Saïd Taghmaoui

Saïd Taghmaoui

Active - 1994 - 2022  |   Born - Jul 19, 1973 in Villepinte, Seine-Saint-Denis, France  |   Genres - Drama, Thriller, Adventure

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Biography by AllMovie

Though born in France, actor Saïd Taghmaoui's ethnic origins and exotic, ruggedly handsome look predestined him for being typecast in Middle Eastern roles. Significantly, Taghmaoui's multilingualism also liberated him from the confines of stardom in one particular country, and he found it relatively easy to rack up assignments on multiple continents, initially in bit parts or supporting capacities. Memorable international crossover successes that starred the actor included Gillies MacKinnon's period drama Hideous Kinky (1998), David O. Russell's Gulf War adventure Three Kings (1999), Neil Jordan's Bob le Flambeur remake The Good Thief (2003), and the Jeffrey Nachmanoff unglamorized spy film Traitor (2008). Also in 2008, Taghmaoui signed on to play Breaker in the big-screen feature G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra (2009). In the years to come, Taghmaoui would remain active on screen, appearing in films like Stranded.

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Factsheet

  • Born in France to Moroccan parents.
  • Dropped out of school at 14 to pursue a boxing career, eventually rising to second in his division.
  • Made his big-screen debut in 1995 crime drama La Haine, which he wrote with director Mathieu Kassovitz; garnered a Most Promising Newcomer César Award nomination for his performance.
  • First became known to many filmgoers when he appeared in the Kate Winslet drama Hideous Kinky (1998) and Three Kings (1999), in which his character, Captain Said, tortures Mark Wahlberg's character.