat
Alain Chabat is a French actor and director who appeared in La Cité de la peur, French Twist, The Taste of Others and The Science of Sleep.- Life and career :Chabat was born in Oran, French Algeria. He is Jewish....
. This successful film was seen by 14,000,000 spectators. In 2005 he had the leading role in Luc Besson
Luc Besson
Luc Besson is a French film director, writer, and producer. He is the creator of EuropaCorp film company. He has been involved with over 50 films, spanning 26 years, as writer, director, and/or producer.-Early life:...
's film Angel-A
Angel-A
Angel-A , directed by Luc Besson, is a French fantasy and romantic drama featuring Jamel Debbouze and Rie Rasmussen. The film was premiered in the United States at the Sundance Film Festival of 2007.- Plot :...
.
In 2006, Debbouze played one of the most important parts of his career in the film Indigènes (Days of Glory in the United States). The film told the story of four African soldiers who participate in the liberation of France during World War II. Debbouze, Samy Naceri
Samy Naceri
Samy Naceri is a French actor known for his work in the four Taxi movies and The Code .-Childhood and Career:...
, Sami Bouajila
Sami Bouajila
Sami Bouajila is a French award-winning actor of Tunisian origin.Bouajila's grandfather was a Berber born in Tripoli, Libya and immigrated to Tunisia. Bouajila's father decided to immigrate to France in 1956. Sami was born and grew up in Échirolles, a suburb south of Grenoble...
and Roschdy Zem
Roschdy Zem
Roschdy Zem is a French actor of Moroccan descent. He shared the award for Best Actor for his role in the film "Days of Glory" at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival....
shared the prize for the best male performance at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival
2006 Cannes Film Festival
The 2006 Cannes Film Festival ran from May 17, 2006 to May 28, 2006. Twenty films from eleven countries were in competition for the Palme d'Or. The President of the Official Jury was Wong Kar-wai, the first Chinese director to preside over the jury....
.
Television work
In 1996, he took part for the first time in a TV show called Nova première on Paris Première. He was noticed on this show by some producers from Canal+ who hired him to present a show called Le cinéma de Jamel. For New Year's Eve in 2000, Jamel created a TV show for this occasion called the Jamel show. Numerous French comedians such as Bruno Solo, Alain Chabat, Elie and Dieudonné appeared in this show. In April 2003, he took part in 6 commercials for OranginaOrangina
Orangina is a carbonated citrus beverage made from orange, lemon, mandarin, and grapefruit juice. The concept of Orangina originated at a trade fair in France and was first marketed in Algeria by the French Algerian Léon Beton...
.
Filmography
- Outside the LawOutside the Law (2010 film)Outside the Law is a 2010 drama film directed by Rachid Bouchareb, starring Jamel Debbouze, Roschdy Zem and Sami Bouajila. The story takes place between 1945 and 1962 and focuses on the lives of three Algerian brothers in France, set to the backdrop of the Algerian independence movement and the...
(2010) - Why I Did (Not) Eat My Father - (2009)
- Parlez-moi de la pluieParlez-moi de la pluieParlez-moi de la pluie is the third film directed by Agnès Jaoui from an original screenplay by her husband Jean-Pierre Bacri - after The Taste of Others and Look at Me. It takes its title from a song by Georges Brassens...
- (2008) - Asterix at the Olympic GamesAstérix at the Olympic Games (film)Asterix at the Olympic Games is a French film, adapted from René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo's Astérix comic series. It was filmed essentially in Spain in the course of the year 2006. Its €78 million budget makes it one of the most expensive European movies ever...
- (2008) - Numerobis - Indigènes - (2006, English title Days of Glory, also a coproducer)
- Angel-AAngel-AAngel-A , directed by Luc Besson, is a French fantasy and romantic drama featuring Jamel Debbouze and Rie Rasmussen. The film was premiered in the United States at the Sundance Film Festival of 2007.- Plot :...
- (2005) - She Hate MeShe Hate MeShe Hate Me is a 2004 independent comedy-drama film directed by Spike Lee and starring Anthony Mackie, Kerry Washington, Ellen Barkin, Monica Bellucci, Brian Dennehy, Woody Harrelson, Bai Ling and John Turturro....
- Doak (2004) - Les Clefs de bagnole - Voice of the modelling-clay dog (2003)
- Le BouletLe BouletLe Boulet is a French film directed by Alain Berbérian and Frédéric Forestier, released in 2002. It is known internationally as Dead Weight.-Plot:...
- The Malian guard (2002) - Asterix & Obelix: Mission CléopatreAsterix & Obelix: Mission CleopatraAsterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra, originally titled Astérix & Obélix: Mission Cléopâtre, is a 2002 French-German film based on the comic book Astérix et Cléopatre by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo and a sequel for the 1999 movie Asterix & Obelix Take On Caesar. It was the most expensive French...
- Numerobis (2002) - Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie PoulainAmélieAmélie is a 2001 romantic comedy film directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Written by Jeunet with Guillaume Laurant, the film is a whimsical depiction of contemporary Parisian life, set in Montmartre...
- 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)
- HH (French TV series)H is a French sitcom with seventy-one, 22-minute episodes. The series was created by Abd-el-Kader Aoun, Xavier Matthew and Éric Judor, and produced by Phillippe Berthe, Édouard Molinaro, Jean-Luc Moreau and Charles Némès. It ran from 24 October 1998 to 20 April 2002 on Canal+...
- Jamel Dridi (1998–2004, 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)