Tahar Rahim

Tahar Rahim is a French actor who gained international recognition through his performances in both European and American film and television projects. Born on July 4, 1981, in Belfort, France, to a family from Oran, Algeria, he completed his secondary education at the Lycée Condorcet in his hometown. He initially pursued higher education in sports and subsequently computer science across Strasbourg and Marseille. After spending two years in those subjects, he redirected his studies toward his interest in cinema by enrolling at the Paul Valéry University of Montpellier. His experience as a film student was documented in Cyril Mennegun's 2006 television docufiction Tahar, student, broadcast on France 5. Rahim moved to Paris in 2005 to train in acting at the Laboratoire de l'Acteur under Hélène Zidi-Chéruy, funding his living expenses by working at a factory during weekdays and a nightclub on weekends.

Rahim secured professional representation in mid-2006, leading to a role in the Canal+ series La Commune. Following a brief appearance in the 2007 feature Inside, he underwent a three-month audition process involving eight callbacks. This led to his breakthrough role in the 2009 film A Prophet. His performance earned him the César Award for Best Actor and the César Award for Best Male Revelation, alongside a nomination for the BAFTA Rising Star Award. During the production of the film in 2007, he met actress Leïla Bekhti, whom he later married.

Following his early success, Rahim appeared in Lou Ye's Love and Bruises and Ismaël Ferroukhi's Free Men, portraying French-Algerian diplomat Si Kaddour Benghabrit. In 2015, he served as a jury member for the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival and starred in the crime drama series The Last Panthers. His profile expanded into American productions in 2018, when he played Judas in Mary Magdalene and portrayed FBI agent Ali Soufan in the miniseries The Looming Tower.

In 2021, Rahim starred as Mohamedou Ould Slahi in the film The Mauritanian, securing nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor and the BAFTA Award for Best Actor. That same year, he played serial killer Charles Sobhraj in the television miniseries The Serpent, which earned him a second Golden Globe nomination, and he joined the jury for the 74th Cannes Film Festival.

Rahim's subsequent feature work includes portraying Paul Barras in Ridley Scott's 2023 historical drama Napoleon and playing Ezekiel Sims in the 2024 film Madame Web. He depicted singer Charles Aznavour in the biographical film Monsieur Aznavour, earning his second César nomination for Best Actor and his third César nomination overall. In 2025, he appeared as Amin in Julia Ducournau's film Alpha, for which his 20-kilogram weight loss attracted significant media coverage in France.

In his personal life, Rahim and Leïla Bekhti have four children. In June 2024, Rahim joined 230 French artists in signing a petition addressed to President Emmanuel Macron requesting that the French government officially recognize the State of Palestine.