Actor Naceri: the incorrigible hooligan of French cinema

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Taxi lead actor Sami Naceri became a screen star at a fairly mature age, having experienced in his youth an excessive passion for the romance of the underworld and imprisonment. In addition to the legendary tetralogy by Luc Besson, the Frenchman has participated in a number of other successful projects, for which he was even awarded prestigious awards at national film festivals. However, the actor Naseri did not improve with age, remaining in his heart a teenager from disadvantaged areas of the Parisian suburbs. He often came into conflict with the law and spent time in a prison cell several times.

Said's childhood

Said Naseri, whose biography will be described below, was born in 1961 in Paris. He will take the pseudonym Sami later, becoming acting in films. He grew up in the family of a native Frenchwoman, Jacqueline Leroux, and a native of Algeria, Jilali Naseri. One of the many brothers of Said Larbi also later became an actor. He is known to the public as Bibi Nasser.

When Said was seven years old, his family left Parisand moved to the suburb of Fontenay-sue-Bois. The guy grew up as a real tomboy, sometimes his antics crossed the line of innocent youthful fun. The difficult financial situation of his parents led to constant conflicts, and he often did not spend the night at home, spending most of his time on the streets. At the age of sixteen, Said left school and got involved in the world of drug dealers, swindlers, thieves. Up to a certain point, he managed to balance on the brink of the law, but at the age of eighteen he was caught robbing a store and thundered into prison. The court sentenced the future actor Naseri to five years in prison, but he managed to be released after four years due to good behavior.

Movie career

In 1980, an incorrigible teenager accidentally became a member of the extras on the set of the comedy "Inspector Gambler". The world of movie cameras, spotlights and beautiful actresses bewitched Said's soul, and he set himself the goal of becoming a real actor without fail.

However, the scandalous reputation, the prison past greatly prevented Sami Naseri from becoming a new star of French cinema. In the eighties, he was interrupted by tiny episodes and flickering in extras, not even honored with an indication in the credits.

In 1994, a significant event took place in the biography of Sami Naseri. He received a cameo role as a commando in the final shots of the film "Leon" by Luc Besson. However, the venerable director kept the charismatic native of the Parisian suburbs in mind and a few years later invited him to star in his new film.

Breakthrough

The position of the actor Naseri changed dramatically in the mid-nineties. The son of an Algerian immigrant got the lead role in the TV movie Brothers: Red Roulette. Here he embodied the image of an Arab teenager from a Parisian suburb who got involved with bad company and chose a crooked path in life. Sami Naseri often said that he played in this picture, in fact, himself, which is why the presentation of eternal history turned out to be very convincing in his performance.

Themselves do not stand still and develop their success. A year later, he gets the opportunity to star in the tragicomic film "Paradise" directed by Tom Gilou. Here Sami Naseri again plays the role of an outcast who is experiencing huge problems with social adaptation. The new work of the actor was favorably received by critics, and he received his first cinematic awards. It won the Golden Leopard at the Locarno Festival and also won a special award at the Paris Film Festival.

Taxi

In 1997, the actor Naceri pulled out his lucky lottery ticket, which was the role of taxi driver Daniel in the new project of Luc Besson. "Taxi" is a picture that was rather coldly received by film critics. They reproached the film for its incoherent plot, but the audience was delighted. The hilarious, reckless action comedy about the adventures of taxi driver Daniel was a box office success not only in France, but all over the world.

As in his previous films, Sami Naseri again played a character close to himself in spirit. Suburban boyadoring speed and powerful cars and in conflict with the police - this is the eternal alter ego of Jilali Naseri's son. For his work in this film, the actor received the Cesar Award as the best actor of the year.

Hollywood movie tycoons, experiencing a crisis of ideas, once again bought the film rights from the French and shot their own version of the film. Even the Indians have released their own version. Wanting to make the most of Taxi's popularity, Luc Besson made three more parts of the successful franchise, but each time it turned out worse. As a result, the film "Taxi-4" became the last series of the tetralogy.

Other movies

After the role of taxi driver Daniel Samy Naceri became one of the most popular actors in France and regularly starred in new films. Of his subsequent works, it is worth noting the role in the film "Patriots" directed by Rashid Bouchareb. Here he played the soldier Yasser, who, along with his comrades, resisted the superior forces of the enemy, defending a small village in one of the battles of World War II.

In Rashid Bashareb's painting, among other things, the theme of discrimination against soldiers of Arab origin in the French army in the first half of the twentieth century was raised. Sami Naceri rose to the challenge of his professional career and was awarded the Silver Award at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival.

Legal Trouble

Sami's difficult personality has not gone away since his rise to popularity, and he often came into conflict with the law. In 2003, he was stripped of his license and sentenced to sixmonths in jail for beating a driver who refused to let him on the road.

In 2008, the actor hit a woman while driving while intoxicated, for which he again served six months in prison. In 2011, Sami Naceri found himself in serious trouble after a history of stabbing in a fight. He got off relatively lightly, receiving a term of one and a half years, but after his release he did not improve, continuing to get into various situations.