Who was Ahmed Benaissa? Algerian actor dies aged 78 just hours before 'Sons of Ramses' premiere at Cannes

Algerian actor Ahmed Benaissa recently passed away at the age of 78. He died a few hours before his film Son of Ramses premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.

The news was revealed by the Algerian Ministry of Culture. MK2 Films' official statement stated that the Cannes screening of Son of Ramses will be dedicated to Benaissa. The film’s director Clement Cogitore said:

“I am deeply saddened at the sudden passing of Ahmed Benaissa. The film would not exist without him and words can’t express our sorrow at premiering the film in Cannes today.”

Benaissa died from a long illness and further details related to his funeral are yet to be revealed.

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Journey of Ahmed Benaissa in the film industry

Shadia Abu and Ahmed Benaissa take the Golden Award for their movie Kharejun ann al-Qanon (Image via Louai Beshara/Getty Images)

Born on March 2, 1944, Benaissa was mostly known for his performances in films like Etoile aux dents ou Poulou le magnifique, Gates of the Sun, and Close Enemies.

Benaissa’s father was an activist who was arrested and imprisoned in Algeria and was released after Algerian Independence. Ahmed then shifted to Paris, France, and lived there for 18 years. He then received training at the National Theater School.

His debut film, Etoile aux dents ou Poulou le magnifique, was released in 1971 and was directed by Derri Berkani. The film was successful at the box office and Benaissa continued to appear in other films like Leila et les autres, Buamama and Le Clandestin.

He next appeared in the film L’Etranger de Camus and played the role of Haroun. Ahmed then performed and directed at the National Theater of Algiers and the Regional Theater of Oran. He won the prize for Best Direction for the film Nedjma in 2013. He was cast as Rida in Ramzi Ben Sliman’s first feature film, My Revolution, released in 2015.

His last film was Son of Ramses, where he played the role of Ramses, a skilled clairvoyant in the multicultural Parisian district of La Goutte d’Or. When a gang of fearless kids starts to terrorize the locals, the balance of his business and the whole neighborhood is disturbed, until one day he has a real vision.

Benaissa was also a popular face on television after he appeared in the 2019 drama series, Wlad Lahlal. It is considered to be one of the greatest Algerian drama series of all time and has pilled around 112 million viewers.

Ahmed’s net worth was estimated to be around $5 million and he accumulated a lot of it from his work in the entertainment industry. He is survived by his wife and two children, whose identities remain unknown for now.