At the end of the day, I remain a country boy inside.
I sometimes feel that racism is getting worse.
I learned to walk on my own legs, to dive so deeply into a role to forget that I'm acting.
Thanks to 'A Prophet,' I'm known in a lot of countries.
I don't want to say, 'I want to be in Hollywood,' like so many actors do, but I know that Hollywood is still making good movies, and I'd like to be part of that someday.
I recall the first time my agent told me to wear clothes specifically chosen for me, I would try and find excuses not to do it.
When you agree to work with a filmmaker, it's important that you accept their world. It's an adventure. I like that. I throw myself into the director's arms, into their universe.
With 'Eagle of the Ninth,' every shot was extremely planned and organized. The director was like, 'Do this!' And I say, 'How was it?' and he says, 'Good.' It was very odd. I would never know where he was headed, or even if he was shooting me at a close-up or from a distance.
I don't know how to get bored. I need to learn to rest.
I like films to be pure cinema, but I also like them to provide a snapshot of a family, a society or a character - something that can nourish you as a human being as well as an actor.
It's not about 'succeeding,' but sometimes on a film, you know you've captured something.
The mud is cold when you're in the north of Scotland!
In my town, and especially in my area, there were people from everywhere: Algerians, Senegalese, French people, Asians, all kinds of immigrants and natives, and everyone circulated.
I've always refused to play terrorists.
We need prisons because there are some hardcore criminals, but I never met a guy who has been in jail that came out with a smile on his face thinking, 'Right, that's it - now I am going to be good!'
I'm an actor, full stop. Not an Arab actor. Not an actor of Algerian origin. Just an actor.
Some kids go walking in the mountains, but I just went to the cinema. So when I told my parents I wanted to be an actor, even though this wasn't normal for Arab kids or anyone in the town, they were sort of expecting it and were very supportive.
I simply can't wear an outfit if I don't feel that is right for me.
I love fashion as an art; I love fashion as costume, as a character. I don't like dictates and the phoniness of appearance.
If I don't love my character, I can't do it.
