Born in 1974 Mehdi Nebbou is a French actor who has been regularly appearing not only in domestic but also international productions for years. He made his debut in Filipos Tsitos’ film “My Sweet Home” from 2001. The year 2005 was a turning point in the actor’s career. He appeared in the film “Schläfer”, which received excellent reviews. Nebbou boasts, among others: appearances in Ridley Scott’s films: “Web of Lies” and “The House of Gucci” and u Steven Spielberg – in the production of “Munich”.
We could also watch the actor in the Italian Netflix series – “Roman Girls”. The drama tells the story of teenagers who are looking for their own identity, while rejecting common norms. Nebbou’s greatest popularity came with his appearance in the French production “Brilliant Morgane”, which also achieved success abroad.
The series “Brilliant Morgane” combines crime and comedy. The main character is the title character Morgane, a 38-year-old single mother of three children who is gifted with exceptionally high intelligence. He accidentally gets involved in helping the police solve crimes. Audrey Fleurot played the main role, and her on-screen partner was Mehdi Nebbou. Three seasons of the series have been created, and the fourth installment will debut soon. “Brilliant Morgane” is one of the most watched French series at home and abroad.
Mehdi Nebbou plays policeman Adam Karadec in “Brilliant Morgana”. During the interview, he revealed that he likes to improvise and has space for it in the series. We had the opportunity to talk to the actor about the series during an event in Paris. Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Paris is a prestigious review devoted to French cinematography and series productions. Journalists from all over the world come to Paris to talk to the greatest names in French cinema. The 26th edition took place on January 16–23, 2024, and Interia was one of the few Polish media that received an invitation from the organizers.
From January 20 to 23, individual and table interviews took place at the luxurious Hotel du Collectionneur. Interia was invited to talk with actors and series creators as well as for interviews about documentaries.
Mehdi Nebbou has German and Algerian roots. He speaks French, German, English and Italian fluently. His impressive language skills were evident from the first minutes of the meeting in Paris. The actor speaks perfect English. Hearing that we were an editorial office from Poland, he greeted us with the words “good morning”. He said a few lines to another journalist in German.
During the interview we talked, among others: about “Brilliant Morgana”. The actor revealed that improvisation is a must on the set of the series.
“We have a lot of room for improvisation, but only at the beginning of the shot and at the end. You can then cut it out if something goes wrong. For example, when you do a lot of takes, you repeat a given sequence for example seven times, you have to surprise your on-screen partner, so that it doesn’t come out too mechanical. Improvisation brings freshness to the scene,” he said.
Observant viewers could spot Mehdi Nebbou in two productions directed by Ridley Scott. The actor starred in the film “Munich” from 2005 and in “Gucci House” from three years ago. It is true that these were episodic roles, but the actor appreciates the experience he gained while working on the set.
“I must admit that there are great actors all over the world, but there are slight cultural differences in the approach to work. For example, English-speaking actors are always as prepared as possible. Italian actors know their lines perfectly, but they have the willingness to experiment and discover “Of course, you can’t generalize, but I notice these small differences,” he noted.
The actor also compared working on the set with directors from different countries.
“English-language directors expect you to take the initiative. In France, actors come to the director to discuss a scene. Based on my experience, in English-language films you have to prove yourself. Such directors step in when they see that you are not following the direction where they would like to be,” says Nebbou.
At the end of the interview, he referred to his experience gained while working, among others, with Ridley Scott.
“Ridley trusts his actors. He knows they want the best for the film and are prepared to work. Some of the great directors I have had the opportunity to work with have one thing in common – enthusiasm. They come to the set with an enthusiastic attitude, which is contagious for everyone.” – sums up.
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