FILM-SAMBA/OMAR SY French actor and comedian Omar Sy on the path to international stardom

Record ID: 145961

  • Title: FILM-SAMBA/OMAR SY French actor and comedian Omar Sy on the path to international stardom
  • Date: 28th July 2015
  • Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (RECENT) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (French) OMAR SY, SAYING: "It means a lot for me to play Samba and to tell that story because of my own story, of course."
  • Embargoed: 12th August 2015 13:00
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  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAE2GQB4O5R2D6U4LPBVGKFSUDD
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: French actor and comedian Omar Sy hopes to make a splash with North American audiences with the release of French film "Samba."
    Sy became a household name in his native France after the success of his comedic shows with partner Fed Testot. Collectively known as Omar et Fred, the pair made regular appearances in French television starting in the early 2000s.
    Sy broadened his career by working his way into acting and in 2012 he won a Best Actor Cesar Award, the French equivalent of an Oscar, for his performance as Driss, a caregiver to a quadriplegic man, in "The Intouchables." Sy became the first African to take home the award.
    Now the actor has teamed up with "The Intouchables" directing duo, Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache, for "Samba." In "Samba" Sy plays a Senegalese undocumented immigrant trying to make a living in Paris.
    The story hits close to home for Sy, whose parents emigrated to Paris in the 1960s.
    "It means a lot for me to play Samba and to tell that story because of my own story, of course," said Sy.
    Sy's father, like the character of Samba, is Senegalese and Sy said he was able to give his character the authentic accent he grew up hearing around the house. Sy claims his upbringing gave him a better understanding of Samba's sacrifices and of his values.
    Sy, who relocated to Los Angeles three years ago, already has his foot in the door in the Hollywood film industry. He has appeared in various Hollywood blockbuster films, including "X-Men: Days of Future Past," where he plays the mutant Bishop, and in this year's highly successful "Jurassic World" alongside Chris Pratt.
    Despite his recent success in American films, Sy said his biggest challenges are tackling the English language and breaking into the industry for a second time in his career.
    "Really, the hardest part for me is the language that I don't speak, that is really difficult but maybe when I speak he language I'll be able to see the differences. But today the big difference is in the language, it gets me stuck with certain things. Other than that I don't see any big differences. One difference could be that in France I already have a career and a name that give me access to certain things and here I have to reconstruct all of that. That makes it interesting to work here, to start from zero again. It's hard for me to say what the differences are right now because I'm just at the beginning of this path," said Sy.
    Sy can soon be seen alongside Bradley Cooper in "Adam Jones" and in "Chocolat," based on the life Cuban artist Rafael Padilla. He also has a major role the upcoming film based on Dan Brown's "Inferno" alongside Academy Award winner Tom Hanks.
    "Samba" had a limited release in Los Angeles and New York on July 24 and will have a larger nationwide release to follow.
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