Soufiane El Khalidy
- Actor
- Writer
- Director
=== Hollywood and International Acting Career===
Considered as one of the prodigies of Full Sail University, Soufiane El Khalidy has impressed the elite of film professionals with his quick ascension in the movie industry since his 2016 MFA graduation. From Hollywood productions to major international ones, Soufiane worked as an actor in three different continents, with some of the biggest stars in the world ( Anthony Hopkins, Lambert Wilson, LL. Cool J., Connor Trinneer, Karen Fukuhara, Benoit Magimel, Iddo Goldberg, Asser Yassine, to name a few) and also many respected film directors in the cinema realm such as, D.J. Caruso, Trevor White, Dan Liu, Antonin Baudry, Angelina Maccarone, Joe Sill and so on.
On the other hand, he received several nominations in international film festivals for his artistic efforts as a short film director and screenwriter. In fact, The legendary Michael Mann's Heat sound mixer, The Independence Day Oscar nominee and Dance With The Wolves Oscar winner , Bill W. Benton, was the mentor and instructor of Soufiane El Khalidy at Full Sail University. He described the young filmmaker and actor as a brilliant and rare talent with a bright future. In addition, Peter Gordon, the Managing Director of Gulf Channel (1994 - 2009 ), described Soufiane as creative, reliable and added that the young artist would have a long career in the entertainment business.
Aaron Weldon, the second unit Director of David Fincher ( Fight Club, Social Network, House of Cards) and head of Blur Studios on season 3 of Love, Death and Robots claimed after directing Soufiane on his first commercial that Soufiane always brought a sense of excitement and discovery to the process. Collaboration was of the utmost importance, and Soufiane always looked for ways to improve the project without distracting from it's intentions. Aaron Weldon looks forward to work with Soufiane again.
In 2024, Soufiane El Khalidy finished filming the new Netflix movie "Mary", directed by D.J Caruso and starring Anthony Hopkins. He also played next to Benoit Magimel on the upcoming 70 million dollars' French diptych "De Gaulle". Moreover, he incarnated the character of Kerem on the Paramount Plus mini-series, "Ghosts Of Beirut", and will also appear on the upcoming German movie, "Klandestin", next to the French icon, Lambert Wilson. Soon, he will start filming a new Italian movie called « Le Chemin du Retour » as a lead next to the Italian star, Sveva Alviti, mostly known for her portrayal of the legendary singer, Dalida, on the successful French movie of the same name, and Natalya on the new Netflix action movie, "AKA".
Moreover, He was the special agent Youssef on the highly popular Egyptian action TV series "The Eight" directed by Ahmed Medhat. This Tv series was premiered in June 2022 on the Arab World leading streaming service Shahid owned by the MBC group. On November 2021, he finished filming the new History Channel Tv Series, directed by Roel Reine, called "Colosseum", which took place during the Roman Empire. He played the young Centurion charged by the emperor to find the best gladiators around the world.
In 2020, Soufiane was filming the new installment of the German franchise "Zielfahnder 3", playing the role of the charismatic Commander of Moroccan Special Forces. He previously embodied the angel Redwan on the new science fiction film "Riley Parra: Better Angels", produced by Tello Films and based on the nominated Primetime Emmy television show of the same name. Soufiane El Khalidy worked with the famous Hollywood CGI artist, Aaron Weldon, for the commercial, "Heroic Girl", for "Al Anon" national US campaign against alcoholism, where he played the lead role of an alcoholic father.
Moreover, Soufiane played an inspiring Hip Hop artist on Brian Hooks dramady "Project Hollywood" starring Kobe Randolph and the music legends, Jay Z and Kanye West. On the other hand, Soufiane El Khalidy is also known for his physicality on action movies. In the Feature Film " Shockwave : Countdown to Disaster", he played the character of the young activist and a SWAT Officer on the Hollywood science fiction film "Stray" starring Karen Fukuhara (Suicide Squad), Takayo Fischer (Pirates of the Caribbean, Moneyball) and Christine Woods (Hello Ladies).
During his career, Soufiane El Khalidy appeared and worked in various music videos from famous L.A rockstars like Train, One Ok Rock, BRMC. He recently starred in the new music video " Tatooine/ Maintenance" by the French rapper , JXSH.
=== Soufiane El Khalidy, The Artist with Multiple Talents===
In November 2020, He signed with the French publishing house "Amalthée Editions" for the release of his first novel " Riffs Of A Moroccan Rebel " that will be released worldwide in 2022.
In 2018, He is listed by the Magazine MoodMag as one of the Top 5 movie talents born in Africa and Morocco, alongside international stars, Gad El Maleh and Said Taghmaoui. Next to the Grammy Award winner, Redone, Soufiane was ranked the 4th most popular Moroccan Artist in the world according to the Russian number #1 film Magazine, Kinopoisk. He was also called the multi-talented Moroccan in Hollywood by the national television 2m and the media outlets such as Yabiladi and 212.
Soufiane El Khalidy has also been present on the 8th season of "NCIS: L.A" as, Sayid Yratti. Furthermore, Soufiane is one of the major actors of the film "Gulag Magadan", produced by Celtic Films. Between 2016 and 2020, Soufiane has been involved in 60 international productions, including Hollywood movies, commercials, web series, music clips for rock legends (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Train, OK Rock) and television shows, both as an actor/ stuntman and member of the production departments. Following his recent successes, Soufiane was admitted as a member of the British's Equity Association (BAEA) . On the other hand, he has been invited to pass the Preliminary Auditions of the Actors Studio in New York in order to become a permanent member.
===Debut Years, 2015-2018===
Soufiane earned his Master Degree in Fine Arts and Film Production from the prestigious Full Sail University (Orlando, FL) in March 2016. An institution known for its alumni who have won several Oscars, Grammys, Golden Globes and other BAFTAs. Moreover, his first experimental short film, "Flags and Masks Down", and his horrific vampire and rock'n'roll scenario "JukeBox Zero", were both selected by 32 film festivals across the US and the rest of the world, including Los Angeles, New York, San Antonio, Miami, Orlando, Cleveland, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Brazil, Malta and Kenya.
In 2015, his film "Flags and Masks Down" had its premiere at the Mostras Amazonas de Cine in Brazil. In September 2015, he won the "Best Short Film" category for his outstanding performance as a director at the "Los Angeles InterShort Film Awards," as mentioned by the event director Ndimbime Msongole. In July 2016, his screenwriting skills on "JukeBox Zero" earned him a semi-finalist award at the Phoenix Film Festival in Melbourne, Australia. The same scenario was also nominated by the "US Hollywood Golden Film Festival" in its 2017 edition. His latest action thriller script "Just Like You Imagined" was nominated as a semi-finalist in Los Angeles Cinefest, in August 2017. In 2018, Soufiane received a new nomination at the 19 th edition of the "Chicago Horror film Festival", in the category best screenwriter.
As a producer, Soufiane received the semi-finalist award in the category "Best Producer" for his film "Flags and Masks Down" among 4000 contestants from 105 countries around the world at the International Open Film Festival. Soufiane is not only a promising new talent as a director, producer, writer and actor, his work as a production designer and art director on the film "Bad Taste" has also been hailed by film professionals, and helped this production sponsored by "Red Bull USA" to be present in many American and international festivals.
On the other hand, Soufiane was the first Moroccan to obtain the "Full Sail Global Achievement Scholarship" for his work in the fields of marketing, cinema, castings and production sets in Florida, Ouarzazate, Casablanca and Marrakech.
===Before Hollywood: Modelling, Business and Journalism===
In 2013, the general public in France and Morocco began to notice his work as an exclusive reporter for Fashion Morocco and its partner, the international model agency, Elite Model Look Morocco, for 3 consecutive years. Furthermore, he was the voice of ads for radio stations, an actor of commercials, and an editor for national magazines (Fashion Morocco, Tjeune, Snobbish, Artisthick). In addition to his long experience on film sets, design, modeling and production design, Soufiane earned a Bachelor's degree in Business from Al Akhawayn University, Morocco. Finally, he was also assistant manager of the French company company based in Casablanca, called Agence N, and the producer, Dino Sebti, at Sigma.
===Early Life in Morocco and France===
Soufiane El Khalidy was born in Agadir, Morocco, July 22nd 1987, He is the eldest son of Malika and Larbi El Khalidy, general practitioner and ex-lieutenant in the Moroccan Army during the late 80's and early 90's. During his teens, Soufiane studied at Lycée Français d'Agadir. Fascinated by the imagery of Stanley Kubrick but also by Tom Cruise and Steve Mcqueen's stunts, he practiced many sports including taekwondo, surfing, English football and basketball. At the Age of 8, He discovered his passion for theatre thanks to his French teacher, monsieur Brick, at L'Alliance Française d'Agadir, studying most of the European greats while performing in several regional events both in French and Arabic. Soufiane is also related to the 70s Moroccan football star Brahim Hmid aka Bomba.
Considered as one of the prodigies of Full Sail University, Soufiane El Khalidy has impressed the elite of film professionals with his quick ascension in the movie industry since his 2016 MFA graduation. From Hollywood productions to major international ones, Soufiane worked as an actor in three different continents, with some of the biggest stars in the world ( Anthony Hopkins, Lambert Wilson, LL. Cool J., Connor Trinneer, Karen Fukuhara, Benoit Magimel, Iddo Goldberg, Asser Yassine, to name a few) and also many respected film directors in the cinema realm such as, D.J. Caruso, Trevor White, Dan Liu, Antonin Baudry, Angelina Maccarone, Joe Sill and so on.
On the other hand, he received several nominations in international film festivals for his artistic efforts as a short film director and screenwriter. In fact, The legendary Michael Mann's Heat sound mixer, The Independence Day Oscar nominee and Dance With The Wolves Oscar winner , Bill W. Benton, was the mentor and instructor of Soufiane El Khalidy at Full Sail University. He described the young filmmaker and actor as a brilliant and rare talent with a bright future. In addition, Peter Gordon, the Managing Director of Gulf Channel (1994 - 2009 ), described Soufiane as creative, reliable and added that the young artist would have a long career in the entertainment business.
Aaron Weldon, the second unit Director of David Fincher ( Fight Club, Social Network, House of Cards) and head of Blur Studios on season 3 of Love, Death and Robots claimed after directing Soufiane on his first commercial that Soufiane always brought a sense of excitement and discovery to the process. Collaboration was of the utmost importance, and Soufiane always looked for ways to improve the project without distracting from it's intentions. Aaron Weldon looks forward to work with Soufiane again.
In 2024, Soufiane El Khalidy finished filming the new Netflix movie "Mary", directed by D.J Caruso and starring Anthony Hopkins. He also played next to Benoit Magimel on the upcoming 70 million dollars' French diptych "De Gaulle". Moreover, he incarnated the character of Kerem on the Paramount Plus mini-series, "Ghosts Of Beirut", and will also appear on the upcoming German movie, "Klandestin", next to the French icon, Lambert Wilson. Soon, he will start filming a new Italian movie called « Le Chemin du Retour » as a lead next to the Italian star, Sveva Alviti, mostly known for her portrayal of the legendary singer, Dalida, on the successful French movie of the same name, and Natalya on the new Netflix action movie, "AKA".
Moreover, He was the special agent Youssef on the highly popular Egyptian action TV series "The Eight" directed by Ahmed Medhat. This Tv series was premiered in June 2022 on the Arab World leading streaming service Shahid owned by the MBC group. On November 2021, he finished filming the new History Channel Tv Series, directed by Roel Reine, called "Colosseum", which took place during the Roman Empire. He played the young Centurion charged by the emperor to find the best gladiators around the world.
In 2020, Soufiane was filming the new installment of the German franchise "Zielfahnder 3", playing the role of the charismatic Commander of Moroccan Special Forces. He previously embodied the angel Redwan on the new science fiction film "Riley Parra: Better Angels", produced by Tello Films and based on the nominated Primetime Emmy television show of the same name. Soufiane El Khalidy worked with the famous Hollywood CGI artist, Aaron Weldon, for the commercial, "Heroic Girl", for "Al Anon" national US campaign against alcoholism, where he played the lead role of an alcoholic father.
Moreover, Soufiane played an inspiring Hip Hop artist on Brian Hooks dramady "Project Hollywood" starring Kobe Randolph and the music legends, Jay Z and Kanye West. On the other hand, Soufiane El Khalidy is also known for his physicality on action movies. In the Feature Film " Shockwave : Countdown to Disaster", he played the character of the young activist and a SWAT Officer on the Hollywood science fiction film "Stray" starring Karen Fukuhara (Suicide Squad), Takayo Fischer (Pirates of the Caribbean, Moneyball) and Christine Woods (Hello Ladies).
During his career, Soufiane El Khalidy appeared and worked in various music videos from famous L.A rockstars like Train, One Ok Rock, BRMC. He recently starred in the new music video " Tatooine/ Maintenance" by the French rapper , JXSH.
=== Soufiane El Khalidy, The Artist with Multiple Talents===
In November 2020, He signed with the French publishing house "Amalthée Editions" for the release of his first novel " Riffs Of A Moroccan Rebel " that will be released worldwide in 2022.
In 2018, He is listed by the Magazine MoodMag as one of the Top 5 movie talents born in Africa and Morocco, alongside international stars, Gad El Maleh and Said Taghmaoui. Next to the Grammy Award winner, Redone, Soufiane was ranked the 4th most popular Moroccan Artist in the world according to the Russian number #1 film Magazine, Kinopoisk. He was also called the multi-talented Moroccan in Hollywood by the national television 2m and the media outlets such as Yabiladi and 212.
Soufiane El Khalidy has also been present on the 8th season of "NCIS: L.A" as, Sayid Yratti. Furthermore, Soufiane is one of the major actors of the film "Gulag Magadan", produced by Celtic Films. Between 2016 and 2020, Soufiane has been involved in 60 international productions, including Hollywood movies, commercials, web series, music clips for rock legends (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Train, OK Rock) and television shows, both as an actor/ stuntman and member of the production departments. Following his recent successes, Soufiane was admitted as a member of the British's Equity Association (BAEA) . On the other hand, he has been invited to pass the Preliminary Auditions of the Actors Studio in New York in order to become a permanent member.
===Debut Years, 2015-2018===
Soufiane earned his Master Degree in Fine Arts and Film Production from the prestigious Full Sail University (Orlando, FL) in March 2016. An institution known for its alumni who have won several Oscars, Grammys, Golden Globes and other BAFTAs. Moreover, his first experimental short film, "Flags and Masks Down", and his horrific vampire and rock'n'roll scenario "JukeBox Zero", were both selected by 32 film festivals across the US and the rest of the world, including Los Angeles, New York, San Antonio, Miami, Orlando, Cleveland, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Brazil, Malta and Kenya.
In 2015, his film "Flags and Masks Down" had its premiere at the Mostras Amazonas de Cine in Brazil. In September 2015, he won the "Best Short Film" category for his outstanding performance as a director at the "Los Angeles InterShort Film Awards," as mentioned by the event director Ndimbime Msongole. In July 2016, his screenwriting skills on "JukeBox Zero" earned him a semi-finalist award at the Phoenix Film Festival in Melbourne, Australia. The same scenario was also nominated by the "US Hollywood Golden Film Festival" in its 2017 edition. His latest action thriller script "Just Like You Imagined" was nominated as a semi-finalist in Los Angeles Cinefest, in August 2017. In 2018, Soufiane received a new nomination at the 19 th edition of the "Chicago Horror film Festival", in the category best screenwriter.
As a producer, Soufiane received the semi-finalist award in the category "Best Producer" for his film "Flags and Masks Down" among 4000 contestants from 105 countries around the world at the International Open Film Festival. Soufiane is not only a promising new talent as a director, producer, writer and actor, his work as a production designer and art director on the film "Bad Taste" has also been hailed by film professionals, and helped this production sponsored by "Red Bull USA" to be present in many American and international festivals.
On the other hand, Soufiane was the first Moroccan to obtain the "Full Sail Global Achievement Scholarship" for his work in the fields of marketing, cinema, castings and production sets in Florida, Ouarzazate, Casablanca and Marrakech.
===Before Hollywood: Modelling, Business and Journalism===
In 2013, the general public in France and Morocco began to notice his work as an exclusive reporter for Fashion Morocco and its partner, the international model agency, Elite Model Look Morocco, for 3 consecutive years. Furthermore, he was the voice of ads for radio stations, an actor of commercials, and an editor for national magazines (Fashion Morocco, Tjeune, Snobbish, Artisthick). In addition to his long experience on film sets, design, modeling and production design, Soufiane earned a Bachelor's degree in Business from Al Akhawayn University, Morocco. Finally, he was also assistant manager of the French company company based in Casablanca, called Agence N, and the producer, Dino Sebti, at Sigma.
===Early Life in Morocco and France===
Soufiane El Khalidy was born in Agadir, Morocco, July 22nd 1987, He is the eldest son of Malika and Larbi El Khalidy, general practitioner and ex-lieutenant in the Moroccan Army during the late 80's and early 90's. During his teens, Soufiane studied at Lycée Français d'Agadir. Fascinated by the imagery of Stanley Kubrick but also by Tom Cruise and Steve Mcqueen's stunts, he practiced many sports including taekwondo, surfing, English football and basketball. At the Age of 8, He discovered his passion for theatre thanks to his French teacher, monsieur Brick, at L'Alliance Française d'Agadir, studying most of the European greats while performing in several regional events both in French and Arabic. Soufiane is also related to the 70s Moroccan football star Brahim Hmid aka Bomba.