Malik Zidi (born 14 February 1975)ifrance.com is a French film, television and theatre actor. He is a César Award recipient for Most Promising Actor.
Life and career Malik Zidi was born in Châtenay-Malabry to a Kabyle Algerian father and a Breton mother.« Mon père travaillait dans l’informatique et ma mère était pharmacienne. Je suis l’aîné. Ils ont dû rêver que je fasse médecine. Mes parents s’en sont sortis grâce à l’école, ils viennent tous les deux d’un milieu humble : mon père est issu du milieu ouvrier en Algérie; ma mère vient d’une famille de paysans près de Concarneau. Tous les deux ont connu une ascension sociale grâce à l’école. », « Au début de ma carrière, j’avais peur d’être un intrus», Libération, January 2010 He spent his formative years in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, a suburb of Paris. Zidi abandoned his conventional studies early to concentrate on a career in comedy. Following courses at the Théâtre Véronique Nordey, and the Théâtre de Proposition in Paris, he briefly studied acrobatics and mime at the Théâtre de la Piscine and cinema at the Studio Pygmalion. Zidi made his first film appearance in the 1998 Sébastien Lifshitz-directed Les Corps ouverts.
In 2000, Zidi was chosen by director François Ozon to appear as the troubled, lovelorn, bisexual youth Franz in the Teddy Award-winning film Water Drops on Burning Rocks (French:Gouttes d'eau sur pierres brûlantes). The film was based on the play Tropfen auf heisse Steine by German film director and screenwriter Rainer Werner Fassbinder. The film is a four-part comedy-drama shot entirely on one set and featuring only four actors: Zidi, Bernard Giraudeau, Ludivine Sagnier and American actress Anna Levine. Zidi's role in Water Drops on Burning Rocks garnered him his first of four César Award nominations.
Malik Zidi followed up with roles in the 2002 Antoine Santana-directed A Moment of Happiness opposite Isild Le Besco, earning his second César Award nomination for Most Promising Actor. In 2004, he appeared in the André Téchiné-directed romantic drama Les Temps qui changent (English release title: Changing Times) as Sami, the bisexual son of Cécile (portrayed by Catherine Deneuve), who visits his parents in Tangiers so that he may visit his Moroccan boyfriend. The film also starred actor Gérard Depardieu and was nominated for a Satellite Award. Zidi received his third César Award nomination.
In 2006, Zidi appeared in the Emmanuel Bourdieu-drama Les Amitiés maléfiques (English release title: Poison Friends). The film was showcased at the Cannes Film Festival and Bourdieu received the Critics Week Grand Prize and the Grand Golden Rail. The film also won the SACD Screenwriting Award and Zidi was once again nominated for a César Award, winning the Award for Most Promising Actor 2007.VCU French Film Festival
In addition to film, Zidi has appeared in numerous television roles.
In 2020, Zidi penned his first novel L'ombre du soir, which was published by Éditions Anne Carrière.
Personal life Zidi currently resides in the Ile-de-France.Malik Zidi's Official MySpace Page He lists Michel Piccoli and Laurent Terzieff as his "heroes" and is a jazz aficionado.
Filmography
Year Title Role Notes 1998 Open Bodies Classroom mate 1998 Place Vendôme Sam's Son 1998 Le Onzième commandement 2000 Water Drops on Burning Rocks Franz Nominated—César Award for Most Promising Actor 2000 The Judge Is a Woman Yvan TV series 2000 Deuxième vie The cybercafé waiter 2001 Vertiges Nico TV series 2001 Sa mère, la pute Bimbo Telefilm 2001 A Moment of Happiness Philippe Nominated—César Award for Most Promising Actor 2002 Almost Peaceful Joseph 2002 Froid comme l'été Baudelaire 2003 My Children Are Different Thomas 2003 The Thibaults Jacques Thibault TV mini-series 2004 Sissi, l'impératrice rebelle Rodolphe Telefilm 2004 Old Goriot Eugène de Rastignac Telefilm 2004 Changing Times Sami Nominated—César Award for Most Promising Actor 2005 Looking for Cheyenne Pierre 2005 Les Rois maudits Philippe VI de Valois TV miniseries 2006 Beyond the Ocean Bruno 2006 Poison Friends Eloi Duhaut César Award for Most Promising ActorNominated—Lumière Award for Most Promising Actor 2006 Le Grand Meaulnes Franz 2007 Jacquou le Croquant Touffu 2007 Les Camarades François TV mini-series 2007 Les Zygs, le secret des disparusJean / Béjean Telefilm 2007 Le Baiser The man Short film 2007 Faits divers Franck Short film 2008 Rendez-vous au tas de sable... Vincent Short film 2008 Miroir, mon beau miroir Lepic Telefilm 2008 La Mort n'oublie personne Jean Ricouart Telefilm 2008 Geliebte ClaraJohannes Brahms 2009 Après moi Hugo Telefilm 2009 Ex Marc 2009 Un chat un chat Antoine 2009 Venus and Apollo Paul 2009 Sweet France Mourad Chaouche Telefilm 2009 The Queen of Clubs Aurélien 2010 Mysteries of Lisbon Visconde de Armagnac 2011 Mysteries of Lisbon Visconde de Armagnac TV mini-series 2011 Rebellion JP Perrot 2012 The Gordji Affair Luc Delair Telefilm 2012 Le Silence et l'Oubli Emmanuel Short film 2012 Lines of Wellington Octave de Ségur 2012 Berthe Morisot Édouard Manet Telefilm 2012 As Linhas de Torres Vedras Octave de Ségur TV mini-series 2012 A Child of Yours Victor 2013 Amaro amore Andrè 2013 The Marchers Philippe 2013 Loulou, l'incroyable secret Loulou (voice) Animated film 2013 Robbery on the Champs-Élysées Mathieu Short film 2014 Sire Gauvain et le Chevalier Vert Bertilak / Le Chevalier Vert Short film 2015 Le Ciel du centaure Ingeniero 2015 The Assistant Thomas Lemans 2015 Made in France Sam 2016 Daguerrotype Thomas 2016 Marie Curie: The Courage of Knowledge André Debierne 2017 Gauguin - Voyage de Tahiti Henri Vallin 2017 Nox Raphaël Berger TV mini-seriesNominated - ACS Award for Best Actor 2018 Tout ce qu'il me reste de la révolution Saïd 2019 Play Mathias Adler 2019 Vers la bataille Louis 2021 Oxygen Léo Ferguson 2022 Qu'est-ce qu'elle a ma famille? Mathieu Telefilm 2022 Sons of Ramses Michaël 2023 Disparition inquiétante Ludovic Minghetti TV mini-series 2026 Child Greg Feature film
Other awards 2001: Berlin International Film Festival - Shooting Stars Award
References
External links
Malik Zidi at Rotten Tomatoes MySpace Adéquat. Agence Artistique (in French)