Amidou obit

Italian Actor Amidou Has Died

 

He was not on the list.

Little known by the general public, Moroccan-born Amidou can nevertheless boast an onstage and on screen career spanning almost five decades. Appearing in French films most of the time, he also worked in Morocco, in Tunisia and in American action movies like William Friedkin's 'The Sorcerer' and 'Rules of Engagement', John Frankenheimer's 'Ronin' and Tony Scott's 'Spy Game'. Good-looking and charming, Amidou can easily become frightening and threatening. He is as convincing in the role of a friendly blue collar in 'Smic Smac Smoc' as in that of a dim-witted henchman in 'Fleur d'Oseille'. To be fair, he appeared more often as a dropout or a thug than as positive figure, but this is due to the fact that he started his career in the nineteen sixties, when French cinema was not yet ready to show a North African as just another citizen. Had Amidou debuted later he would have landed more rewarding roles like those now interpreted by Roschdy Zem or Sami Bouajila. Born in 1942 in Rabat, Amidou Ben Messaoud was the son of a justice of the peace and the nephew of the owner of several movie theaters, which gave him the opportunity to see lots of films. On the other hand, the young boy discovered at school that, although he was a bad pupil, he could captivate an audience when, during French lessons, he told and mimicked fables by La Fontaine. Later on, he studied drama at the Conservatoire de Paris and was immediately hired by Jean-Louis Barrault in 1961. Noticed by Jean Genet while he was rehearsing for a bit part, he was given the role of Said instead. At the same time, Claude Lelouch gave him his first part in 'Le Propre de l'Homme' Amidou would then appear in nine other films directed by Lelouch, who also gave him his only starring role in a French movie entitled 'La Vie, l'Amour, la Mort', a pamphlet against the death penalty. Kept busy by the big screen, Amidou was less active in the theatre but played a one man show in the late 1990s ('Le Piston') and held the lead in Mehdi Charef's '1962' in 2005. He also occasionally appeared on TV. Lately Amidou has been honored twice - and quite deservedly so. He was indeed awarded two best actor prizes, one at the Cairo International Festival, for Leila Triquie's 'Poursuite' (2005) and the other at the Tangiers Film Festival for 'Ici et Là' by Rachid Boutounès (2005)

- IMDb Mini Biography By: Guy Bellinger

 

Actor

Aïcha (2008)

Aïcha

6.5

TV Series

Monsieur Bouamaza

Monsieur Bouamazza

2009–2012

4 episodes

 

Patrick Bruel, Éric Caravaca, Mathieu Delarive, Vincent Elbaz, and Pascal Elbé in Comme les cinq doigts de la main (2010)

Comme les cinq doigts de la main

5.3

Lakdar

2010

 

Moussem lamchaoucha (2009)

Moussem lamchaoucha

4.4

Haj Lamfadel

2009

 

Michèle Bernier, Saïda Jawad, Gérard Jugnot, Marc Ruchmann, and Leïla Bekhti in Ali Baba (2007)

Ali Baba

5.7

TV Movie

Le Caliphe

2007

 

Amidou, Rachid El Ouali, Hakim Noury, Rabie Kati, Imad Noury, Swel Noury, and Aimee Meditz in Heaven's Doors (2006)

Heaven's Doors

7.1

Mansour

2006

 

Rachid El Ouali, Mouna Fettou, and Sanâa Alaoui in Ici et là (2005)

Ici et là

6.2

2005

 

And Now Ladies & Gentlemen (2002)

And Now Ladies & Gentlemen

6.1

Police Inspector

2002

 

Brad Pitt and Robert Redford in Spy Game (2001)

Spy Game

7.1

Dr. Ahmed - Beirut

2001

 

Joséphine, ange gardien (1997)

Joséphine, ange gardien

4.0

TV Series

Farid

2001

1 episode

 

Samuel L. Jackson and Tommy Lee Jones in Rules of Engagement (2000)

Rules of Engagement

6.4

Doctor Ahmar

2000

 

Kate Winslet in Hideous Kinky (1998)

Hideous Kinky

6.0

Sufi Sheikh

1998

 

Robert De Niro in Ronin (1998)

Ronin

7.2

Man at Exchange (as Amidou Ben Messaoud)

1998

 

Gérard Klein in Drôle de père (1998)

Drôle de père

6.0

TV Movie

Lacombe

1998

 

Soleil (1997)

Soleil

5.7

Mokzar

1997

 

Amidou in Lalla Hobby (1996)

Lalla Hobby

6.5

Haj Moussa

1996

 

Marie Trintignant in L'insoumise (1996)

L'insoumise

5.2

TV Movie

Medhi

1996

 

Unveiled (1994)

Unveiled

4.9

Det. Brahms (as Amidou Ben Messaoud)

1994

 

Le grand pardon II (1992)

Le grand pardon II

4.3

Si Ali

1992

 

Hot Chocolate (1992)

Hot Chocolate

4.2

TV Movie

Beauregard

1992

 

Jo and Milou

4.8

TV Movie

Commissaire Falco

1992

 

Prêcheur en eau trouble (1992)

Prêcheur en eau trouble

TV Movie

Le commissaire

1992

 

Police Secrets

TV Series

Amin Sanchez

1992

1 episode

 

La belle histoire (1992)

La belle histoire

6.6

Le berger

1992

 

Sixième gauche (1990)

Sixième gauche

TV Series

Saïd Ben Amar

1990

 

There Were Days... and Moons (1990)

There Were Days... and Moons

6.0

The incredulous policeman

1990

 

Navarro (1989)

Navarro

6.3

TV Series

Rubio Manico

1990

1 episode

 

L'union sacrée (1989)

L'union sacrée

5.8

Le Kabyle

1989

 

Julie Christie and Patrick Bruel in Secret Obsession (1989)

Secret Obsession

5.6

Slim

1989

 

Catherine, il suffit d'un amour (1986)

Catherine, il suffit d'un amour

7.6

TV Series

Abou-al-Khayr

1986

1 episode

 

La nuit et le moment

TV Movie

Kerchouch

1985

 

Adieu blaireau (1985)

Adieu blaireau

4.5

Poupée

1985

 

The Night Wears Suspenders (1985)

The Night Wears Suspenders

5.3

1985

 

Irene Papas in Afghanistan pourquoi? (1983)

Afghanistan pourquoi?

6.0

1983

 

Les p'tites têtes (1982)

Les p'tites têtes

3.2

Le Prince Douzami

1982

 

Sylvester Stallone, Michael Caine, and Pelé in Victory (1981)

Victory

6.6

The French - Andre

1981

 

Les dossiers de l'écran (1967)

Les dossiers de l'écran

6.1

TV Series

Le chef du FLN

1981

1 episode

 

Bud Spencer in Buddy Goes West (1981)

Buddy Goes West

6.5

Girolamo

1981

 

Sorcerer (1977)

Sorcerer

7.7

Kassem

'Martinez'

1977

 

Rosebud (1975)

Rosebud

5.2

Kirkbane

1975

 

Man in the Trunk (1973)

Man in the Trunk

6.0

Le lieutenant Abdul Fouad

1973

 

Karin Schubert in The Punishment (1973)

The Punishment

4.1

Raymond

1973

 

What a Flash! (1972)

What a Flash!

3.9

Bit part (uncredited)

1972

 

Trois milliards sans ascenseur (1972)

Trois milliards sans ascenseur

5.4

José

1972

 

Touch and Go (1971)

Touch and Go

5.8

Ali - le patron du bateau tunisien

1971

 

Smic Smac Smoc (1971)

Smic Smac Smoc

5.4

Amidou dit Smoc

1971

 

Amidou, Bob Asklöf, Joëlle Bernard, Michel Bouquet, Marcel Bozzuffi, Jean Desailly, Jeanne Moreau, Serge Reggiani, Serge Sauvion, Simone Signoret, and Charles Vanel in Countdown to Vengeance (1971)

Countdown to Vengeance

6.4

Macyas

1971

 

The Crook (1970)

The Crook

6.9

Bill

1970

 

Amidou in Soleil de printemps (1969)

Soleil de printemps

1969

 

Life Love Death (1969)

Life Love Death

7.0

François Toledo

1969

 

Heartbeat (1968)

Heartbeat

6.4

Etienne

1968

 

Joël Barbouth and Marika Green in La fille d'en face (1968)

La fille d'en face

4.5

Le dragueur

1968

 

Antoine et Cléopâtre (1967)

Antoine et Cléopâtre

7.6

TV Movie

Sesotris

1967

 

Mireille Darc in Fleur d'oseille (1967)

Fleur d'oseille

6.0

Francis

1967

 

Live for Life (1967)

Live for Life

6.4

Un photographe

1967

 

Amidou, Pierre Barouh, Jean-Pierre Kalfon, Claude Lelouch, Janine Magnan, and Jacques Portet in Les grands moments (1966)

Les grands moments

4.2

Roger Amy

1966

 

Brigade antigangs (1966)

Brigade antigangs

5.5

Nez Cassé

1966

 

Cécilia, médecin de campagne (1966)

Cécilia, médecin de campagne

7.9

TV Series

Ricardo Pozzoni

1966

1 episode

 

Amidou, Pierre Barouh, Jean-Pierre Kalfon, Janine Magnan, and Jacques Portet in Une fille et des fusils (1965)

Une fille et des fusils

6.1

Amidou

1965

 

La parole est au témoin (1963)

La parole est au témoin

6.8

(voice)

1963

 

Thé a la menthe

Short

1962

 

L'ascenseur

TV Movie

Dubois

1962

 

L'inspecteur Leclerc enquête (1962)

L'inspecteur Leclerc enquête

7.3

TV Series

Un blouson gris

1962

1 episode

 

Flore et Blancheflore

TV Movie

L'aubergiste

1961

 

Le propre de l'homme (1961)

Le propre de l'homme

5.0

1961

 

Additional Crew

Samuel L. Jackson and Tommy Lee Jones in Rules of Engagement (2000)

Rules of Engagement

6.4

assistant: Mr. Friedkin

2000

 

Monpti (1957)

Monpti

6.5

french voice dubbing: Horst Buchholz (uncredited)

1957