Malik Frikah

Malik Frikah
Born2006 (age 18–19)[1][2]
Alès, France
Occupations
  • Actor
  • breakdancer
Years active2021–present

Malik Frikah (born 2006) is a French actor and professional breakdancer.[3][4][5] Frikah started competing in breakdancing championships as a child, becoming World Champion at the age of 10 in the Under-12 category at the 2017 Toulouse Battle Pro. He started acting in small parts in 2021 and had a starring role in the romantic drama Beating Hearts (2024).

Early life

Frikah was born in 2006[1] in Alès, in the Occitania region in Southern France.[5] His father is Jawad Frikah, a Hip hop dancer who is the founder, teacher and director of the dance school All'Style in Alès.[6][7] His mother is also a dance teacher.[1]

Following in his father's footsteps, Frikah began breakdancing at the age of 3,[1] having his father as his coach.[8]

Career

Dancing

Frikah started competing in breakdancing championships as a child. At the age of 8, he participated in the 2015 Chelles Battle Pro national battle in Paris in the Under-12 category.[9][10] In March 2017, at the age of 10, Frikah became the World Champion in breakdancing in the Under-12 category at the Toulouse Battle Pro after winning all the regional and national phases, becoming the second French dancer to win the World title.[11][12]

In 2018, Frikah won the 1on1 Kids category at the LCB Battle 2018 in Liège, Belgium.[13]

Acting

Frikah started acting when his mother suggested he should work as an extra in a local film shoot.[1] He enjoyed that experience and decided he wanted to be an actor. He quit school and dancing to concentrate on his acting career.[1] His mother left her job to support his dream and accompanied him to auditions.[1]

In 2021, Frikah had a small role in the first episode of season 13 of the television series Camping Paradis, broadcast by TF1.[14]

He made his film debut in Frank Bellocq's romantic comedy Stuck with You (2022),[15] and had small parts in films such as Romain Quirot's action thriller Apaches: Gang of Paris (2023),[16] and Pierre-François Martin-Laval's adventure comedy Jeff Panacloc: In Pursuit of Jean-Marc (2023).[17]

In 2024, Frikah starred in Gilles Lellouche's romantic drama Beating Hearts as Clotaire, the teenage version of François Civil's character.[18]

Filmography

Year Title Role
2022 Stuck with You Cousin 1
2023 Apaches: Gang of Paris Ficelle
Jeff Panacloc: In Pursuit of Jean-Marc Lucas (12 years old)
2024 Beating Hearts Clotaire (17 years old)

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2021 Camping Paradis Ado 2 TV series; episode "Un cirque au paradis"[14]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Malik Frikah, invité de "Nouvelles têtes"" (in French). France Inter. 14 October 2024 – via YouTube.
  2. ^ Haddad, Yohan (19 October 2024). "Malik Frikah, le jeune acteur qui illumine "L'Amour ouf"". Télérama (in French). À seulement 18 ans, Malik Frikah entre dans le cinéma français par la grande porte. [At only 18 years old, Malik Frikah enters French cinema through the main door.]
  3. ^ "Malik Frikah". Première (in French). Retrieved 22 September 2024.
  4. ^ "Malik Frikah". Unifrance. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  5. ^ a b Valat, Louis (28 May 2024). "GARD Un acteur alésien monte les marches à Cannes". Objectif Gard (in French).
  6. ^ "Un Alésien sur les Marches du Festival de Cannes" (PDF). Alès Agglomération (in French). 3 June 2024. p. 11.
  7. ^ Rigo, Amélie (16 July 2021). "Alès : danse, culture et social, le hip-hop dans la peau". Midi Libre (in French).
  8. ^ Rivier, François (18 February 2015). "Alès : Malik va danser en finale nationale à 8 ans". Midi Libre (in French).
  9. ^ Barbot, Delphine (17 February 2015). "Lunel : Malik, 8 ans, participe au Battle national à Paris". Midi Libre (in French). Archived from the original on 14 September 2024. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  10. ^ Rivier, François (25 February 2015). "Alès : la machine s'est grippée pour Malik". Midi Libre (in French).
  11. ^ "À L'Honneur" (PDF). Alès Agglomération (in French). 3 April 2017. p. 21.
  12. ^ "Reportage M6 le Hip Hop Malik 10 ans champion du monde 2K17". YouTube (in French). 23 June 2019. Archived from the original on 2 October 2024. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  13. ^ "Gustas vs Malik | FINAL KIDS | LCB Battle 2018". YouTube. 7 December 2018.
  14. ^ a b "Camping Paradis | Saison 2021 - Un cirque au Paradis (Partie 2)". TF1 (in French). Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  15. ^ "Happy Nous Year (2022) un film de Frank Bellocq". Télérama Vodkaster (in French). Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  16. ^ "Apaches - Gang of Paris". Crew United. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  17. ^ "Jeff Panacloc : À la poursuite de Jean-Marc". TV Magazine (in French). Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  18. ^ Grierson, Tim (23 May 2024). "'Beating Hearts': Cannes Review". Screen International.