Yahia Benmabrouk

Yahia Benmabrouk was born in the Casbah of Algiers and began acting in 1940 under master Mustapha Kateb. In 1956, targeted by colonial police, he survived a targeted assassination attempt by colonial extremists before joining the revolutionary underground.

Following independence, Benmabrouk achieved eternal popular fame playing 'L'Apprenti', the short, nervous, perpetually confused yet clever sidekick to Hadj Abderrahmane's Inspecteur Tahar. Following Hadj Abderrahmane's death in 1981, Benmabrouk continued on stage and in films like 'Le Clandestin' (Taxi El Makhfi, 1989), remaining one of the most beloved comedic actors in Algerian history.