“Go Fast”, “Point Blank”, “Natives”or “Pet”… There are countless successful films in which Roschdy Zem appeared. But like all actors, the 57-year-old actor had to start in the business. It is alongside a sacred monster of French cinema that the actor made his film debut, in a feature film by Josiane Balasko. “The cops”, a comedy released in 1987.
But connoisseurs of this film probably have no memory of the passage of Roschdy Zem. And, this, for a good reason mentioned by the actor himself. Indeed, guest in the show “Nice gesture”by Pierre Lescure, the one whose brother was sentenced to 15 years in prison, told a hilarious anecdote about this shoot.
“Your first screen appearance I believe was in ‘Les keufs’?”recalled Pierre Lescure before his guest confirmed and clarified: “Yeah by Josiane Balasko”. The journalist and ex-president of the Cannes Film Festival then asks him how this filming came about. And above all, how did he manage to land a role. “A casting, I correspond… so it really is an appearance. In addition a very bad appearance on my part”he admits.
Roschdy Zem remembers his “bad” appearance in a Josiane Balasko film
“Because as I wanted to be sure that I was seen, I always looked at the camera”reveals Roschdy Zem before making a hilarious observation: “And I think today, with hindsight, of Josiane Balasko who is on her editing table who must be saying to herself ‘what is this moron who is looking at the camera? Cut me this shot!'”
The 57-year-old actor is convinced of this : “Of course it must have happened because I was really like that and I was looking at her like ‘can you see me there?’ I wanted to be sure”. If some want to find the actor in Josiane Balakso’s film, you will have to have an eye. In fact we do not “hardly see”. “It’s a silhouette in the distance but it was the first time I set foot on a movie set”he specified.
RF