Roschdy Zem

Award-winning French actor Roschdy Zem has Moroccan roots and performed in the theater before breaking into film with a bit part in the cop drama "Les keufs" in 1987. Zem struggled to get his film career off the ground, appearing in a string of French movies, including a supporting role in the acclaimed romantic drama "Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train." His big break came with his turn in the insurance fraud dramedy "My Little Business" (also known as "Ma petite enterprise") in 1999, which earned him his first César nomination. He went on to receive César nods three more times--the first in 2006 for his supporting part in the gritty odd couple cop drama "Le Petit Lieutenant," the second for his directorial debut, the cross-culture romantic comedy "Bad Faith," which co-starred acclaimed Belgian actress, Cécile de France, and the third for his portrayal of the severe bodyguard in the Anne Fontaine-directed love triangle dramedy "The Girl from Monaco" (a.k.a. "La Fille de Monaco"). Yet Zem may be best known internationally for his part in the Oscar-nominated World War II drama "Days of Glory," which centered on four African men who fought alongside the French to defeat the Nazis, and earned the cast a shared Best Actor award at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. In 2010, Zem was featured in the Gallic thriller "Point Blank" and two years later, he made a rare appearance in an English-language movie with "The Cold Light of Day," starring Henry Cavill.