Although Tahar Rahim may not yet be a household name for television and film audiences, his contributions haven’t gone unnoticed. Rahim, a French-Algerian actor, has been a leading man in French cinema before his transition into Hollywood. Since the early 2010s, Rahim has appeared in American films, where he has co-starred with some of Hollywood’s top stars.
Tahar Rahim’s only film credit in 2023 is portraying the French politician and Revolutionary leader of the Directory during the French Revolution, Paul Barras. He plays the character in the highly anticipated Ridley Scott‘s epic historical drama Napoleon (2023). For more on the actor, these are Tahar Rahim’s notable roles and where you may know him from.
A Prophet (2009)
A Prophet (2009) is Tahar Rahim’s third feature movie. He leads the cast playing Malik El-Djebena in the Jacques Audiard-directed French prison film. A Prophet received mostly positive reviews, with a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. A Prophet has been compared to many top Hollywood mobster and prison films for its story and direction. The movie gave Tahar Rahim international recognition amongst French cinema audiences. Rahim received several accolades for his amazing performance.
The Eagle (2011)
Kevin Macdonald‘s epic historical drama The Eagle (2011) was Tahar Rahim’s first starring role in an American movie. The Eagle starred prominent names like Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland, and Mark Strong. Rahim is cast as the secondary antagonist, the Prince of the Seal People. He makes an example of his son by killing him for helping Marcus Flavius Aquila (Channing Tatum) and Esca (Jamie Bell) escape.
Mary Magdalene (2018)
Tahar Rahim’s next noteworthy performance in American cinema was in 2018. He was cast as Judas in Garth Davis‘ biblical drama Mary Magdalene (2018). Unlike most Hollywood biblical dramas about the life of Jesus Christ, Mary Magdalene tells Jesus’ story through the eyes and perspective of Mary Magdalene. It was the first time Rahim starred with Joaquin Phoenix, who played Jesus of Nazareth. They shared the screen again in Napoleon (2023). Mary Magdalene also starred Rooney Mara as its titular character, Mary Magdalene, and British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor as Peter.
The Kindness of Strangers (2019)
In 2019, Tahar Rahim starred alongside Zoe Kazan, Andrea Riseborough, and Bill Nighy in the drama The Kindness of Strangers. The film follows a mother of two who runs away from an abusive husband. Left to survive in the streets of New York, they find help in unexpected places. Tahar Rahim played Marc, the chef of a Russian restaurant. While he offers to help the woman and her two children, he soon discovers they are fated to meet to help each other’s lives. Rahim delivered yet another fantastic performance.
The Mauritanian (2021)
The BAFTA-nominated legal drama The Mauritanian (2021) is one of Tahar Rahim’s most popular movies of his career. He portrayed Mohamedou Ould Slahi, a Mauritanian citizen detained at Guantánamo Bay detention camp without charge. The film was based on Mohamedou Ould Slahi’s 2015 memoir Guantanamo Diary. The movie gave audiences an insight into what occurred in Guantánamo Bay detention camp after the September 11 attacks on American soil. Inspired by a true story, Mohamedou Ould Slahi stayed and was tortured at the detention camp from 2002 until his secured release in 2016. Tahar Rahim starred alongside Jodie Foster, Shailene Woodley, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Zachary Levi.
Extrapolations (2023)
In the Apple TV+ anthology drama series Extrapolations (2023), Tahar Rahim played Omar Haddad and the character’s grown-up son, Ezra Haddad. The series is set in a futuristic world affected by the dangers of climate change. Rahim’s character is introduced in episode 1 (“2037: A Raven Story”) as an Algerian representative at the COP42 conference in Tel Aviv, as well as the husband to a pregnant Rebecca Shearer (Sienna Miller). The character makes a brief appearance in episode 2 (“2046: Whale Fall”) before being implied that the character died in a storm years back. Rahim reappears in episode 6 (“2066: Lola”) as the grown-up version of his son, Omar Haddad.
Madame Web (2024)
Tahar Rahim is set to play the antagonist in the upcoming Sony’s Spider-Man Universe (SSU) film Madame Web (2024). He’ll portray the Marvel Comics character, Ezekiel Sims. He’ll star alongside Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney, Celeste O’Connor, and Isabela Merced. Madame Web will be one of two films Tahar Rahim is scheduled to appear in 2024.
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