Saïd Taghmaoui

Saïd Taghmaoui born 19 July 1973 is a French-American actor and screenwriter. One of his major screen roles was that of Saïd in the 1995 French film La Haine, directed by Mathieu Kassovitz. Taghmaoui has also appeared in a number of English-language films, with roles such as Captain Said in Three Kings (1999), Sameer in Wonder Woman (2017), and The Elder in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019).

Early life and education

Taghmaoui was born in Villepinte, Seine-Saint-Denis, into a large family comprising eight children; he had four brothers and three sisters. His parents were Moroccan immigrants of Berber ancestry from Essaouira. Taghmaoui grew up in the Rose des Vents quartier of the Aulnay-sous-Bois commune. He dropped out of school to become a boxer, rising as high as No. 2 in his weight class in France.

Career

He later met actor and director Mathieu Kassovitz; together, they appeared in Kassovitz’s film La Haine (1995), whose plot concerns race and violence in the ghettoized banlieues of Paris. The following year, Taghmaoui was nominated for a César Award (in the Most Promising Actor category) for his performance.

He has since pursued an international career, appearing in films in Germany, Italy, Morocco and the United States (Three Kings, 1999). Taghmaoui starred in Vantage Point (2008) as the leader of a terrorist group plotting to kidnap the U.S. president. In Morocco, he appeared in Djinns (2010), a film about the Algerian War, alongside Thierry Fremont. Taghmaoui’s television work includes LostHouse of Saddam and Touch. He appeared in the British film My Brother the Devil, which was released globally in 2013.

Personal life

Taghmaoui is a practicing Muslim. He moved to the United States in 1999, and in 2008, obtained American citizenship.

Filmography

Year Title Role Director Notes
1994 Putain de porte Jean-Claude Flamand & Delphine Quentin Short
Tous les garçons et les filles de leur âge… Paul Olivier Dahan TV series (1 episode)
1995 La Haine Saïd Mathieu Kassovitz Nominated – César Award for Most Promising Actor
J’aime beaucoup ce que vous faites Xavier Giannoli Short
C’est mon histoire Dominique Tabuteau TV series (1 episode)
L’éducateur Momo Dominique Tabuteau (2) TV series (1 episode)
1996 La bougeotte Jean-Claude Morin TV movie
Elvis Aziz Elvis Aziz Frédéric Compain TV movie
1997 Go for Gold ! Moussa Lucian Segura
Héroïnes JP Gérard Krawczyk
Les fantômes du samedi soir Olivier Dahan (2) Short
L’albero dei destini sospesi Samir Rachid Benhadj TV movie
1998 Onorevoli detenuti Omar Giancarlo Planta
The Garden of Eden Aziz Alessandro D’Alatri
Hideous Kinky Bilal Gillies MacKinnon
Lascars Voice Laurent Nicolas TV series (1 episode)
1999 Prima del tramonto Alì Ben Sellam Stefano Incerti
Three Kings Captain Said David O. Russell
Urlaub im Orient Raschid Michael Wenning TV movie
2000 La taule The Innocent Alain Robak
Nationale 7 Rabah Jean-Pierre Sinapi
Ali Zaoua Dib Nabil Ayouch
Room to Rent Ali Khalid Al-Haggar
2001 Gamer Tony Patrick Levy
Confession d’un dragueur Fabio Alain Soral
Absolument fabuleux Manu Gabriel Aghion
Le petit poucet The Chief Olivier Dahan (3)
2002 Vivante DJ Sandrine Ray
The Good Thief Paulo Neil Jordan
Entre chiens et loups Werner Alexandre Arcady
2003 Crime Spree Sami Brad Mirman
The West Wing Ambassador Umar Usef Christopher Misiano TV series (1 episode)
2004 Spartan Tariq Asani David Mamet
Hidalgo Prince Bin Al Reeh Joe Johnston
I Heart Huckabees The Translator David O. Russell (2) Central Ohio Film Critics Association – Best Ensemble
2005 El khoubz el hafi Rachid Benhadj (2)
2006 Five Fingers Dark Eyes Laurence Malkin
O Jerusalem Saïd Chahine Élie Chouraqui
Djihad ! Youssef Felix Olivier TV movie
Sleeper Cell Hamid Charles S. Dutton, Nick Gomez & Leslie Libman TV series (3 episodes)
2007 The Kite Runner Farid Marc Forster
Suspectes Stanislas Lamérat Laurent Dussaux TV miniseries
2008 Vantage Point Suarez Pete Travis
Traitor Omar Jeffrey Nachmanoff Nominated – Black Reel Award for Best Breakthrough Performance
Kandisha Dakir Nesri Jerome Cohen-Olivar
Mogadischu Kapitän Mahmud Roland Suso Richter TV movie
House of Saddam Barzan Ibrahim Alex Holmes TV miniseries
Duval et Moretti Tarek Dominique Guillo TV series (1 episode)
2009 G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra Abel Shaz / Breaker Stephen Sommers
Linear Biker Anton Corbijn
Lost Caesar Stephen Williams & Jack Bender TV series (4 episodes)
2010 Djinns Aroui Hugues & Sandra Martin
The Killers Abazar Khayami Short
2011 Conan the Barbarian Ela-Shan Marcus Nispel
2012 My Brother the Devil Sayyid Sally El Hosaini
Strike Back Othmani Paul Wilmshurst TV series (2 episodes)
2013 American Hustle Irv’s Sheik Plant David O. Russell (3)
Touch Guillermo Ortiz Various TV series (10 episodes)
2014 The Missing Khalid Ziane Tom Shankland TV series (8 episodes)
2015 For All Eyes Always Iskandar Yasin Rob Gordon Bralver
La nuit est faite pour dormir Hassan Adrien Costello Short
2016 The Infiltrator Amjad Awan Brad Furman
2017 Wonder Woman Sameer Patty Jenkins
2018 At First Light Cal Jason Stone
2019 John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum The Elder Chad Stahelski
TBA The Forgiven Anouar John Michael McDonagh Post-production
2020 Wonder Woman 1984 Sameer Patty Jenkins Photograph Cameo