Omar Sy is Challenging the Archetype of the French Movie Star
When it comes to Lupin, we all want to know who the character really is! However, what also entices us is the brilliant actor and face behind the Netflix show, Omar Sy. Lupin didn’t only rob some precious jewels (spoiler alert), but he also robbed our hearts – Omar Sy did, more precisely.
After his swooning performance in the first part of the Netflix hit, he instantly became a wanted man. And now, with part two out, we’re convinced that the man with the charming smile is going to continue to be the talk of the town.
So, who is the French actor who has taken over televisions worldwide? We have all you need to know about the man who portrays Assane Diop, the gentleman thief.
His glittering eyes are back in the second season of Lupin, so let’s learn more about what’s behind those eyes!
If you watched the show, then you already know that Sy is French. Yes, we know, you totally dig the accent. Sy was born in Trappes in the Île-de-France region of France in 1978, but his parents were not. Sy, one of eight children, was raised there, but his parents emigrated to the country from West Africa. His mother, Diaratou, came over from Mauritania, and his father, Demba, from Senegal.
Although the actor is now receiving all the praise in the world for his captivating work, his journey wasn’t an easy one.
Growing up in France with a big family and immigrant parents, Sy didn’t live la belle vie. With nothing in their pockets, Sy’s parents struggled to make ends meet while trying to raise and take care of eight children. His mother took jobs as a housecleaner/maid, while his father worked in an auto parts factory. Due to those circumstances, Sy was raised in low-income suburban housing projects. He certainly started from the bottom.
Oui oui, Sy is definitely incredibly talented!
Let’s continue to scratch the surface. Before Sy became everyone’s new favorite actor, he pursued a career in comedy. Straight out of high school, in 1996, the friendly actor put his foot in the door when he began as a comedian on a radio show. And then, faith and destiny aligned when he met Fred Testot at Radio Nova, which paved his way to unprecedented fame.
The actor with single-minded dedication was approached back in 2000, shortly after his long-running television show.
In that year, a life-changing experience knocked at the comedian’s door. Just having had television experience as a comedian, and no prior acting experience, according to Pop Sugar, he was approached by famed directors Éric Toledano and Olivier Nakache. They offered him a role in a short film, and as Sy admitted in an interview with Collider, the charismatic actor had no idea why they even made the move.