Brahim Takioullah's name appears in the record books. He was in the Brest room of the Quartz this week, in a show where he played ... General de Gaulle!
"I am the second largest in the world. The first in Europe. It's certified by the Guinness book of records ... " In the reception room of a hotel in downtown Brest, in front of a glass of beer, Brahim Takioullah tells easily his background and his physical particularity. He is accustomed.
Wherever he goes, he who defines himself as "a giant" is entitled to the same questions, to the same remarks. "In the street, there are even people taking photos in my back," he slips.
"He is mounted on stilts"
Tuesday night, at the Quartz, it makes an entry more than noticed in Up in your arms (1) , the show of the Dogs of Navarre, the company led by Jean-Christophe Meurisse.
From the top of his 2.46 m, he plays an extravagant general de Gaulle. A cult sequence of this extremely funny show, fierce and hilarious satire of "our" contemporary France. In the audience, we open our eyes wide: "He climbed on stilts! It's not possible otherwise! "
And if ! Brahim Takioullah, who has already been seen in the cinema with Omar Sy and Roschdy Zem in Chocolat , is a force of nature. "I consider my size as an asset , says the giant, born in Morocco 36 years ago. It allows me to work in the field of entertainment. It also allows me to travel! I do not like to stay locked in an office. I like to go out, to be free ... "
"It's complicated in everyday life"
Although his imposing stature has certainly closed doors for him, he is now seeking to make his body "a friend" . "You have to focus on the positive ... I meet stars! Recently, Brahim Takioullah was also on the set of Alad2, with Kev Adams and Jamel Debbouze.
He recognizes it nevertheless: to be great does not present only advantages. "It's complicated in everyday life. In the subway, for example, the ceiling is not even two meters. And it's impossible for him to pass the driver's license, since he can not find a school car of his size.
"I'm wearing 58"
When he is not on stage, Brahim Takioullah provides entertainment in an amusement park near Beauvais (Oise). It is next to two other giants of 2.34 m and 2.35 m. "They can not pass the driving license either. We are looking for sponsors to finance a car ... " His employer has financed the purchase of his custom-made house ... with doors 2.80 m high!
Clothing side, it is also the galley. "I buy my clothes in the United States, via the internet. But each time, I'm asked for customs fees. For shoes, it's worse. "I wear 58. One time, a craftsman asked me for 3,500 € to make tailor-made ..."
Brahim Takioullah, however, does not want to feel sorry for himself: "I work like everyone else, I have a house ... And the director finds that size is synonymous with authority. Practical when you play Charles de Gaulle.
(1) The play was scheduled for Quartz on December 4 and 5.