Gad Elmaleh

Elmaleh was born and raised in Casablanca to a Moroccan Sephardic Jewish family.{{Cite web |last=Driss |first=Leïla |date=26 June 2024 |title=Gad Elmaleh: «Je suis né au Maroc, je l'assume à 1000%. Je suis juif, je l'assume à 1000%» |trans-title=Gad Elmaleh: "I was born in Morocco, I accept it 1000%. I am Jewish, I accept it 1000%" |url=https://fr.le360.ma/people/gad-elmaleh-je-suis-ne-au-maroc-je-lassume-a-1000-je-suis-juif-je-lassume-a-1000_5J6ZEFIGEFDRHDZLSKG7QRCPMQ/ |website=Le360 |quote=Gad Elmaleh revient dans cet entretien sur ses croyances et sa pratique de la religion (...) il y a des chants arabes, parce qu’on est séfarades. |trans-quote=In this interview, Gad Elmaleh discusses his beliefs and his practice of religion (...) there are Arabic songs, because we are Sephardic.}} And was brought up in a culturally diverse environment, speaking Moroccan Arabic and French.{{cite web|title=Gad Elmaleh – Pandering to America Like a Presidential Candidate|url=http://www.cc.com/video-clips/ewd74j/the-daily-show-with-trevor-noah-gad-elmaleh---pandering-to-america-like-a-presidential-candidate|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160129070121/http://www.cc.com/video-clips/ewd74j/the-daily-show-with-trevor-noah-gad-elmaleh---pandering-to-america-like-a-presidential-candidate|url-status=dead|archive-date=29 January 2016|website=The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (video)|date=26 January 2016 |publisher=Comedy Central|access-date=24 December 2017}}{{cite web|last1=Henderson|first1=Danielle|title=How This French Comedian Is Living the American Dream|url=http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/a52947/gad-elmaleh-oh-my-gad-carnegie-hall/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170208200452/http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/a52947/gad-elmaleh-oh-my-gad-carnegie-hall/|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 February 2017|website=Esquire|access-date=24 December 2017}} As a child he would introduce his father, a mime, with a placard.{{cite magazine|last1=Collins|first1=Lauren|title=Comédie française|url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/10/26/comedie-francaise|access-date=29 May 2017|magazine=New Yorker|date=26 October 2015}} His brother, Arié, is an actor and singer, and his sister, Judith, is an actress and stage director.

He studied at École Maïmonide, and Lycée Lyautey{{cite web|title=Biographie de Gad Elmaleh|url=http://www.linternaute.com/cinema/gad-elmaleh/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170217103148/http://www.linternaute.com/cinema/gad-elmaleh/|url-status=dead|archive-date=17 February 2017|website=L'internaute|access-date=24 December 2017}} in Casablanca. His family emigrated from Morocco to Canada when Elmaleh was 17. He later studied political science at a university in Montreal (it is unclear whether at the University of Montreal or McGill University, as both institutions' records reflect his attendance) for four years but did not graduate. In 1992, Elmaleh moved to Paris to study drama at Cours Florent under the tutelage of Isabelle Nanty.{{cite news|last1=Brownstein|first1=Bill|title=Just for Laughs: Gad Elmaleh happy to start from scratch in English|url=https://montrealgazette.com/entertainment/just-for-laughs-gad-elmaleh-happy-to-start-from-scratch-in-english|access-date=29 May 2017|newspaper=Montreal Gazette|date=22 June 2016}}

File:Olympia Paris dsc00803.jpg]]

Elmaleh's first one-man show Décalages, performed at the "Palais des glaces" in 1997, was autobiographical.{{cite news|last1=Bigo|first1=Camille|title=Gad Elmaleh partage une photo de jeunesse, clin d'oeil au Festival Juste pour rire|url=http://www.huffpostmaghreb.com/2017/05/05/gad-elmaleh-photo-jeunesse-montreal_n_16427816.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170823071500/http://www.huffpostmaghreb.com/2017/05/05/gad-elmaleh-photo-jeunesse-montreal_n_16427816.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=23 August 2017|access-date=30 May 2017|work=HuffPost|date=5 May 2017}} In the show he retraces his journey beginning with his departure from Morocco after high school, continuing with his studies in Montreal and finishing in France where he studied drama at Cours Florent. His fame further increased with the success of his second one-man show, La Vie Normale which was his first time performing at the Olympia as well his first show of more than two hours.{{cite news|last1=Z|first1=O|title=La Vie Normale Gad Elmaleh|url=http://www.lemonde.fr/vous/article/2006/04/15/gad-elmaleh-la-vie-normale_761994_3238.html|newspaper=Le Monde.fr|date=15 April 2006|access-date=24 December 2017}} The show was released on DVD on 23 January 2001.

In contrast to his first two one-man shows, his L'autre c'est moi (2005) contains more improvisation and interaction with the public. He has been credited with bringing the American stand-up style to France and using it in his one-man shows. He came back to the stage with L'autre, c'est moi in September 2006 in Canada (Montreal) and in the U.S. (on Broadway, at the Beacon Theatre in front of 3000 spectators); it was performed also in Casablanca, Morocco. Between April and August 2007 he played his successful show in France, Belgium, and Switzerland. The show attracted over 300,000 spectators. The show was later released on DVD and sold 1,500,000 copies.

On 6 January 2007, he was voted the "funniest man of the year" by TF1 viewers from a choice of 50 comedians. On 15 July 2007, Elmaleh premiered his fifth one-man show, Papa est en haut, in Montreal as part of the Just for Laughs festival. That year he sold out seven consecutive weeks at the iconic Olympia theatre in Paris, a new record.{{cite magazine|last1=Blasberg|first1=Derek|title=Happy Hour with Gad Elmaleh, the French-Moroccan Jerry Seinfeld|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/08/gad-elmaleh-french-moroccan-comedian|access-date=29 May 2017|magazine=Vanity Fair|date=29 May 2017}} After that he performed for another seven sold-out weeks at Le Palais des Sports. In total, one million tickets were sold to this show.

In 2013, he appeared on Jerry Seinfeld's Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.{{cite news|last1=Cazjowski|first1=Elise|title=Gad Elmaleh: Talking Funny in French and English|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/05/arts/international/gad-elmaleh-talking-funny-in-french-and-english.html|access-date=29 May 2017|newspaper=New York Times|date=4 December 2015}}

His sixth standup show was Sans Tambour (Drumless, "sans tambour ni trompette" (bugleless) = meaning making a big entrance unannounced).

In 2016, he appeared with Kev Adams in the M6 comedy special Tout est Possible. During the show, the two comedians performed a 10-minute sketch where they played Chinese men, which later received criticism for its racial portrayals.{{cite news|last1=Assouline|first1=Gary|title=Gad Elmaleh re-launches controversy after W9 re-airs Chinese sketch with Kev Adams|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.fr/2018/04/20/gad-elmaleh-relance-la-polemique-apres-la-rediffusion-sur-w9-dun-sketch-avec-kev-adams-sur-les-chinois_a_23416061/|work=Huffington Post|date=20 April 2018|language=fr}}

Elmaleh has performed in a mix of French and Arabic in Morocco and included some Hebrew in shows in Israel. Elmaleh is often called the "Seinfeld of France," a label he called "flattering"{{cite news|title='Oh my Gad!' French comedian Gad Elmaleh on his American dream|agency=France 24 English|publisher=YouTube|date=26 July 2016}} and understandable, given that both he and Seinfeld are inspired to do comedy based on "everyday life." Both comedians are friends.

File:Gad Elmaleh Deauville 2010.jpg in 2010]]

In 2015 Elmaleh began an American tour entitled "Oh My Gad" and moved to New York City. He first appeared in Joe's Pub in December following multiple workout shows in the fall. While Elmaleh speaks English fluently, he works with an English teacher to write his jokes while appreciating the nuances of the English language. One difference between his French shows and his English shows is that his English shows include no riffing, everything is scripted. In September 2016, an episode of This American Life highlighting challenging transitions included a segment about Elmaleh and his transition to American comedy.{{cite web|title=Act One: Je Suis Ici Toute La Semaine.| date=9 September 2016 |url=https://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/596/becoming-a-badger?act=1|publisher=This American Life}}

On a 15 December 2016 episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Elmaleh appeared as the show's stand-up act.

Elmaleh's French stand-up special Gad Gone Wild was filmed in Montreal, Canada, and was released on Netflix on 24 January 2017. An English language special was released in March 2018.{{cite magazine|last1=Tartaglione|first1=Nancy|title=Gad Elmaleh's 'Gad Gone Wild' Goes To Netflix; English Comedy Special On Deck|url=https://deadline.com/2016/11/gad-elmaleh-netflix-comedy-special-1201855379/|access-date=30 May 2017|magazine=Deadline|date=16 November 2016}}

Elmaleh's first contact with cinema was the full-length film, Salut cousin ! by Merzak Allouache. He later appeared in L'homme est une femme comme les autres and Train de Vie. In 2000 he played the role of "Dov", the seducer in La Vérité si je mens ! 2. The character of "Chouchou" in La Vie Normale was reproduced in the comedy Chouchou (2002), directed by Merzak Allouache and also starring Alain Chabat; the film drew large audiences.{{Citation needed|date=March 2009}}. He then did his debut as a singer in "it's kiz my life", a popular song in a non-existing language. The music video was directed by J.G Biggs and shot in the famous Parisian Hôtel Costes.

File:Gad elmaleh.jpg

He returned to film in 2004 when he starred in the 2004 film Olé! with Gérard Depardieu. In 2005, he starred as François Pignon in La Doublure (English title "The Valet"), by Francis Veber. In 2006, he appeared opposite Audrey Tautou in Priceless (French title "Hors de prix"), by Pierre Salvadori.

He played the voice of Barry B. Benson in the French version of the 2007 film Bee Movie, Drôle d'Abeille.{{cite web |last= Ivry |first= Benjamin |title= Gadding About |url= http://www.forward.com/articles/106662/ |date= 27 May 2009 |work= Jewish Daily Forward |access-date=3 June 2009 }} There he met Jerry Seinfeld and became friends with him.

In 2009, he released the film, Coco, which he directed, wrote and starred in. It opened number one in France, Belgium and Switzerland. In 2010 he appeared in a dramatic role in Roselyne Bosch's The Round Up, which is based on the events surrounding the Vel' d'Hiv Roundup.

In 2011, he had a small role in Woody Allen's Paris-set feature, Midnight in Paris.[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/world/news/e3id62c14caef9dce16a428a8adcb7356ab French comedians added to Woody Allen cast] Hollywood Reporter. 13 July 2010 He also appeared in the motion capture film The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn, alongside Jamie Bell. The film, which was directed by Steven Spielberg and produced by Peter Jackson, was released on 26 October 2011 in Belgium and on 23 December 2011 in the United States. The same year, he also starred in Jack & Jill as Al Pacino's French cook. In 2012, he had a small role in The Dictator. In 2019 he has a Netflix series, Huge in France, exposing him to a wider American audience. The satiric series includes a cameo by Jerry Seinfeld.

On 28 January 2019, the anonymous YouTube channel CopyComic released a video showing various stand-up comedians performing several years prior to many of Gad Elmaleh's performances, showing similarities that the YouTube channel described as plagiarism. Elmaleh sued the YouTube channel and asked for the videos to be removed from the website, on copyright infringement grounds.{{cite news|title=Gad Elmaleh, de lancinantes accusations de plagiat|url=https://www.lexpress.fr/culture/art/l-accusation-de-plagiat-visant-gad-elmaleh-fait-des-remous_2060312.html|access-date=6 May 2019|newspaper=L'Express|date=1 February 2019}}{{cite news|title=Accusé de plagiat, Gad Elmaleh ne rigole plus|url=https://www.nouvelobs.com/culture/20190220.OBS0588/accuse-de-plagiat-gad-elmaleh-ne-rigole-plus.html|access-date=6 May 2019|newspaper=L'OBS|date=20 February 2019}} On 24 September 2019, Elmaleh admitted to have taken inspiration from other artists in some cases, although minimising the proportion of it in his works:

"We hear things and it infuses you. (...) In what is said to be plagiarism, there is what is fashionable, what we really take, and also the joke that runs, a little easy, that does not belong to anyone".[https://www.journaldugeek.com/2019/09/26/gad-elmaleh-plagiat-americains/amp/ « Gad Elmaleh reconnaît s'être inspiré d'humoristes américains »], Le Journal du geek.com, 26 September 2019.[https://www.20minutes.fr/arts-stars/culture/2612663-20190925-accusations-plagiat-gad-elmaleh-reconnait-partie-vrai « Accusations de plagiat : Gad Elmaleh reconnaît une "partie de vrai" »], 20 minutes.fr avec AFP, 25 September 2019.

Elmaleh lived with French actress Anne Brochet from 1998 to 2002. They have one son, Noé, together.{{cite news|title=Who Is Gad Elmaleh?|url=http://www.letintinmovie.com/tintin-movie-who-is-gad-elmaleh|date=19 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090304043301/http://www.letintinmovie.com/tintin-movie-who-is-gad-elmaleh | archive-date= 4 March 2009|url-status=dead }} The story of their relationship and break-up was told in Brochet's book Trajet d'une amoureuse éconduite.

From 2009 to 2010, he had a relationship with French journalist Marie Drucker.{{cn|date=January 2025}}

He was in a relationship with Charlotte Casiraghi from December 2011 until June 2015.{{cite web|url=http://www.people.com/people/package/article/0,,20395222_21006201,00.html|title=Gad Elmaleh Confirms Split from Charlotte Casiraghi|date=12 May 2016}} Their son, Raphaël, was born on 17 December 2013.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20723526,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130809001357/http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20723526,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=9 August 2013|title=Charlotte Casiraghi Is Engaged and Expecting|date=6 August 2013|author=Peter Mikelbank, Paul Chi|magazine=People|access-date=7 August 2013}}{{cite web|url=http://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/2013080513953/charlotte-casiraghi-bump-holiday-italy/|title=Charlotte Casiraghi seen shopping for baby clothes|date=5 August 2013|publisher=Hello! Magazine|access-date=7 August 2013}}{{cite web|url=http://www.leparisien.fr/laparisienne/familles-royales/monaco-charlotte-casiraghi-et-gad-elmaleh-parents-d-un-petit-garcon-18-12-2013-3420051.php|title=Monaco : Charlotte Casiraghi et Gad Elmaleh prénomment leur fils Raphaël|date=18 December 2013 }}

It was reported that he converted to Catholicism in 2022.{{cite news|title=Gad Elmaleh, popular comedian who has been source of pride for French Jews, converts to Catholicism|first=Cnaan|last=Liphshiz|newspaper=Jewish Telegraphic Agency|date=8 November 2022|url=https://www.jta.org/2022/11/08/global/gad-elmaleh-popular-comedian-who-has-been-source-of-pride-for-french-jews-converts-to-catholicism}} However, he denied actually converting in 2023.{{cite news|title=Gad Elmaleh laughs at himself and his movie 'Stay with Us'|first=Hannah|last=Brown|newspaper=Jerusalem Post|date=24 March 2023|url= https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/culture/article-735262}}

In 2004, Elmaleh received an award for the best one man show from SACEM in France. In 2006 he received a Crystal Globes Award. by the French Press Association, for best one man show for La Vie Normale.

In 2006 Elmaleh was awarded the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Minister of Culture Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres.{{cite magazine|title=Gad Elmaleh chevalier des Arts et Lettres|url=http://o.nouvelobs.com/people/20060323.OBS1478/gad-elmaleh-chevalier-des-arts-et-lettres.html|access-date=29 May 2017|magazine=L'Obs|date=23 March 2006}}

He was made a Member of the National Order of Quebec by Quebec premier Philippe Couillard in 2017.{{cite news|title=Gad Elmaleh et Philippe Couillard boivent de l'eau... et changent d'accent (VIDÉO)|url=http://quebec.huffingtonpost.ca/2017/05/16/gad-elmaleh-insigne-chevalier-ordre-national-quebec_n_16646620.html|access-date=30 May 2017|work=HuffPost|date=16 May 2017}}

• Les soeurs d'Hamlet (1996), plays the role of Hamlet
• XXL (1997) with Catherine Jacob, Michel Boujenah, Gérard Depardieu
• Hi Cousin (1997), plays the role of Allilou
• Vive la République ! (1997)
• Man Is a Woman (1998) with Antoine de Caunes, Elsa Zylberstein
• Train of Life (1998) with Lionel Abelanski, Rufus
• On fait comme on a dit (1999)
• Deuxième vie (2000), plays the role of Lionel
• Dr. Dolittle 2 (2000), French voice of Archie
• Les Gens en maillot de bain ne sont pas (forcément) superficiels (2001), plays the role of Jimmy
• La Vérité si je mens ! 2 (2001) with Richard Anconina, José Garcia, Bruno Solo, Gilbert Melki
• A+ Pollux (2002) with Cécile de France
• Chouchou (2003) with Alain Chabat, also screenwriter as Chouchou
• Les 11 commandements (2004) with Michaël Youn as himself
• Ole! with Gérard Depardieu (2005)
• The Valet with Alice Taglioni, Daniel Auteuil, Dany Boon, Virginie Ledoyen, Kristin Scott Thomas (2005)
• Priceless (2006) with Audrey Tautou
• Comme ton père (2007) with Richard Berry
• Bee Movie (2007), French voice of Barry B. Benson
• Coco (2009), also director and screenwriter
• Despicable Me (2010), French voice of Gru
• The Round Up (2010) with Mélanie Laurent, Jean Reno
• Midnight in Paris (2011)
• A Monster in Paris (2011), French and original voice of Raoul
• The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn (2011){{cite news|author=Jay A. Fernandez, Borys Kit |title=Daniel Craig to star in "Tintin" |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=27 January 2009 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ic323ae8a6486e91c8f3aab35cbff3722 |access-date=27 January 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090131161003/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ic323ae8a6486e91c8f3aab35cbff3722 |archive-date=31 January 2009 }} as Omar Ben Salaad
• Jack & Jill (2011), cameo as Chef Xavier
• Happiness Never Comes Alone (2012)
• Capital (2012) with Gabriel Byrne
• The Dream Team (2012) with José Garcia, Jean-Pierre Marielle, Joey Starr
• The Dictator (2012), cameo as a Wadiyan protestor
• Mood Indigo (2013) as Chick
• Despicable Me 2 (2013), French voice of Gru
• The Midnight Orchestra, (2014)
• Minions (2015), French voice of Gru (young)
• Pattaya, (2016)
• Welcome to America (Short), (2017)
• Loue-moi!, (2017)
• Despicable Me 3 (2017), French voice of Gru
• Huge in France (2019), TV series by Netflix
• Flashback (2021)
• Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022), French voice of Gru (young)
• Despicable Me 4 (2024), French voice of Gru

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{{Commons category|Gad Elmaleh}}

• {{IMDb name|255362}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20150722041534/http://www.quoteszing.com/quotes/author/gad-elmaleh/ Gad Elmaleh Quotes]

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