Omar Sy, the French actor who had us swooning with his incredible performance as Lupin in the hit Netflix series of the same name, is officially on our list of favourites.
With that charming smile and delicious accent that robbed not just the Louvre, but our hearts too, Omar is the talk of the town for all the right reasons.
Everything about this 43-year-old actor’s journey is commendable. Born fourth to eight children in France, his parents are both immigrants from West Africa. His mother worked as a house-cleaner, while his father worked in a factory. For most of his childhood, he was raised in low-income suburban housing projects.
The actor began his career back in high school in 1996 as a comedian on a radio show. This gave way for a successful comedy career alongside his fellow French comedian and actor Fred Testot – the two did a variety of sketches together and rose to fame. In 2000s he gained nationwide recognition with his work in movies like Nos jours heureux and Tellement proches.
However, it was in his role in The Intouchables in 2011, the French film in which he played a caregiver to a wealthy man with quadriplegia, which won him a César Award (the French equivalent of an Oscar) and international recognition. Post this success, he became a part of blockbuster franchises like X-Men: Days of Future Past and Jurassic World, where he shared screen with Irrfan Khan. He also starred alongside Tom Hanks in Inferno and Harrison Ford in The Call of the Wild.
In 2007, Omar tied the knot with Helene Sy, his girlfriend of nearly a decade. The couple, who have now been together for almost 24 years, have five children together. Helena is the president of the CéKeDuBonheur association, a non-profit that aims to improve the life of hospitalised children and their families. The couple is also big on philanthropy and travel across the world to refugee camps in order to help those in need. Especially since the French-Senegalese actor is reportedly worth $5million as of 2021.
The two are absolutely adorable together and never shy away from posting about each other on Instagram.
Lupin seems to be just the start of something amazing for Omar. And as we await the second season of this brilliant show, set to release in summer 2021, we hope to see more of this actor on-screen.