“First, think. Second, dream, Third, believe. And finally, dare.” – Walt Disney
Samir Decazza carries some of those traits that are quite difficult to forget or ignore. Far from denying his strong aura and unique talent, the 25 years old French – Moroccan actor deserves more than anyone to be under the spotlight as he has accomplished quite a lot in the past year, to say the least. Taking his first steps onto his own journey as lead actor in The Last Mercenary, a Netflix production where he plays side by side with Jean Claude Van Damme, the young performer will also be sharing the stage with several other notable french actors including Miou-Miou, Eric Judor, Alban Ivanov and Assa Sylla to name a few. Born in the south of France, the soon-to-become heavyweight artist is restlessly overcoming most challenges he’s faced within a distinct and unparalleled style. Hardworking by nature, Samir’s journey so far has certainly not been without any hurdles, reason for which we sat with the gifted comedian to see how he has been navigating between family, aspirations and the whole industry so far. For the first time on Fucking Young’s exclusive set, meet SAMIR DECAZZA:
Hey Samir! You come from a little village near Avignon, tell us more about your childhood and upbringing?
I was born in Avignon and grew up between Cavaillon and Marseille. I grew up in a working-class neighborhood with all the folklore and adventures that come with growing up in a poor neighborhood!
What pushed your parents to leave their native Morocco?
My father wanted to give his children an education in a better system
Give us a fun fact about yourself. Where does Decazza come from?
It is the name of my great grandfather who came from Italy to settle in Morocco! It was Dicazza that evolved into Dcazza in Arabic phonetics!
After your high school graduation, you went to University in Marseille and graduated with a degree in Management and a Master’s in Purchasing. After that, you turned everything upside down and decided to leave for Paris to pursue your dream of always: becoming an actor. Was it a hard choice to make? What triggered you to follow your dream?
My studies were in some ways to end the family hold and my father’s goal in coming to France! He wanted me to have access to studies so that’s the path I took. Even though I always wanted to play other people and characters than myself, I didn’t know that it could be a profession.
When I identified it as a career, unfortunately, the context in which I was living didn’t allow me to see any way out of it to become an actor one day!
In the end, I believe that everything ends up being done naturally! So I chose precarity and uncertainty rather than doing a job with a clear future. It’s hard sometimes but at least it’s never boring.
How and when did your interest in the silver screen begin?
I was 7 years old as far as I can remember, but especially when I got a keychain camera that I won at the fair and that could be used as a webcam if you plugged it into the computer! So I started to film myself and to put on fake TV shows with my 7 and 5-year-old brothers who were willing to play the game. Otherwise, I would stage my Dragon Ball Z figures, then after filming them, edit it on my computer. I already had the notion of editing when I think about it, it’s crazy.
One of your first notable experiences on the big screen was through Houda Benyamina’s Divines, which was met with great success nationally here in France and abroad. Talk us through that experience.
I discovered the association 1000 visages when I arrived to finish my studies in Paris. This is what allowed me to have confidence and to finally be interested in this profession! The goal of the association is to democratize the cinema among disadvantaged people or who can’t afford studies in this field! By hanging out in the association I was able to meet Houda, the founder, who was giving us classes at the same time as the preparation of her film. She ended up choosing me for one of the secondary characters Gervais who will end up being cut in the editing. On the set I was able to walk where I wanted and always be in her paws which allowed me to sharpen my sense of directing, I observed her and her kindness mixed with her determination to lead the actors to the truth gave me the trigger to do the same one day.
Who is Houda for you? Who is she in your eyes?
A great sister, a model of perseverance, relentlessness, of love for a field. A search for truth, spiritual and social elevation, and above all an infinite faith in the power of cinema on humanity!
In The Last Mercenary, your first major role so far, you play Richard’s son, a character interpreted by the iconic Jean Claude Van Damme and which is seemingly quite different from your usual parts. What can you tell us about your character? How has this experience been different from any other movie or show you’ve been involved in?
It’s my first role with such a famous group of actors, so I was very afraid that I wouldn’t be up to the level in terms of comedy because that’s the hardest part. The hardest thing was to stay serious and focused on my scenes while playing with actors who are for the most part comedians and have this visceral need to make jokes between takes. If we laugh and let ourselves go too much we are dead! They will always be very good because on their side it’s a way to warm up, they have this ability to be able to take back as soon as possible even a completely dramatic scene while being 100 percent in it.
Which TV Show have you enjoyed being involved in until now?
The Crown! Nothing else to declare.
We’ve seen you pose for CDG in some of their recent campaigns and that you’re not completely unfamiliar with the industry from your upbringing. What is your relationship with fashion in general?
My mother is a fashion designer and my father was a tailor, I would like to create my own clothes, I will do it one day for sure!
Which brand would you like to collaborate or work with in the future?
I don’t feel mainly close to a brand but more to a stylist, I like when the cuts are straight, simple and sober but I also like when the fantasy of a designer gives way to modernity and enhances the subject who wears it! The dress must also represent my mood, my energy, and my vision of the world, it’s very complex to express!
At the moment, the French audience might have heard or seen of you but are you ready to face the -almost inevitable- success of this movie?
Yes, it is enough to be receptive and friendly and then succeed in satisfying souls in search of entertainment and even beyond, in search of emotions. This is my gratification.
What is your relationship with fame?
Everybody can be famous, today there are no more stars! We don’t even know why people are famous anymore, we recognize faces, names, but deep down we almost never know why we consider some people as stars… But I would like, if one day I’m famous, to be famous for something I would have created in the heart of people, which would have given them answers or meaning to their lives.
As always, our last question. According to you, what is really Fucking Young! today?
Fucking young today is to be free to express yourself to please yourself and not to please others!
