Tahar Rahim

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French actor (born 1981)

title: "Tahar Rahim" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1981-births", "living-people", "people-from-belfort", "male-actors-from-bourgogne-franche-comté", "best-actor-césar-award-winners", "most-promising-actor-césar-award-winners", "best-actor-european-film-award-winners", "best-actor-lumières-award-winners", "french-male-film-actors", "french-male-stage-actors", "french-muslims", "french-people-of-arab-descent", "french-people-of-algerian-descent", "male-actors-of-algerian-descent", "french-male-television-actors", "21st-century-french-male-actors"] description: "French actor (born 1981)" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tahar_Rahim" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary French actor (born 1981) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox person"]

Field	Value
name	Tahar Rahim
native_name	طاهر رحيم
native_name_lang	ar
image	Tahar Rahim Samba avp 2014 2.jpg
caption	Rahim in 2014
birth_date
birth_place	Belfort, France
nationality
occupation	Actor
years_active	2005–present
spouse
children	4
::

Tahar Rahim (born 4 July 1981) is a French actor. Most known for his performance in A Prophet (2009), for which he won the César Award for Best Actor and César Award for Best Male Revelation, alongside a BAFTA Rising Star Award nomination.

In Hollywood, Rahim first starred as FBI agent Ali Soufan in the miniseries The Looming Tower (2018). For his performance as Mohamedou Ould Slahi in The Mauritanian (2021) he received nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor and the BAFTA Award for Best Actor. For his portrayal of French serial killer Charles Sobhraj in the miniseries The Serpent (2021), Rahim received his second Golden Globe nomination.

Rahim has since portrayed Paul Barras in the period film Napoleon (2023), Ezekiel Sims in the Sony Spider-Man Universe film Madame Web (2024). For his performance as Charles Aznavour in the musical biographical drama Monsieur Aznavour (2024), he received his third César nomination.

Early life

Rahim was born in Belfort, France, to a family from Oran, Algeria.

After earning a Baccalauréat at the Lycée Condorcet of Belfort, Rahim enrolled first in sports and then computer science programmes. After two subsequent years of boredom studying the subjects in Strasbourg and Marseille, Rahim decided to pursue his passion and began to study film at the Paul Valéry University of Montpellier. His life as a film student was chronicled in a docufiction by fellow Belfortain Cyril Mennegun titled "Tahar, student", aired on French TV channel France 5 in 2006.

Following this, Rahim moved to Paris in 2005 and studied drama at the Laboratoire de l'Acteur under Hélène Zidi-Chéruy while working in a factory during the week, and in a nightclub at weekends, to make ends meet.

Career

In mid-2006, after signing with an agent, Rahim won a part in the hit Canal+ television series La Commune written by Abdel Raouf Dafri.

After a two-line appearance in the 2007 horror movie Inside starring Béatrice Dalle, he went through a gruelling three months of auditioning. After eight callbacks, he landed his breakthrough role.

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e7/Tahar_Rahim_2012.jpg" caption="Rahim in 2012"] ::

Rahim also starred in Chinese director Lou Ye's film Love and Bruises. The controversial director had twice been banned by the Chinese government from making movies. The director likely met Rahim at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, where they were presenting Spring Fever and A Prophet, respectively. Love and Bruises is the adaptation of the banned biography of Jie Liu Falin.

Rahim also starred in Free Men, the biopic about Si Kaddour Benghabrit, the French-Algerian diplomat founder of the Great Mosque of Paris, directed by Ismaël Ferroukhi of Le Grand Voyage fame.

In 2015, Rahim was selected to be on the jury for the Un Certain Regard section of the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. He later starred in the European crime drama television series The Last Panthers.

In 2018, he appeared as Judas in the film Mary Magdalene, written by Helen Edmundson. In the U.S. that year, he had a starring role as FBI agent Ali Soufan in The Looming Tower miniseries.

In 2021, he was nominated for a Golden Globe for portraying Mohamedou Ould Salahi in The Mauritanian, set among detainees at the US camp at Guantanamo. Rahim also served as a jury member at the 74th Cannes Film Festival.

Rahim played Paul Barras in Ridley Scott's Napoleon (2023), starring Joaquin Phoenix, for Apple TV+. He played Ezekiel Sims in Sony's Spider-Man Universe film Madame Web.

In 2023, Rahim was announced to be playing French singer Charles Aznavour in the biopic film Monsieur Aznavour. It premiered in late 2024, for his performance Rahim received his second César Award for Best Actor nomination.

In 2025, Rahim starred as Amin in Alpha by Julia Ducournau. For the role, Rahim lost 20 kilograms, creating a media uproar in France during the release of Monsieur Aznavour.

Personal life

Rahim is married to French actress Leïla Bekhti, whom he met while filming A Prophet in 2007. Together they have four children.

In June 2024, Rahim signed a petition alongside 230 French artists addressed to French President Emmanuel Macron demanding the France government to officially recognize the State of Palestine.

Filmography

Film

::data[format=table]

Year	Title	Role
Tahar l'étudiant	Tahar	Docufiction
Inside	A policeman
A Prophet	Malik El Djebena
The Eagle	Prince of the Seal People	Lines in Pictish language
Les Hommes libres	Younes
Love and Bruises	Mathieu
Black Gold	Prince Auda
Our Children	Mounir
The Past	Samir
Grand Central	Gary
The Informant	Redjani Belimane
The Cut	Nazaret Manoogian
Samba	Wilson
Le Père Noël	Père Noël
The Anarchists	Jean Albertini
Daguerrotype	Jean	Also known as The Woman in the Silver Plate
Heal the Living	Thomas Rémige
The Price of Success	Brahim Mecheri
Mary Magdalene	Judas
Treat Me Like Fire	Abel
The Kindness of Strangers	Marc
The Mauritanian	Mohamedou Ould Salahi
Don Juan	Laurent
Napoleon	Paul Barras
Madame Web	Ezekiel Sims
Monsieur Aznavour	Charles Aznavour
Alpha	Amin
Les Misérables	Javert	Post-production
::

Television

::data[format=table]

Year	Title	Role
La Commune	Yazid Fikry	8 episodes
The Last Panthers	Khalil	6 episodes
The Looming Tower	Ali Soufan	Míniseries; 10 episodes
The Eddy	Farid	3 episodes
The Serpent	Charles Sobhraj	Miniseries; 8 episodes
Extrapolations	Omar Haddad; Ezra Haddad	3 episodes
::

Theatre

2007 – 2008: Libres sont les papillons in the role of the blind character Benjamin. The play was an adaption from its original English into French of Butterflies are free written by Leonard Gershe by Hélène Zidi-Chéruy who also directed and staged it at the Côté Court Theater, 11th arrondissement of Paris.

Accolades

::data[format=table]

Award	Year	Nominated work
2010		BAFTA Rising Star Award
2021		Best Actor in a Leading Role
2010		Best Actor
Most Promising Actor
2025	Monsieur Aznavour	Best Actor
2010		Most Promising Performer
2014		Best Supporting Actor
2010		Best Actor
2009		European Actor
2021
2010		Best Actor
2021		Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
2022		Best Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series or Television Film
2011		Best International Actor
2011		Best Actor
2010		Actor of the Year
2021
2010		Best Actor
2014	Grand Central
2010		Honoree
2022		Best Male Actor
2021		Virtuosos Award
::

References

(2009-05-19). "L'Expression - Le Quotidien - 110 km d'autoroute achevés". Lexpressiondz.com.
(3 March 2010). "Tahar Rahim: "Je m'étais donné dix ans pour y arriver" - L'EXPRESS". Lexpress.fr.
link. (2011-06-15)
Dang, Simon. (2010-02-25). "The Playlist: Tahar Rahim To Team With Lou Ye For 'Bitch,' Also Shooting A Biopic On French-Muslim Icon Si Kaddour Benghabrit". Theplaylist.blogspot.com.
(7 May 2015). "Un Certain Regard Jury 2015". Cannes Film Festival.
(2 October 2015). "The Last Panthers – exclusive trailer for the Samantha Morton thriller". [[The Guardian]].
Hawson, Fred. "Movie review: 'Mary Magdalene' seeks to redefine distaff disciple".
"Winners & Nominees 2021".
Kroll, Justin. (2022-02-16). "'The Serpent' Star Tahar Rahim Joins Joaquin Phoenix In Apple And Ridley Scott's 'Napoleon'".
(3 June 2022). "'Madame Web': Tahar Rahim Latest To Join Sony Marvel Pic". Deadline.
Keslassy, Elsa. (15 February 2023). "Tahar Rahim to Play French Music Legend Charles Aznavour in Biopic 'Monsieur Aznavour' (EXCLUSIVE)".
AlloCine. (30 October 2024). "Pourquoi Tahar Rahim a perdu beaucoup de poids ? Ce n'est pas pour Monsieur Aznavour, mais pour un autre rôle mystérieux !".
Keslassy, Elsa. (2025-05-20). "Tahar Rahim on Metamorphosing and Shedding 44 Pounds for Julia Ducournau's 'Alpha': 'That State of Deprivation Transports You in a Spiritual Dimension' (EXCLUSIVE)".
(8 June 2011). "Leïla Bekhti : Savoureusement métamorphosée en femme fatale...". Pure People.
Marouf, Fouzia. (May 17, 2011). "Leïla Bekhti, aux sources de la joie". Le Soir.
(18 June 2013). "Tahar Rahim, amoureux de Leïla Bekhti : ''Je crois au mariage à vie''". Pure People.
(July 2025). "Tahar Rahim papa d'une petite fille : cet événement miraculeux qui lui a permis d'assister à l'accouchement de sa compagne, Leïla Bekhti". Closer Mag.
""3 children", "10 films" and "27 extra pounds": Leïla Bekhti takes stock of her last four years".
(4 June 2024). "Reconnaissance de l'Etat palestinien : qu'attendez-vous monsieur Macron ? 230 artistes lancent un appel".
Keslassy, Elsa. (15 February 2023). "Tahar Rahim to Play French Music Legend Charles Aznavour in Biopic 'Monsieur Aznavour' (EXCLUSIVE)".
Keslassy, Elsa. (17 May 2023). "Playtime Boards Buzzy Biopic 'Monsieur Aznavour' Starring Tahar Rahim as Legendary Crooner (EXCLUSIVE)".
"63rd British Academy Film Awards (2010)". [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts]].
"74th British Academy Film Awards (2021)". [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts]].
"Tahar Rahim {{pipe}} César & Nominations". [[Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma]].
Goodfellow, Melanie. (29 January 2025). "'The Count Of Monte Cristo' Leads Nominations For France's Césars". [[Deadline Hollywood.
"2010 Chicago Film Critics Awards". [[Chicago Film Critics Association]].
(16 March 2014). "20th Annual Awards (2014)". [[Chlotrudis Society for Independent Films]].
Clarke, Donald. (31 December 2010). "The Dublin Film Critics Circle waves goodbye to 2010". [[The Irish Times]].
"22nd European Film Awards (2009)". [[European Film Academy]].
"34th European Film Awards (2021)". [[European Film Academy]].
(9 December 2010). "Les Globes de Cristal en images". [[Paris Match]].
"Tahar Rahim {{pipe}} Golden Globes". [[Hollywood Foreign Press Association]].
"8th Irish Film & Television Awards (2011)". [[Irish Film & Television Academy]].
Steven, Beth. (17 February 2011). "2011 ICS Award Winners". [[International Cinephile Society]].
Child, Ben. (22 December 2009). "''An Education'' heads London critics' shortlist". [[The Guardian]].
Wiseman, Andreas. (12 January 2021). "Female Filmmakers Lead Nominees For London Critics' Circle Film Awards". [[Deadline Hollywood.
Tartaglione, Nancy. (17 January 2010). "Philippe Lioret's ''Welcome'' takes best film Lumiere Award". [[Screen International.
(18 December 2013). "Prix Lumières 2014 : "Quai d'Orsay" en tête des nominations". [[AlloCiné]].
(29 March 2010). "Tahar Rahim et Marie-Josée Croze, prix Dewaere-Schneider". [[Le Parisien]].
(3 March 2022). "Nominations announced for the RTS Programme Awards 2022". [[Royal Television Society]].
Hipes, Patrick. (23 March 2021). "Santa Barbara Film Festival Awards: Oscar-Nominated Directors Latest Honorees". [[Deadline Hollywood.

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