List of French people of immigrant origin

Below are lists of famous French people of immigrant origin (at least one great-grand-parent).

Contents 1 North Africa 1.1 Algeria 1.1.1 Actors and filmmakers 1.1.2 Others 1.2 Morocco 1.3 Tunisia 1.4 Egypt 2 Europe 2.1 England 2.2 Belgium 2.3 Bosnia 2.4 Bulgaria 2.5 Scotland 2.6 Spain 2.7 Greece 2.8 Hungary 2.9 Italy 2.10 Lithuania 2.11 Poland 2.12 Portugal 2.13 Romania 2.14 Russia 2.15 Sweden 2.16 Ukraine 3 Others 3.1 Armenia 3.2 Cameroon 3.3 Iran 3.4 Moldavia 3.5 Senegal 3.6 Turkey 3.7 References

North Africa

Algeria

(Maghrebi Jews and Berbers)

Actors and filmmakers

• Isabelle Adjani, actress, she holds the record for most César Awards for Best Actress with five awards.
• Jean-Pierre Bacri, actor
• Leïla Bekhti (1984–), actress, César Award for Most Promising Actress in 2011
• Catherine Belkhodja (1955–), artist, and her daughters Isild Le Besco and Maïwenn Le Besco, actress
• Yamina Benguigui, film director
• Rachida Brakni, actress
• Jean Benguigui, actor
• Richard Berry, actor
• Dany Boon (1966–), actor, comedian
• Alain Chabat, comedian, film director, scriptwriter and producer
• Élie Chouraqui, film director, producer and scriptwriter
• Farid Chopel (1952–2008), actor
• Gérard Darmon, actor
• Roger Hanin, actor filmmaker
• Salim Kechiouche, actor
• Claude Lelouch, film director, producer, scriptwriter and actor
• Samy Naceri (1961–), actor
• Marie-José Nat, actress, Best Actress at the 1974 Cannes Film Festival for her performance in Les Violons du bal
• Daniel Prévost (1939–), actor and comedian and his son Sören Prévost, comedian.
• Tahar Rahim (1981–), actor, César Award for Best Actor in 2010, European Film Award for Best Actor in 2009
• Nora Hamdi (1968–), film director
• Jacques Villeret (1951–2005), actor
• Michaël Youn, actor
• Malik Zidi (1975–), actor
• Claude Zidi, filmmaker

Others

• Robert Abdesselam, tennis player
• Alain Afflelou, Alain Afflelou SA is one of the leading optical retailers in France
• Fadela Amara, Secretary of State
• Franck Amsallem, pianist
• Jacques Attali, economist, writer
• Chimène Badi, singer
• Alain Bashung (1947–), author, composer, performer and comedian
• Azouz Begag (1957), writer, politician.
• Paul Bénichou, historian
• Amel Bent (1985-), singer
• Nina Bouraoui (1967–), writer
• Patrick Bruel, born Maurice Benguigui, singer
• Jean Daniel BenSaïd (1920–), director of Le Nouvel Observateur
• Karim Benzema (1987–), football player
• Hélène Cixous, writer
• Annie Cohen-Solal, writer
• Claude Cohen-Tannoudji, physician, Nobel Prize (1997)
• Jean-François Copé (his mother's name is Monique Ghanassia), politician
• Rachida Dati, Minister of Justice
• Étienne Daho, singer
• Jacques Derrida, philosopher
• Julien Dray, politician
• Jean-Pierre Elkabbach, journalist
• Kenza Farah, singer
• Faudel, singer
• Pierre Fédida, psychanalyst
• Denis Guedj, writer and mathematician
• Alphonse Halimi, boxer
• Jenifer, singer
• Bernard-Henri Lévy, writer and philosopher
• Enrico Macias, singer
• Kad Merad, comedian
• Alain Mimoun (1921–), Olympic marathon champion
• Arnaud Montebourg (his mother's name is Leïla Ould Cadi), politician^[1]
• Marcel Mouloudji (1922–1994), poet and singer
• Juliette Noureddine (1962–), singer, author and composer
• Ridan, singer
• Martial Solal, Jazz pianist
• Benjamin Stora, historian
• Zinedine Zidane, soccer player

Morocco

• Richard Anconina, actor
• Pierre Assouline, journalist
• Aure Atika (1970-), actress
• Robert Benayoun, movie critic
• José Bénazéraf, film director, scriptwriter and producer
• Frida Boccara, singer
• Jamel Debbouze, humorist
• Roger Karoutchi (his mother's name is Solange Fedida), politician
• Yasmine Lafitte (née Hafida El Khabchi), pornstar
• Gad Elmaleh, humorist
• David Guetta, DJ de house
• Larusso, singer
• Édith Piaf (1915–1963), singer.^[2]
• Sapho, singer
• Elisa Tovati, actress
• Said Taghmaoui, actor
• Roschdy Zem (1965-), actor

Tunisia

• Michel Boujenah, humorist
• Paul Boujenah, director
• Dany Brillant, singer
• David Charvet, actor
• Georges Cravenne, founder of the César Award
• Marcel Dadi, guitar player
• Pierre Darmon, tennis player
• Mabrouk El Mechri, film director
• Félix Gray, singer
• Gisèle Halimi, lawyer
• Serge Halimi, journalist
• Agnès Jaoui, actress
• David Jemmali, soccer player
• Lââm, singer
• Pierre Lellouche, politician
• Alain Mamou-Mani, producer
• Didier Marouani, composer and musician
• Albert Memmi, writer
• Serge Moati, journalist and film director
• Yael Naim, singer
• Dominique Strauss-Kahn (his mother's name is Jacqueline Fellus), politician
• Jacqueline Taïeb, singer
• Maurice Taieb, geologist
• Ariel Zeitoun, film director, scriptwriter and producer
• Tunisiano, rapper

Egypt

• Richard Anthony
• Guy Béart, author, composer and performer
• Emmanuelle Béart, actress
• Nagui, animateur de radio and de télévision
• Andrée Chedid, poet and novelist
• Louis Chedid, singer
• Matthieu Chedid, author-composer- rock performer

Europe

England

• Jeanne Moreau, actress and singer
• Jane Birkin
• Charlotte Gainsbourg
• Emily Loizeau

Belgium

• Raymond Devos, humorist
• Johnny Halliday, singer

Bosnia

• Josiane Balasko, actress

Bulgaria

• Tzvetan Todorov, essayist and historian
• Sylvie Vartan, singer

Scotland

• Brice Lalonde, politician

Spain

• Manu Chao, singer and musician
• Michel Del Castillo, writer
• Luis Fernandez, soccer player
• Louis de Funès, actor
• José Garcia, actor
• David Pujadas, journalist
• Jean Reno, actor
• Manuel Valls, French Socialist Party (PS) politician
• Ray Ventura, jazz bandleader

Greece

• Vassilis Alexakis, writer
• Kostas Axelos, philosopher
• Georges Moustaki, singer
• Iannis Xenakis, composer

Hungary

• Michel Jonasz, singer
• Mathieu Kassovitz, film director
• Joseph Kosma, composer
• Nicolas Sarkozy, French president
• Béatrice Schönberg, journalist

Italy

• Dalida, singer
• Jean Alesi, racing driver
• Jean-Paul Belmondo, actor
• Georges Brassens, singer
• François Cavanna, writer
• Francis Cabrel, singer
• Philippe Candeloro, patineur
• Benjamin Castaldi, television personality
• Coluche, humorist
• Léo Ferré, singer
• Raymond Forni, politician
• Claude François, singer
• Joseph Gallieni, Marshal of France
• Jean Giono, writer
• Fabrice Luchini, actor
• Elsa Lunghini, singer
• Léon Gambetta, politician
• Yves Montand (Ivo Livi), actor
• Roger Piantoni, soccer player
• Michel Platini, soccer player
• Serge Reggiani, actor
• Albert Uderzo, writer, humorist and cartoonist, father of Asterix
• Emile Zola, writer

Lithuania

• Joseph Kessel, writer
• Emmanuel Levinas, philosopher

Poland

• Guillaume Apollinaire, writer
• Robert Badinter, lawyer, academic, essayist and politician
• Claude Berri, film director
• Marie-George Buffet, politician
• Marie Curie, physicist
• Laurent Fabius, politician
• Alain Finkielkraut, philosopher, writer and essayist
• Jean-Pierre Foucault, television personality
• Romain Gary, romancier
• Jean-Jacques Goldman, singer
• René Goscinny, writer, humorist, known around the world for the Asterix books
• Michel Jazy, middle distance runner
• Raymond Kopa, soccer player
• Henri Krasucki, politician
• Jean-Marie Lustiger, Archbishop of Paris
• Jean Malaquais, writer
• Jean-Pierre Mocky, film director
• Georges Pérec, writer
• Roman Polanski, film director
• Michel Poniatowski, politician
• Régine, artist
• Catherine Ringer, singer
• Simone Signoret, actress
• Michel Wieviorka, sociologue
• Georges Wolinski, cartoonist and comics writer

Portugal

• Linda de Suza, singer
• Marie Myriam, singer

Romania

• Paul-Loup Sulitzer, writer
• Jean-François Copé, politician
• Michel Drucker, French journalist and TV host
• Pierre Moscovici, politician
• Claude Berri, film director
• Cédric Pioline, former tennis player
• Élisabeth Roudinesco, historian
• Maria Schneider, actress
• Michèle Laroque, actress
• Pierre Vassiliu, singer
• Marcel Dalio, actor

Russia

• Pierre Bérégovoy, politician
• Marc Chagall, painter
• Carlos, singer
• Joe Dassin, singer
• Sacha Distel, singer
• François Feldman, singer
• Serge Gainsbourg, singer
• Judith Godrèche, actress
• Émile Meyerson, philosopher
• Gérard Oury, film director
• Léon Poliakov, historian
• Michel Polnareff, singer
• Maxime Rodinson, historian
• Nathalie Sarraute, writer
• Pierre-André Taguieff, philosopher
• Jacques Tati, film director and actor
• Marina Vlady, actress
• Léon Zitrone, journalist

Sweden

• Mathilda May, actress

Ukraine

• Serge Lifar, dancer and choreographer

Others

Armenia

• Simon Abkarian, actor
• Rosy Armen, singer
• Serge Avédikian, producer
• Charles Aznavour, singer
• Édouard Balladur, former Prime Minister
• Alain Boghossian, soccer player
• Jean Carzou, painter
• Patrick Devedjian, ministre
• Youri Djorkaeff, soccer player
• Patrick Fiori, singer
• Georges Garvarentz, composer
• Marie Laforêt, actress
• Missak Manouchian
• André Manoukian, composer, musician
• Alain Prost, racing driver
• Hélène Ségara, singer
• Henri Troyat, writer
• Sylvie Vartan, singer
• Henri Verneuil, filmmaker
• Francis Veber, filmmaker

Cameroon

• Dieudonné M'bala M'bala, humorist
• Yannick Noah, former tennis player and singer

Iran

• Robert Hossein, actor, filmmaker
• Yasmina Reza, filmmaker

Moldavia

• Cécilia Attias, the second wife of Nicolas Sarkozy

Senegal

• Rama Yade, politician

Turkey

• Edouard Balladur, prime minister
• Françoise Giroud, writer
• Tchéky Karyo, actor
• Mathilda May, actress

References

1. ^ « Berbéritude républicaine»
2. ^ Her grand mother, Emma Saïd Ben Mohamed (alias Aïcha) (1876–1930) was from Mogador in Morocco, (Source : Généalogie Magazine, Rubrique Ascendance, N° 233, p. 30/36).