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Robert Castel

Known For
Acting

Known Credits
50

Gender
Male

Birthday
May 21, 1933 (93 years old)

Place of Birth
Bab El-Oued, Alger, Algérie

Robert Castel

Biography

Robert Castel (in Arabic: روبرت كاستل), whose real name is Robert Adolphe Moyal, is an actor, musician and comedian, born on May 21, 1933 in Algiers in the Bab El-Oued district, Algeria.

Robert Castel began as a musician, tar player, then guitarist, accompanying his father, composer violinist, and singer of light French-Arab songs. Young actor in the troupe of the Regional Center of Dramatic Art of Algiers, Robert Castel plays the role of Robert Le Bègue in the theatrical improvisation show on the life of the pieds-noirs, La Famille Hernandez, which is created by Geneviève Baïlac on September 17, 1957 in Paris. Having cut his teeth in music hall, Robert Castel began his film career at the age of 24 in Les Amants De Demain by Marcel Blistène, then in Un témoin dans la ville by Édouard Molinaro.

In 1962, Robert Castel left the newly independent Algeria and settled in Paris with Lucette Sahuquet (who died in 1987), whom he married. The couple inaugurated their sketches as a duo that year, notably at the Olympia where they opened for Frank Sinatra, Marlene Dietrich and Philippe Clay. In the 1970s, the comedian, lively and provocative, did a lot of television sketches with his favorite partner and Enrico Macias. For the big screen, this dark-haired comedian, with a clear forehead, who speaks with his hands, abandoned his favorite register. Having become the figure of "pied-noir humor" in France, he played alongside Edith Piaf in Les Amants de demain by Marcel Blistène, Pierre Richard in Le Grand Blond avec une chaussure noire by Yves Robert, and Isabelle Huppert in Dupont Lajoie by Yves Boisset. In 1982, he made a notable appearance in Algerian cinema by playing in Hassan taxi, directed by Mohamed Slim Riad, alongside Rouiched (Ahmed Ayad), Ouardia Hamitouche and Sidali Kouiret. He appeared in more than thirty films in total, until the early 2000s.

Robert Castel kept a low profile for a few years before returning to the stage, this time in a musical, in 2007 thanks to the El-Gusto project. This project, which seeks to bring together Algerian, Jewish and Muslim musicians who were part of Hadj M'hamed El Anka's Algiers Chaâbi orchestra in the early 1950s, resulted in a documentary film that won international awards, the recording of an album and an international tour that took a troupe of 42 musicians to countries such as France, Morocco, Tunisia, Switzerland, Belgium, the United States and the Netherlands.

In 2008, Robert Castel signed his autobiography, Je pose 75 [son âge], mais je retaîtres tout. He returned to the stage in 2013 to present his last one-man show, "Nostalgérie". He died on December 5, 2020 in Paris, at the age of 87.

Known For

Acting

2017À la recherche de... Pierre Richardas Self - Actor, humorist (archive footage)
2016The Jewsas M. Bensoussan
2012El Gustoas Le Comédien
2011Teenagersas Pierre
2009Comiques de toujours (Vol. 1 à 4)as Self (archive footage)
2007Elf, Kings of Oilas André Guelfi
2007The Elf Caseas André Guelfi
2006One Fine Dayas M. Plisson
2000The Sandmenas Damien
1983C'est facile et ça peut rapporter... 20 ansas Agent Alfredo Moreno
1983Le Braconnier de Dieuas Le patron du bistrot
1982Les p’tites têtesas Mr. Roger
1982Hassan Taxias
1982Champs-Elyséesas Self
1981Le bahut va craqueras le prof d'anglais
1980What Did I Ever Do to the Good Lord to Deserve a Wife Who Drinks in Cafes with Men?as Gabriel Crémieux
1980Sacrés gendarmesas Gendarme Moreno
1980Les Borsalinias Mohamed Rico
1978Too Shy to Tryas Trinita, le joueur de pétanque
1978Take It from the Topas Le plombier
1977Stop Fooling Around... Soldier!as Rodriguez
1976Let's Make a Dirty Movieas Chouchou
1976Les Grands Moyensas Hubert Lacagne
1976La Déchargeas Le pied-noir
1975It's Tough for Everybodyas Monsieur Gilles
1975Numéro unas Self
1975The Common Manas Loulou
1975Système 2as Self
1975Les Rendez-vous du dimancheas Self
1975Midi Premièreas Self
1974Shut Up, Gullias Antoine
1974Le Permis de conduireas L'agent de police
1974Par ici la monnaieas Roméo
1974Bedmaniaas Monsieur Albert, le directeur de l'hôtel
1974By the Blood of Othersas Paul
1973Two Men in Townas André Vaultier
1973The Conspiracyas Sapporo
1973The Suburbs Are Everywhereas Marcel
1972The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoeas Georghiu, Milan agent
1972Midi trenteas Self
1972There Once Was a Copas Rodriguez, Manoni's man
1972Le Grand Échiquieras Self
1971Samedi soiras Self
1969Three Men on a Horseas Norber
1969La Honte de la familleas
1969Agence Interimas M. Fred
1969Les gros malinsas Agent at the police station (uncredited)
1965Le Train Bleu s'arrête 13 foisas Bob
1964The Unvanquishedas Amerio
1959The Lovers of Tomorrowas

Production

1980What Did I Ever Do to the Good Lord to Deserve a Wife Who Drinks in Cafes with Men?...Writer