Mehdi Dehbi

Mehdi Dehbi is a Belgian actor and theatre director whose career has spanned both the European stage and international screen, earning him recognition for his intense, nuanced performances. Born on 5 December 1985 in the Hôpital de Bavière in Liège, Wallonia, Belgium, he grew up in a family of Tunisian origin and entered the Académie Grétry at the age of ten, where he cultivated a love for acting and music that would define his professional path. By sixteen he landed his first leading role in the feature film Le Soleil assassiné, directed by Abdelkrim Bahloul and produced by the Dardenne brothers, a performance that garnered a Best Actor nomination at the Joseph Plateau Awards. After rigorous training at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, the Conservatoire National Supérieur d'Art Dramatique in Paris, and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, Dehbi transitioned fluidly between cinema and theatre, showcasing a versatility that few actors possess. His filmography includes notable titles such as He Is My Girl (2009), L’Infiltré (2011), The Other Son (2012), Mary Queen of Scots (2013), and the Hollywood thriller A Most Wanted Man (2014), each performance highlighting his ability to convey complex emotional landscapes with subtlety. In 2020, he reached a global audience by starring as the titular character in the Netflix series Messiah, where his portrayal blended charisma with an unsettling mystery, reinforcing his status as a compelling lead. Parallel to his screen work, Dehbi has made a significant impact as a director; in 2012 he debuted with Albert Camus’s Les Justes at the Théâtre de Liège, a production that toured France and Germany and earned him a nomination for the Découverte Prize at the 2014 Prix de la critique. His dual commitment to acting and directing continues to enrich contemporary Belgian and international theatre, cementing his reputation as a dynamic, culturally resonant artist. Mehdi Dehbi remains active in the industry, with his career officially listed as running from 2004‑present, and his contributions persist in shaping modern narrative storytelling across mediums.