Amidou

Amidou

1935-08-02 – 2013-09-19 (age 78) Rabat, Morocco
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Biography

From Wikipedia

Hamidou Benmessaoud (Arabic: حميدو بنمسعود‎; 2 August 1935 – 19 September 2013), best known as Amidou, was a Moroccan-French film, television and stage actor.

Born in Rabat, at 17 Amidou moved to Paris to attend the CNSAD. In 1968 he made his debut on stage, in Jean Genet's Les paravents.

Amidou is probably best known for his association with director Claude Lelouch, with whom he has shot eleven films, including the Lelouch's film debut Le propre de l'homme (1960). He made his debut in a Maroccan film in 1969, starring in Soleil de printemps directed by Latif Lahlou. His career includes roles in Spaghetti Westerns like Buddy Goes West and several American productions, including William Friedkin's Sorcerer, John Frankenheimer's Ronin and John Huston's Escape to Victory.

In 1969 Amidou was awarded best actor at the Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival for his role in Life Love Death by Claude Lelouch, later he won best actor awards at the Cairo Film Festival (for Pursuit by Leila Triquie) and at the Tangier Film Festival (for Rachid Boutounes' Here and There). In 2005, he received at the hands of Martin Scorsese a Lifetime Career Award at the International Film Festival of Marrakech. He was also the first Moroccan actor to have won an acting award at the National Conservatory of Dramatic Art.

Amidou died on 19 September 2013 in Paris, France. He was 78.

Photos

Known For

Sorcerer
Sorcerer

1977

as Kassem / 'Martinez'

Spy Game
Spy Game

2001

as Sheik's Doctor

Ronin
Ronin

1998

as Man at Exchange

Escape to Victory
Escape to Victory

1981

as André

Rules of Engagement
Rules of Engagement

2000

as Dr. Ahmar

Hideous Kinky
Hideous Kinky

1999

as Sufi Sheikh

Buddy Goes West
Buddy Goes West

1981

as Girolamo / Eagle Eye

Hot Chocolate
Hot Chocolate

1992

as Beauregard

Rosebud
Rosebud

1975

as Kirkbane

Ali Baba and the 40 thieves
Aïcha
Aïcha

2009

as M. Bouamaza

Bitter Champagne
Bitter Champagne

1986

as Slim

The Crook
The Crook

1970

as Bill

The Punishment
The Punishment

1973

as Raymond

And Now... Ladies and Gentlemen...
And Now... Ladies and Gentlemen...

2002

as l'inspecteur de police

Heartbeat
Heartbeat

1968

as Etienne

Live for Life
Live for Life

1967

as photographe

There Were Days... and Moons
There Were Days... and Moons

1990

as Le motard au radar

Countdown to Vengeance
Soleil
Soleil

1997

as Mokzar