Omar Sy biography: net worth, movies, wife, children, career
Omar Sy is an actor and writer known for Jurassic World (2015) and X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014). A charismatic actor with a gift for physical comedy, Omar Sy became an overnight sensation after his career-making performance in the French film The Intouchables (2011).
Source: Getty Images
Omar Sy is a Cesar Award-winning actor for his role in the 2012 film The Intouchables, who also makes up one-half of the comedy duo Omar et Fred with Fred Testot. Popular American movies that he has been cast in include X-Men: Days of Future Past, Jurassic World, and Inferno. Here is his biography.
Profile summary
- Alternate names: Fred et Omar, Omar
- Date of birth: January 20, 1978
- Birthplace: Trappes, Yvelines, France
- Height: 6' 2¾" (1.9 m)
- Weight: 83 kg (183 lbs)
- Hair colour: Black
- Eye colour: Black
- Star sign: Aquarius
- Nationality: French
- Father: Demba Sy
- Mother: Diaratou Sy
- Occupation: Actor, Producer, Writer
How old is Omar Sy?
The actor was born on January 20, 1978. This means that he is 42 years old (as of 2020).
Source: Getty Images
Omar Sy family and early years
Omar is the fourth of eight children born in Trappes to immigrant parents from Africa. His father is from Senegal, and his mother is from Mauritania.
Sy was raised in a low-income suburban housing project outside of Paris, France, where his mother worked as a house-cleaner, and his father worked in a factory.
Once Sy graduated from high school in 1996, he decided to follow his dreams; instead of going to college, he went straight to work.
He was focused on building a career that would help provide for both himself and his family.
His first gig was being a radio host for Radio Nova, where he met his comedic partner Fred Testot.
After his time with Radio Nova, Sy created his own TV show called Le Visiophon. He really started getting attention on stage when his TV show kicked off in France.
Source: Getty Images
Career
Sy launched his career doing skits on a local radio station, which eventually morphed into the television series Omar et Fred, a weekly sketch-comedy show based on phony radio call-ins.
He went on to land a string of featured roles in mostly French comedies, including Nos jours heureux (2006), Tellement proches (2009), and the arthouse film Micmacs (2009), a satire on the world arms trade.
After several years playing supporting characters, Sy suddenly became the toast of European cinema after his scene-stealing performance in The Intouchables, a hit film about a wealthy quadriplegic (François Cluzet) whose life is turned upside down when he hires a rambunctious young man, just out of prison, to take care of him.
The tailor-made role transformed Sy into a marquee star who also made history by becoming the first black performer to win a César Award for Best Actor, all of which made him a bona fide celebrity even beyond his native France.
Source: Getty Images
Omar Sy movies and TV shows
Here is a list of Omar Sy films and TV show appearances:
- Le Chat du rabbin (pre-production) - Le chat
- 2021 - Arsene Lupin (filming)
- 2022 - Jurassic World: Dominion (post-production) - Barry Sembène
- 2020 - Tout simplement noir - Omar Sy
- 2020 - Refugee (Short) - Marwan
- 2020 - Night Shift - Aristide
- 2020 - The Call of the Wild - Perrault
- 2020 - The Lost Prince - Le père / Le prince
- 2019 - Arctic Dogs - Leopold (voice)
- 2019 - ForesTiVi (TV Series short)
- 2019 - Le chant du loup - D'Orsi
- 2018 - Yao - Seydou Tall
- 2018 - Belleville Cop - Sebastian 'Baaba' Bouchard
- 2017 - Knock - Knock
- 2017 - Transformers: The Last Knight - Hot Rod (voice)
- 2017 - Sahara - Ajar (voice)
- 2016 - Two Is a Family - Samuel
- 2016 - Inferno - Christoph Bouchard
- 2016 - Chocolat - Rafael Padilla dit Chocolat
- 2015 - Burnt - Michel
- 2015 - Jurassic World - Barry
- 2014 - Mune: Guardian of the Moon - Sohone (voice)
- 2014 - Samba - Samba Cissé
- 2014 - Good People - Khan
- 2014 - X-Men: Days of Future Past - Bishop
- 2013 - Mood Indigo - Nicolas
- 2013 - Aux Armes: AIDES (Short) - Narrator (voice)
- 2012 - Crazy Pink Limo (Short) - Le chippendale philosophe
- 2011-2012 - Fish'n Chips - Fish
- 2012 - On the Other Side of the Tracks - Ousmane Diakhité
- 2012 - Mais qui a re-tué Pamela Rose? - Mosby
- 2012 - Zak - Omar Sy
- 2012 - Les seigneurs - Wéké N'Dogo
- 2010-2012 - SAV des émissions
- 2012 - Bref.
Source: Getty Images
- 2011 - The Intouchables - Driss
- 2011 - The Tuche Family - Le curé de Bouzolles
- 2010 - Histoires de vies - Mo'
- 2010 - The Storytelling Show - Momo (voice)
- 2010 - Florence Foresti: Mother F*cker - Le chauffeur de taxi
- 2010 - Le pas Petit Poucet - Grand Poucet
- 2009 - Arthur et la vengeance de Maltazard - Snow (French version, voice)
- 2009 - Murphy's Law - Joachim Ortega / Père Joachim Ortega
- 2009 - Micmacs - Remington
- 2009 - Lascars - Narbé (voice)
- 2009 - Safari - Youssouf Hammal
- 2009 - Tellement proches - Bruno
- 2009 - Special Correspondents - Jimmy
- 2009 - King Guillaume - Jean-Peter
- 2008 - La France d'après
- 2008 - 2 Alone in Paris - Sammy Bouglioni
- 2007 - Garage Babes - Hamidou
- 2007 - Moot-Moot - Isidore (voice)
- 2006 - Those Happy Days - Joseph
- 2006 - Les multiples - Jimmy (voice)
- 2004 - Un Jean-Pierre ça peut tout faire
- 2004 - Le carton - Lorenzo
- 2004 - Coming-out (Short) - Max
- 2003 - Pardon aux familles... Tout ça!
- 2003 - The Dope - Michel Dembele, le voisin
- 2002 - Si j'étais lui - Gabriel
- 2002 - Samurai - Tyson
- 2002 - Dead Weight - Malian #3
- 2002 - Ces jours heureux - Brice
- 2002 - The Race - Sergent ONU
- 2001 - Omar et Fred - Omar / Various Characters
- 2001 - La concierge est dans l'ascenseur (Short)
- 2001 - Don't Die Too Hard! - Le taxi
- 2000 - Granturismo (Short) (voice, as Omar)
- 2000 - La cape et l'épée - Le ménestrel
Source: Getty Images
Awards and nominations
The actor has 8 award wins 7 nominations to his name. He has won the following awards so far:
- 2012 - César Awards - Best Actor (Meilleur acteur)
- 2012 and 2017 - Globes de Cristal Awards, France - Best Actor (Meilleur acteur)
- 2012 - Lumiere Awards, France - Best Actor (Meilleur comédien)
- 2007 - NRJ Ciné Awards - Best Young Talent in a Debut Film (Meilleur djeun's qui débute)
- 2013 - Santa Barbara International Film Festival - Virtuoso Award
- 2011 - Tokyo International Film Festival - Best Actor Award
- 2012 - Étoiles d'Or, France - Best Male Newcomer (La révélation masculine)
How much is Omar Sy net worth?
According to Answers Africa, his net worth is guesstimated at $3 million. Here is a breakdown of the amounts he received for some of his most popular appearances:
- Intouchables (2011) - €1,790,000
- Les seigneurs (2012) - €400,000
Is Omar Sy married?
Yes, he is. Omar Sy wife is Hélène Sy. The actor has been married to Hélène since July 6, 2007. Before getting married, the two dated for 10 years.
Source: Getty Images
Omar Sy children
Omar and Hélène Sy have five children, three girls and two boys (Tidiane and Alhadji).
Sy's last daughter, Amani-Nour, was born in Los Angeles, where the family has lived since 2012.
How tall is Omar Sy?
The actor is quite tall. According to his IMDb page, he is 6' 2¾" tall, translating to 1.9 metres or 190 centimetres.
Omar Sy is a skilled actor whose exceptional talent has seen his fame cross borders. He is worth all the accolades he has won plus more.
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