Capital: € 1.9 million
Age: 37
Born: May 29, 1982
Country of origin: Germany
Source of wealth: actor
Last updated: 2024

Short introduction

Elyas M’Barek had no easy youth and he was not successful from the start. But now that the celebrity is there, it really expresses itself – because only a few German actors are discovered so young by the USA.

Early life

Elyas M’Barek was born in Munich in May 1982. His father comes from Tunisia and is a programmer, the mother is Austrian and works as a nurse. Because of his mother, the actor also has Austrian citizenship. M’Barek has two younger brothers. One of them, Joseph, is an actor and producer himself.

As a teenager, Elyas M’Barek attended a secondary school, later a Catholic boarding school. There the young man was considered a problem student. He had no idols and received little motivation from other people. He often fought and was even kicked out of school.

Nevertheless, at the age of 18, M’Barek received his first acting role in the film “Girls Girls!”. There he played alongside Karoline Herfurth, who would later often be his colleague. From this point on, M’Barek was certain: I would become an actor.

Career

This film was followed by further appearances in cinema and television for Elyas M’Barek. Mostly it was one-sided roles of criminal migrants, mostly Turks. In 2006 he became known to a wider audience through the series “Turkish for Beginners”, which also received a film adaptation in 2012. In 2008 M’Barek played in “Doctor’s Diary” and “The Wave”, in 2010 he embodied Bushido’s younger self in “Times Change You”.

In 2011 Matthias Schweighöfer finally prepared his friend Elyas for popularity by having him play in his film “What A Man”. The big breakthrough actually followed two years later: First, M’Barek played his most famous role in “Fack ju Göhte”, which is already a cult film and has two sequels. Subsequently, Elyas M’Barek appeared in internationally known films such as “The Medicus” or “Chronicles of the Underworld: City of Bones”.

Now there were more cinema roles for Elyas M’Barek. In 2015 he played alongside Iris Berben, Karoline Herfurth and Palina Rojinski in “Traumfrauen”, the following year brought a role in the hit film “Willkommen bei den Hartmanns”. In 2017 M’Barek appeared in the bestselling film “This Stupid Heart” based on a true story. In 2019, he finally played an unusually serious role in “The Collini Case”, a lawyer who deals with the topic of retaliation.

Career highlights

Elyas M’Barek’s first major success came with the series “Turkish for Beginners”. Here he played a leading role in Cem, the family’s Turkish macho son. M’Barek even received the German Television Award in 2006 for his appearance as Cem. Accordingly, he naturally played the young Turks in the 2012 screen adaptation, which was just as popular with two million visitors as the series.

In 2012, the US film magazine “Variety” named Elyas M’Barek “Breakthrough Performers” on their list. The following year he played his most famous role in “Fack ju Göhte”: Zeki Müller, an irresponsible petty criminal who tried to teach himself. “Fack ju Göhte” became the most successful film of the year, received adaptations in several countries and two sequels that were released in 2015 and 2017.

In the same year, Elyas M’Barek landed again at number 1 on the cinema charts, this time with the German film “The Medicus”. Here M’Barek played alongside Stellan Skarsgard and Ben Kingsley, the film was sold to 21 countries. Another success was the comedy “Willkommen in Hartmanns” from 2016, which scored critics with humor and star cast.

Famous quotes

– “It took me a while to understand that it is important to listen to my inner voice, trust my skills and not the judgment of others.”
– “I am a committed gentleman, flower arranger and door holder – if it fits.”
– “I dream that soon it won’t matter where you were born, where your parents come from.”

Amazing facts

– Elyas M’Barek often plays Turks. Nevertheless, as the son of a Tunisian and an Austrian, he does not speak Turkish or Arabic.
– Although the actor had great difficulties at school, he ultimately graduated from school as the best in class.
– M’Barek got his role in “Die Welle” through an internship at “Rat Pack”. A casting for the film took place in the building of this company, for which he spontaneously signed up.
– For three years, from 2015 to 2018, the actor was a co-owner of a bar in Munich.
– When inventing the role of “Zeki Müller”, director Bora Dagtekin already had Elyas M’Barek as a cast in the head.

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