A Performance Built on Energy
As Driss, Omar Sy brings humor, confidence, and physical vitality into Philippe’s carefully controlled household. Driss begins as an unemployed man seeking paperwork, but his bluntness and charisma gradually become essential to Philippe’s wellbeing.
The contrast between Sy’s performance and François Cluzet’s role as Philippe drives the film’s emotional rhythm. Their friendship depends on comic timing as much as tenderness.
A Historic Award
At the 2012 César Awards, The Intouchables received eight nominations. Omar Sy won Best Actor on 24 February 2012 for his portrayal of Driss, defeating Jean Dujardin, who had been nominated for The Artist.
Sy became the first French African actor to receive the honor. The award recognized not only a popular performance but also a major moment in the visibility of Black French talent within one of France’s most prominent film institutions.
Beyond the Trophy
The film also won the Tokyo Sakura Grand Prix at the Tokyo International Film Festival, where both Sy and Cluzet received Best Actor awards. It was selected as France’s entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar and reached the January shortlist, though it was not among the final nominees.
Sy’s victory remains inseparable from Driss’s appeal: a character who enters an elite world without surrendering his own voice.