Tahar Rahim

Tahar Rahim, a handsome leading man from France, showed tremendous crossover power with "A Prophet" (2009), a gritty crime film that earned raves for his powerful lead performance. Rahim's work was known not just for its emotional power, but also for his sharp ear in adopting different accents and dialects.

Tahar Rahim was born on July 4, 1981 in Belfort, France. Rahim was initially interested in sports and computer science, before he studied film at Paul Valery University of Montpellier. Next Rahim studied drama at Laboratoire de l'Acteur, juggling regular jobs in a factory and a night club to keep himself solvent while he honed his craft. Rahim made his debut in "The 9/11 Commission Report" (2006), where he played a Taliban Interrogator. Then Rahim scored a role on the mini-series "La Commune" (2007) for the Canal+ network.

A writer on the show, Abdel Raouf Dafri, wrote "A Prophet," the violent crime film that would earn Rahim international acclaim. But it was not an easy job for Rahim to secure. Rahim even ran into the director of "A Prophet," Jacques Audiard, in a taxi cab, and told him he was a fan. Yet even though Audiard knew who Rahim was, the actor still had to go through three months of auditions and eight callbacks before he finally got the gig. "A Prophet" showed Rahim's knack for adopting other dialects and personas.

In the starring role, Rahim played a Middle Eastern man who becomes a crime lord while he's imprisoned in France. "A Prophet" (2009) earned strong buzz, especially for Rahim's performance. Rahim won an unprecedented two Cesar Awards for his work in "A Prophet," for Best Actor and Most Promising Actor. Rahim next worked hard to nail his Gallic accent for "The Eagle" (2011), and he also starred in "Love and Bruises" (2011), which was directed by the controversial Chinese filmmaker Lou Ye.