Malik Zidi was born in Châtenay-Malabry to a Kabyle Algerian father and a Breton mother. He spent his formative years in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, a suburb of Paris. Zidi abandoned his conventional studies early to concentrate on a career in comedy. Following courses at the Théâtre Véronique Nordey, and the Théâtre de Proposition in Paris, he briefly studied acrobatics and mime at the Théâtre de la Piscine and cinema at the Studio Pygmalion. Zidi made his first film appearance in the 1998 Sébastien Lifshitz-directed Les Corps ouverts.
In 2000, Zidi was chosen by director François Ozon to appear as the troubled, lovelorn, bisexual youth Franz in the Teddy Award-winning film Water Drops on Burning Rocks (French:Gouttes d'eau sur pierres brûlantes). The film was based on the play Tropfen auf heisse Steine by German film director and screenwriter Rainer Werner Fassbinder. The film is a four-part comedy-drama shot entirely on one set and featuring only four actors: Zidi, Bernard Giraudeau, Ludivine Sagnier and American actress Anna Levine. Zidi's role in Water Drops on Burning Rocks garnered him his first of four César Award nominations.
Malik Zidi followed up with roles in the 2002 Antoine Santana-directed Un moment de bonheur (English: One Moment of Happiness) opposite Isild Le Besco, earning his second César Award nomination for Most Promising Actor. In 2004, he appeared in the André Téchiné-directed romantic drama Les Temps qui changent (English release title: Changing Times) as Sami, the bisexual son of Cécile (portrayed by Catherine Deneuve), who visits his parents in Tangiers so that he may visit his Moroccan boyfriend. The film also starred actor Gérard Depardieu and was nominated for a Satellite Award. Zidi received his third César Award nomination.
In 2006, Zidi appeared in the Emmanuel Bourdieu-drama Les Amitiés maléfiques (English release title: Poison Friends). The film was showcased at the Cannes Film Festival and Bourdieu received the Critics Week Grand Prize and the Grand Golden Rail. The film also won the SACD Screenwriting Award and Zidi was once again nominated for a César Award, winning the Award for Most Promising Actor 2007.
In addition to film, Zidi has appeared in numerous television roles.
In 2020, Zidi penned his first novel L'ombre du soir, which was published by Éditions Anne Carrière.
2024
as Laurent
2024
as Fabrice Gonnet
2023
as Remi
2023
as Michaël
2022
as Mathieu
2021
as Léo Ferguson
2021
as Denis Gauvin
2020
as Nadji
2019
as Louis
2019
as Mathias
2019
as Ludovic Minghetti
2019
as Saïd
2018
as Raphaël Berger
2017
as Henri Vallin
2016
as André-Louis Debierne
2016
as Thomas
2015
as Sam
2015
as Thomas
2015
2013
as Loulou
2013
as Philippe, le RG
2013
as Andrè
2012
as Victor
2012
as Octave Ségur
2012
as Edouard Manet
2012
as Luc Delair
2011
as JP Perrot
2010
as Viscount of Armagnac
2010
as Hugo
2010
as Aurélien
2009
as Jean Ricouart
2009
as Antoine
2009
as Marc
2008
as Johannes Brahms
2008
as Le garçon
2008
as Lepic
2007
as Touffu
2006
as Franz
2006
as Eloi Duhaut
2006
as Bruno
2005
as Philippe VI de Valois
2005
as Pierre
2004
as Sami
2004
as Eugène de Rastignac
2004
as Rodolphe
2003
as Jacques Thibault
2003
as Thomas
2002
as Joseph
2002
as Philippe
2001
as Bimbo
2000
as Franz
1998
as Sam's Son
1998
1998
as Classmate