# Ali Marhyar

Ali Marhyar (born 28 February 1984) is a French actor, film director and screenwriter. He is known for his roles in films such as 18 Years Old and Rising (2011), Zero Dark Thirty (2012), and As Above, So Below (2014). On television, he co-created, wrote and starred in Casting(s) (2013–2015), and had recurring roles in Candice Renoir (2015–2022), and Family Business (2019–2020). In 2023, Marhyar released his feature directorial debut, Like a Prince.

## Early life

Marhyar was born on 28 February 1984, in Poissy, a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. Marhyar grew up in Les Mureaux and practiced boxing during his youth. He also obtained a black belt in judo.
In 2005, Marhyar enrolled in the French drama school Cours Florent. He joined the free class at Cours Florent after his second year and began writing scripts with his friend Pierre Niney, inspired by their first casting experiences.

## Career

In 2009, he made his feature film debut in Do Me Love, directed by Jacky Katu and Lou Viger.
In 2011, he co-starred with Pierre Niney in 18 Years Old and Rising, directed by Frédéric Louf. In 2012, Marhyar played a small part as an interrogator in Zero Dark Thirty, directed by Kathryn Bigelow.
In 2013, Marhyar co-created along with Pierre Niney and Igor Gotesman the comedy TV series Casting(s), which he also wrote and starred in. The series was broadcast by Canal+ in France between 2013 and 2015.
In 2014, he appeared in the American horror film As Above, So Below, directed by John Erick Dowdle.
He had recurring roles in the TV series Candice Renoir (2015–2022), and Family Business (2019–2020).
In 2023, Marhyar released his feature directorial debut, Like a Prince, starring Ahmed Sylla, Julia Piaton, Mallory Wanecque, Jonathan Cohen, and Antoine Gouy.

## Filmography
### As actor
#### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Director(s) | Notes |
| 2008 | La rue des Anges | Gang member | Jonathan Bensimhon | Short film |
| 2009 | Do Me Love | Medhi | Jacky Katu and Lou Viger | |
| 2010 | Black Heaven (L'Autre monde) | Ludo | Gilles Marchand | |
| 2010 | Amsterdam | Bacar | Philippe Etienne | Short film |
| 2011 | Les Lumières de la vie | Nadir | Kamel Abdous | Short film |
| 2011 | 18 Years Old and Rising (J'aime regarder les filles) | Malik | Frédéric Louf | |
| 2011 | Elles | Saïd | Małgorzata Szumowska | |
| 2012 | Parle tout bas, si c'est d'amour | Le Prof. de Maths | Sylvain Monod | |
| 2012 | Porn in the Hood (Les Kaïra) | Mer relou centre commercial | Franck Gastambide |
| 2012 | Zero Dark Thirty | Interrogator on Monitor | Kathryn Bigelow | |
| 2014 | As Above, So Below | Zed | John Erick Dowdle | |
| 2014 | Wild Life (Vie sauvage) | | Cédric Kahn | |
| 2015 | Quelques secondes | Dragueur bar | Nora el Hourch | Short film |
| 2015 | L'heureuse élue | Nabil | Karima Gherdaoui and Anne Voutey | Short film |
| 2015 | On the Bench (Sur la touche) | Samir | Hortense Gélinet | Short film |
| 2016 | Five | Willy | Igor Gotesman | |
| 2016 | The Summer of All My Parents (Juillet août) | Chérif | Diastème | |
| 2017 | The Price of Success (Le prix du succès) | Lenny | Teddy Lussi-Modeste | |
| 2017 | The Ticket (Le ticket) | Aziz | Ali Marhyar | Short film |
| 2018 | Budapest | Rémi | Xavier Gens | |
| 2018 | Find Harbour For A Day | Romain | Paul Marques Duarte | Short film |
| 2022 | Les cadors | Policeman | Julien Guetta | |

#### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2011 | E-Love | Student | TV film |
| 2013–2015 | Casting(s) | Ali | TV series; main cast |
| 2014 | The Goddess with Hundred Arms (La déesse aux cent bras) | The Emir's collaborator | TV film |
| 2014 | France KBEK | Raji | TV series |
| 2015–2022 | Candice Renoir | Mehdi Badhou / Abdelwahid | TV series; 71 episodes |
| 2019 | Voix de garage | Cicéron | Web-series |
| 2019–2020 | Family Business | Ali Benkikir | TV series; 12 episodes |

### As director

| Year | Title | Credited as | Credited as | Notes |
| Year | Title | Director | Screenwriter | Notes |
| 2017 | The Ticket (Le ticket) | Yes | Yes | Short film |
| 2023 | Like a Prince | Yes | Yes | Feature film |

### As screenwriter

| Year | Title | Notes |
| 2013–2015 | Casting(s) | TV series; also co-creator along with Pierre Niney and Igor Gotesman |
| 2015 | On the Bench (Sur la touche) | Short film |
| 2020 | La Flamme | TV mini-series; 3 episodes |

## Theatre

| Year | Title | Role | Director | Stage | Ref. |
| 2010 | Négationnisme 1 : La loi | Sam | Jean-Luc Jeener | Théâtre du Nord-Ouest, Paris | |
| 2012–2013 | J'éprouve | Gaspard | Léon Masson | Théâtre 95, Cergy | |