Omar Sy

Omar Sy

Born (1978-01-20) 20 January 1978
Trappes, France
Occupation Actor
Years active 2000–present
Spouse(s) Hélène (m. 2007; 5 children)

Omar Sy (born 20 January 1978) is a French actor and comedian. He is best known in France for his duo with Fred Testot, Omar et Fred, and for his role in The Intouchables, and internationally for his roles in X-Men: Days of Future Past and Jurassic World.[1] He received a César Award for Best Actor on 24 February 2012 for his role in The Intouchables and in doing so also became the first actor of African descent to win the French award.

Early life and education

Omar Sy winning the César Award for Best Actor in 2012 at the 37th César Awards for The Intouchables

The fourth of eight children,[2] Omar Sy was born in Trappes in the Yvelines department, France.[1] His parents are both immigrants from West Africa.[2] His Mauritanian mother worked as a house-cleaner, and his Senegalese father worked in a factory.[2] He has Fulani origins.[3] He was raised in low-income suburban housing projects.[2][3]

Career

He started his career after high school in 1996[3] with Radio Nova as a comedian where he met comedy partner Fred Testot.[1] Afterwards, he appeared in the TV show Le Cinéma de Jamel on Canal+, with Jamel Debbouze. He then created a TV show called Le Visiophon.[1] This was followed by various TV and stage shows such as Je ne fais pas mon âge, Service après-vente des émissions, Omar et Fred: le spectacle. In 2005, Service après-vente des émissions was adapted into short sketches of 2 or 3 minutes on Canal+. (In 2012, Canal+ announced that the programme had been dropped from its schedule.)

He appeared in the television game show Fort Boyard in 2006.

Omar then went to Los Angeles, where he lent his voice to Zip in the French version of the Tomb Raider Legend video game. He previously had also voiced a sheep in Disney's Brother Bear.[1]

In 2008, he appeared in "Bienvenue chez les Bylkas", a video clip by Sinik. In 2009, he voiced some of the characters of Logorama with his partner Fred Testot.

In 2011, he starred in The Intouchables, playing a streetwise young man who becomes the personal care assistant to a wealthy quadriplegic (played by François Cluzet). This film enjoyed tremendous popular success, with more than 19 million tickets sold. It topped the French box office in 2011 and became the best selling French film of all time at the French box office. As a result, Omar Sy was voted third favourite French personality behind Yannick Noah and Zinédine Zidane. The role earned him the 2012 Globe de Cristal for Best Actor. He also received a nomination for a Satellite Award for Best Actor.[4] He and co-star François Cluzet jointly were bestowed the Best Actor Award at the Tokyo International Film Festival. Additionally, he won the César Award for Best Actor in 2012 for the same film.

On 30 December 2012, Omar Sy was voted favourite personality in France, based on a poll run by Le Journal du Dimanche, ahead of fellow actor Gad Elmaleh.

In 2014, Sy appeared in X-Men: Days of Future Past, in which he played the character Bishop. He also stars in Samba, directed by Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano. He co-starred in the fourth film of the Jurassic Park saga, Jurassic World,[1] which was released in June 2015.[5]

Personal life

On 5 July 2007, he married Hélène, the mother of his five children,[3][6] in Tremblay-sur-Mauldre. They were together ten years before marrying.[6] The family resides in a house in Yvelines Montfort-l'Amaury.[6]

Sy is a Muslim.[2]

Filmography

Year Title Role Director Notes
2000 Granturismo Voice Denis Thybaud Short
2001 La Tour Montparnasse Infernale Taxi Charles Nemes
La concierge est dans l'ascenseur Olivier Coussemacq Short
Omar et Fred Various TV Series
2002 Le Boulet A Malian Alain Berberian & Frédéric Forestier
Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra Painter Alain Chabat
Samourais Tyson Giordano Gederlini
The Race UNO Seargent Djamel Bensalah
Ces jours heureux Brice Olivier Nakache & Éric Toledano Short
Si j'étais lui Gabriel Philippe Triboit TV Movie
2003 La Beuze Michel Dembélé François Desagnat & Thomas Sorriaux
2004 Le Carton Lorenzo Charles Nemes
Coming-out Max Olivier Ayache-Vidal Short
2005–12 SAV des émissions Various Several TV Series
2006 Those Happy Days Joseph Olivier Nakache & Éric Toledano NRJ Ciné Awards – Most Promising Actor
Nominated – NRJ Ciné Award for The Best Kiss (with Marilou Berry)
Nominated – Raimu de la Comédie for The Best Supporting Actor
Les multiples Jimmy Several TV Series
2007 Garage Babes Hamidou Julien Pelgrand
Moot-Moot Isidore Several TV Series
2008 Seuls two Sammy Bouglioni Éric Judor & Ramzy Bedia
2009 Micmacs Remington Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Arthur and the Revenge of Maltazard Snow Luc Besson
Lascars Narbé Emmanuel Klotz & Albert Pereira-Lazaro
Tellement proches Bruno Olivier Nakache & Éric Toledano
King Guillaume Jean Peter Pierre-François Martin-Laval
Safari Youssouf Hammal Olivier Baroux
Envoyés très spéciaux Jimmy Frédéric Auburtin
La Loi de Murphy Father Joachim Ortega Christophe Campos
2010 Allez raconte! Voice Jean-Christophe Roger
Le pas Petit Poucet Grand Poucet Christophe Campos TV Movie
Histoires de vies Mo TV Series (1 Episode)
2011 Les Tuche The Monk Olivier Baroux
The Intouchables Bakary "Driss" Bassari Olivier Nakache & Éric Toledano César Award for Best Actor
Tokyo International Film Festival – Best Actor (Share with François Cluzet)
Lumières Award for Best Actor
Globes de Cristal Award for Best Actor
Etoiles d'Or Award for Revelation of the Year
Santa Barbara International Film Festival – Virtuoso Award
Nominated – Black Reel Award for Best Actor
Nominated – Black Reel Award for Best Breakthrough Performance
Nominated – European Film Award for Best Actor
Nominated – Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture
Fish'n Chips Fish TV Series (52 episodes)
2012 De l'autre côté du périph Ousmane Diakhaté David Charhon
Les Seigneurs Wéké N'Dogo Olivier Dahan
Mais qui a retué Pamela Rose ? Mosby Olivier Baroux & Kad Merad
Crazy Pink Limo The Philosopher Joséphine de Meaux Short
Bref Himself TV Series (1 Episode)
2013 Mood Indigo Nicolas Michel Gondry
Good People Khan Henrik Ruben Genz
2014 X-Men: Days of Future Past Bishop Bryan Singer
Samba Samba Cissé Olivier Nakache & Éric Toledano
Mune: Guardian of the Moon Sohone Benoît Philippon & Alexandre Heboyan
2015 Jurassic World Barry Colin Trevorrow Also in Lego Jurassic World
Burnt Michel John Wells
2016 Chocolat Clown Chocolat Roschdy Zem
The Angry Birds Movie Red Fergal Reilly
Clay Kaytis
French dub
Norm of the North Norm[7] Trevor Wall French dub
Inferno Christoph Bouchard Ron Howard
Demain tout commence Samuel Hugo Gélin
2017 Knock Lorraine Lévy
2018 Arctic Justice: Thunder Squad Aaron Woodley Voice

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Biography on Première.fr
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Beardsley, Eleanor (28 June 2012). "In France, A Star Rises From An Oft-Neglected Place". NPR.org. National Public Radio. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Omar Sy, den orörbara!" [Omar Sy, the untouchable!]. AzurCultures.com (in Swedish). 10 January 2013. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  4. Lodge, Guy (3 December 2012). "Satellite Award noms run the gamut from 'Silver Linings Playbook' to 'Skyfall'". Hitfix.com. Archived from the original on 27 March 2013. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  5. Fritz, Ben (22 May 2014). "'X-Men: Days of Future Past': A Guide to the Mutants". Speakeasy blog. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  6. 1 2 3 "Omar Sy Et Sa Femme Helene : Un Couple Amoureux En 5 Infos" [Omar Sy and His Wife Helene: A Loving Couple — 5 Facts]. PureTrend.com (in French). 22 June 2014. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  7. http://www.allocine.fr/article/fichearticle_gen_carticle=18653896.html
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