Ouidad Elma

Ouidad Elma is a French‑Moroccan actress whose career bridges the cinematic landscapes of both Europe and North Africa. Born on 2 October 1992 in the rugged Rif Mountains of Morocco, she was raised in the vibrant Parisian district of Menilmontant, where the multicultural atmosphere shaped her artistic sensibilities. From the age of six she enrolled in acting classes, an early immersion that led her to join a Parisian theatre company and to make her professional debut at sixteen with the film Sa raison d'être directed by Renaud Bertrand. The young performer quickly attracted attention, securing a lead role in Kamel Saleh’s Plan B and subsequently relocating to Morocco to deepen her connection with her roots, starring in notable productions such as Love in the Medina, Zero (directed by Noureddine Lakhmari) and L’Amante du Rif by Narjiss Nejjar. Since 2014 Ouidad has expanded her repertoire across television and international co‑productions. She appeared in the historical miniseries The Red Tent, the psychological drama Madness—for which she earned the Best Actress prize at the Agadir Film Festival in 2015—and the FX series Tyrant. Her collaborations with European broadcasters include the BBC’s The Last Post (2017) and the French‑Moroccan thriller Ghoul, where she portrayed Amal over thirty episodes. In recent years she has continued to diversify, featuring in the action‑comedy The Last Mercenary (2021) and the critically acclaimed Amin by Philippe Faucon (2018). Beyond the screen, Elma made a cameo in Skrillex’s 2015 music video “Fuck That,” illustrating her willingness to explore varied creative media. Her body of work, marked by linguistic dexterity and cultural nuance, has earned nominations at prestigious festivals such as Dubai, Namur and Marrakech, cementing her status as a dynamic talent in contemporary cinema.