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Smaïn

Actor, Director, Additional CreditsBorn January 3, 1958 (67 years)
Smaïn (born Smaïn Fairouze, on January 3, 1958 in Constantine, Algeria) is a French comedian, humorist, writer, actor and director of Algerian descent.

Born in 1958 in Constantine, Algeria, to an unknown father and mother, Smaïn Fairouze was taken in by the children's ward of the civil hospital. In 1960, brought back to France by an administrative assistant, he joined his foster family. His adoptive father, a street sweeper at the Régie immobilière de la ville de Paris, was Algerian and his adoptive mother, a cleaning lady, was Moroccan. He attended the Notre-Dame school in Saint-Mandé and then the Saint-Michel high school in St Mandé. During his childhood, he practiced choral singing for many years.

Smaïn, to break into the world of show business, counted on the limitless support of his adoptive parents: «Of modest origins, they looked with suspicion at the world of artists. They constantly told me that there are many called and few chosen... But my desire quickly got the better of their advice! Unfortunately, they died too early to be able to benefit from my success. But I hope they would have been proud of it!».

Smaïn began with a long career in café-théâtre in the 1980s, performing in small Parisian cabarets. Later, he met Philippe Bouvard who offered him a place in his Théâtre de Bouvard. It was there that he expanded his circle of friends by meeting Didier Bourdon, Bernard Campan, Pascal Légitimus and Seymour Brussel. With these four companions, he formed a small comedy group, Les Cinq, which toured for a few years.

Smaïn ended up choosing the solo show. Little by little, with the help of his pianist Alain Bernard, he found success and performed in shows over the years: English beur in 1986 broadcast on 18 August (version filmed at the International Festival of Actors' Performance of June 1987) on La Cinq, T'en veux? in 1989, and Comme ça se prononce in 1996, a show for which he won the Molière for best Indonesian, a Victoire de la musique as well as a Grand Prix Sacem. At the same time, Smaïn was offered more and more roles in the cinema, notably in L'Œil au beur(re) noir, a film which received the César for best first film in 1988.

He also participated in several shows by Enfoirés in 1992, 1993, 1995, 1997 and 1998.

In 2008, he recorded with the Orchestre de la Suisse romande, Le Carnaval des animaux by Camille Saint-Saëns, for which he wrote the libretto. This will be followed by a collaboration with the Pau Pays de Béarn Orchestra who commissioned several musical tales for orchestra, Rayane and the Maestro, The Disappeared of the page 41 and most recently The Fabulous Journey of the Traveling Music Stand.

In 2009, he was part of the jury of the show France has incredible talent, during the fourth season, replacing Patrick Dupond, and collaborates with Michel Legrand on the production of his album Délit de fa dièse.

In 2012, Smaïn returned to the stage of the Théâtre Rive Gauche in the play Réactions en chaîne, which he performed from January to March. ...

Source: Article "Smaïn" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA.

Known For

  • Two Dads and One Mom
  • Le schpountz
  • One Can Always Dream
  • Gates of the Sun
  • The Telephone Always Rings Twice
  • Un p'tit gars de Ménilmontant
  • Charité biz'ness
  • J'aurais jamais dû croiser son regard...
  • The Imaginary Doctor
  • Le grand frère
  • Pauvre Richard!
  • Placés
  • Wacko
  • Le passager du Tassili

Smaïn Filmography

2023
The Blond Boy from the Casbah · as Doctor Farès
2022
The Imaginary Doctor · as Inspecteur Bachir
2022
Placés · as Père D'elias
2019
Mask Singer (TV Series) · as Monstre
2019
Tu iras au Paradis · as Nabil
2016
Sam (2016) (TV Series) · as M. Al Chamari
2014
Gates of the Sun · as Slimane
2013
2013
Pauvre Richard! · as Farid
2012
The Bag of Flour · as Sarah's Father
2010
2007
Franky Snow (TV Series) · as Franky Snow
2006
Campers in Paradise (TV Series) · as Christian Dissaut
2006
Pour l'amour de Dieu · as Kevin's Father
2006
Harkis · as Saïd
2003
Les clefs de bagnole · as Actor Who Refuses To Film With Laurent
2000
Old School · as M. Fonblard
1999
Le schpountz · as Irénée
1999
Recto/Verso · as Fred
1998
1996
1996
1995
Tom est tout seul · as Street Musician
1994
Wacko · as Jimmy
1992
Siméon · as Cast
1991
One Can Always Dream · as Rachid Merzahoui
1989
1987
1987
Flag · as Abdel
1987
1986
Les Frères Pétard · as Le Jeune Homme Du Train
1986
Le bonheur a encore frappé · as Le Député
1985
1984
La smala · as Le Jeune Maghrébin De La Bagarre
1984
Femmes de personne · as Melchior
1983
1982
Le grand frère · as Abdel
1982

2020
Les 60 ans du one-man-show · as Self (archive Footage)
2009
C à Vous (TV Series) · as Self
2006
Salut les Terriens (TV Series) · as Self - Guest
2006
France's Got Talent (TV Series) · as Self - Judge
2006
On n'est pas couché (TV Series) · as Self - Guest
2003
20h10 pétantes (TV Series) · as Self
2003
La méthode Cauet (TV Series) · as Self
2003
2000
L'invité (TV Series) · as Self
1998
Le plus grand Cabaret du monde (TV Series) · as Self
1998
Roll on Sunday (TV Series) · as Self
1998
We Can't Wait for Next Sunday (TV Series) · as Self
1998
Tout le monde en parle (TV Series) · as Self
1994
Les enfants de la télé (TV Series) · as Self
1993
Taratata 100% Live (TV Series) · as Self
1992
Capital (TV Series) · as Self - Guest
1990
Faut pas rêver (TV Series) · as Self
1988
Fréquenstar (TV Series) · as Self
1987
NPA (TV Series) · as Self
1987
Night of the Molières (TV Series) · as Self
1986
Miss France (TV Series) · as Self
1986
Les Enfoirés (TV Series) · as Self
1985
Les Victoires de la Musique (TV Series) · as Self
1982
Champs-Elysees (TV Series) · as Self
1976
César Awards (TV Series) · as Self

1996
Two Dads and One Mom · as Scenario

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