Malik Zidi

Malik Zidi
Born	14 February 1975(1975-02-14) Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, Paris, France
Years active	1997-present
Awards	César Award for Most Promising Actor 2007

Malik Zidi (14 February 1975)^[1] is a French film, television and theater actor. Zidi is a four-time nominated and one time César Award recipient for Most Promising Actor.^[2]

Career

Born in Paris, France to an Algerian father and a Breton mother: the drama coach and director Hélène Zidi-Chéruy of Le Laboratoire de l'Acteur,^[1] 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.^[2]

Malik Zidi followed up with roles in the 2002 Antoine Santana-directed Un moment de bonheur (English: One Moment of Happiness) opposite Isild Le Besco, earning his second César Award nomination for Most Promising Actor.^[2] 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 follows his mother to 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.^[3]

In addition to film, Zidi has appeared in numerous television roles.

Zidi currently resides in the Ile-de-France.^[4] He lists Michel Piccoli and Laurent Terzieff as his "heroes" and is a jazz aficionado.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} ifrance.com
2. ^ ^{a b c} Les César Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma
3. ^ VCU French Film Festival
4. ^ Malik Zidi's Official MySpace Page

External links

• Malik Zidi at the Internet Movie Database
• Malik Zidi at Rotten Tomatoes
• Official Site
• Adéquat. Agence Artistique (in French)

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Louis Garrel for Les amants réguliers	César Award for Most Promising Actor for Les amitiés maléfiques 2007	Succeeded by Laurent Stocker for Ensemble, c'est tout

Persondata
Name	Zidi, Malik
Alternative names
Short description	French actor
Date of birth	14 February 1975
Place of birth	Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, Paris, France
Date of death
Place of death