Beloved Moroccan Comedian Abderrahim Tounsi, ’Abderraouf’, Dies at 84

Born in Casablanca in 1939, Abderraouf had joined the resistance movement in 1953. He was even imprisoned for a year. As soon as he was released, he began in theater.

The character of Abderraouf was born in 1967. "It’s the costume that created Abderraouf. By amusing myself by trying on various costumes, I discovered that one in particular inspired me a foolish character. I mimic a voice that I think will go well with the character. I liked that," he explains. One of Abderraouf’s former classmates, a true incarnation of stupidity, would also be behind the birth of this hilarious character.

He then became the quintessential comic character, a sort of "national Charlot". In common parlance, he is even synonymous with ridicule. And even if the young people don’t know him at all, the expression is still current.