The Zidane of French comedy
“Jamel” is so famous in France that he has no need of a surname.
In France he’s a stand-up but Jamel Debbouze had a personal war-movie mission. Interview in Times Online.
According to some reports he’s the highest paid actor in France. However, for his most recent role in the film Days of Glory Debbouze not only took a substantial pay cut, he also came on board as producer.
It’s his first serious drama. Previous film roles have been as the put-upon architect Numérobis in Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra and the sweet-natured vegetable enthusiast in Amélie. But Days of Glory is, in some ways, his most personal film to date.
Two years before the project, Debbouze learnt that his family were not, as he thought, economic migrants, but that his great grandfather had been called from Morocco to fight for France. “That’s what made me want to fight for this film with all my soul. It’s something I take very seriously.”
At the age of 14 Debouze was hit by a suburban RER train and lost the use of his right arm. The friend who was with him at the time lost his life. Of the accident, Debbouze insists: “I was strengthened by it. I understood about the great good fortune of being alive and that gave me the desire to leave a trace in the world.”
He adds a well-practised one-liner: “The only regret I have about my arm is that a woman has two breasts and I only have one arm.” […]
Thu 29-Mar-07 | Posted in: People
Print this post | Permalink | Stumble it! |
