Elyas M'Barek | |
|---|---|
 M'Barek in 2025 | |
| Born | (1982-05-29)29 May 1982 (age 43) Munich, West Germany |
| Citizenship | Austria |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2001–present |
Elyas M'Barek (German:[eˈliːasəmˈbaːʁɛk]; born 29 May 1982) is an Austrian actor based in Germany. He gained recognition for his roles in the comedy television seriesTürkisch für Anfänger and the 2013 comedy filmFack ju Göhte.
Elyas M'Barek was born inMunich, West Germany on 29 May 1982,[1] to an Austrian mother and a Tunisian father.[2]
M'Barek's acting talent was discovered when he was still in high school, and he began acting in 2001 inDennis Gansel's sex comedyMädchen, Mädchen.[1]
He is best known for playing Cem Öztürk, a young Turk, inTürkisch für Anfänger (2006). Alongside Arnel Taci, who inTürkisch für Anfänger was his best friend,[3] he acted in the TV series "Abschnitt 40".
In 2008, he appeared in Gansel's acclaimed drama filmDie Welle, in the role of Sinan, a student who embracesfascism. In 2012, he reunited withMädchen, Mädchen andDie Welle co-starMax Riemelt in the drama filmHeiter bis Wolkig oppositeJessica Schwarz andAnna Fischer and played a lead in theTurkish for Beginners [de] feature film. He played a vampire inThe Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013).[4]
In 2013, he starred inFack ju Göhte, which was seen by three million people in 17 days and became the most successful German film of the year.[5] The same year he had a supporting role in the adventure filmThe Physician,[6] which was also a box-office hit in Germany.[7]The same year, he voiced Art in the German version ofMonsters University.[citation needed]
In 2019 he starred as Leo Keschwari in the social comedyThe Perfect Secret [de], and in 2020 the comedyNightlife, as Milo.[1] In the latter, he worked with directorSimon Verhoeven, with whom he had also worked inWelcome to Germany in 2016, and again in 2024 inOld White Man [de].[1][8]
In 2025 he appears as Rahid Youseffi, a Tunisian political refugee, in thecrime drama television seriesSmilla's Sense of Snow, an international co-production created and directed by British directorAmma Asante.[9][10][11] It is his first lead role in an international production.[12]
Weil M'Bareks Mutter aus Österreich kommt, hat der 33-Jährige auch die österreichische Staatsbürgerschaft. Sein Vater ist Tunesier. [English: Because M'Barek's mother is from Austria, the 33-year-old also holds Austrian citizenship. His father is Tunisian.
Media related toElyas M'Barek at Wikimedia Commons