Omar Sy

Creator Context

Summary

French actor, comedian and producer whose career spans the Omar et Fred comedy duo, Intouchables, Samba, Chocolat, Jurassic World, X-Men: Days of Future Past, Inferno, Tirailleurs and major television work. Sy has repeatedly discussed racism, class inequality and the under-recognition of black people in France, and his creative and producing choices have helped place a Black, working-class French protagonist at the center of internationally visible entertainment. He joined a Black Lives Matter protest, publicly supported the campaign for accountability over Adama Traoré’s death in police custody, wrote against police violence, urged voters to block Marine Le Pen in 2017, and has recently warned about the rise of the far right and the difficulty of being black in France. He also supports charitable work for hospitalized children. Although he has often said he prefers telling stories to acting as a full-time political activist, his recurring public engagement with racism, social cohesion, inequality and multicultural representation supports a sustained representation-focused and socially progressive profile.