- Omar Sy advocates for community over individualism to counter far-right
- Challenges of being black in France discussed by actor
- Support for justice campaigns against police violence highlighted
To contain the far right, France must abandon the individualism that is fragmenting society and reestablish a sense of community, according to French actor Omar Sy, who stars in the popular Netflix series Lupin.
Sy stated in a series of media interviews to promote a new book about his life that it was difficult to be black in France and that notions of justice, equality, and fraternity had been disturbed.
During an interview published in Sunday’s Le Parisien, readers posed inquiries to Sy, a highly regarded celebrity in France. One individual inquired whether being black in France, even for him, was challenging. He responded with the following even though it was a delicate and potentially harmful inquiry: “There are certainly times when being black in France is challenging. Regrettably, that does not pertain to the present day and is still ongoing. “It is possible for it to occur at any point in an individual’s lifetime.”
He provided the instance of the bigoted controversy surrounding the most-listened-to French artist in the world, French pop star Aya Nakamura, who recently encountered opposition from the far right and the right following rumors that she might perform at the opening ceremony of the Olympics. “She has achieved success in life and surpassed the constraints of her social background, yet she is now a target of racism,” Sy explained.
When queried about the rising support of far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who is reportedly preparing to run for president in 2027 and is gathering support according to polls, he responded, “Although my optimism is a little shaken at the moment, it remains intact.”
Sy, 46, and journalist Elsa Vigoureux co-authored a book titled Viens, on se parle, published this week. In it, he recounts his childhood in a banlieue outside of Paris with parents originating from Mauritania and Senegal, as well as acquaintances who later achieved stardom, including comedian and actor Jamel Debbouze and footballer Nicolas Anelka.
Sy has supported justice campaigns concerning police violence in France, including the cases of Adama Traoré, a 24-year-old black man who perished in police custody in 2016, and Nahel, a 17-year-old of Algerian descent who was fatally shot by police during a traffic stop in Nanterre, outside of Paris, in recent days. During a series of media interviews, Sy was queried about his political activism.
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Sy stated in Le Quotidien that contemporary France lacked the principles of justice, equality, and fraternity. When queried about the emergence of the far right in French politics, he cautioned against individuals “spreading hatred” and propagating a “France of the past” image in the present day. Sy stated that these beliefs had “led France to dark places” throughout history.
He stated, “We must all consider how we would like to interact, be a part of a group, and be together.” “In the present day, discourse in public spheres is preoccupied with the individual and self-centeredness, to the exclusion of collective concerns.” In France, he stated, it was vital to restore a sense of community.
Sy disclosed to the Nouvel Obs magazine that he was cognizant of the symbolic nature of his background: “Brought into the banlieue by black and Muslim immigrants from West Africa, Sy was raised in that era. “The result of combining all of that is a cocktail known as symbolic, which in turn becomes political.”
For the comedy Untouchable, Sy became the first black French actor to receive a César Award for best actor in 2012. His portrayal of a conscientious gentleman burglar in Lupin has contributed to the series becoming one of the most popular French television series in the world.
He divides his time between Senegal, France, and the United States.
