Sami Outalbali

The 20-year-old Parisian plays and famous fro many roles, especially for playing the openly gay Rahim in series 2 of the hit Netflix series, and previously appeared in Philippe Faucon’s LGBTQ+ miniseries Fiertés.

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When the smash Netflix series Sex Education returns for its much-awaited second season this year, many fans will be elated to see their beloved gang back on screen.

However, the second series also brings in a new exchange student at Moordale High, Rahim, whose appearance has made quite a lasting impact. Played by French actor Sami Outalbali, here’s everything you need to know about le nouveau garçon.

Being born and bred in France, Outalbali started his acting career in the country and is currently living in Paris. The 20-year-old actor studied theater for two years at the north-central France commune, Verneuil-sur-Seine, before landing his first acting gig in 2011.

Playing the mysterious and brooding Rahim certainly gives closure to Outalbali, who is a self-confessed shy student back in high school. Speaking in an interview with Attitude magazine, Outalbali said that playing such a confident character was a “kind of a revenge on school, on all those years when I went back on the first day and was like, ‘Oh my God’, feeling shy and trying to make the least possible noise and not be seen.”

The two French actors quickly formed a bond on the set of Sex Education and turned real-life best friends. Outalbali and actress Mackey (who played Maeve Wiley) have appeared together on many occasions and always appear to be enjoying each others’ company.

In an interview with Le Parisien, Mackey said: “Each time we found ourselves in the dressing rooms on the set, we laughed a lot. Particularly because the others did not understand what we were saying!”

A child actor who has been working since he was six-year-old, Outalbali has appeared in numerous French films and series for over the past 14 years. His most notable film roles include The Tuche Family (2011), Torn (2018) and Lola (2019) along with impressive television works, such as Vive la Colo! (2012), Grown Ups (2016) and Mortel (2019), the latter of which is available on Netflix. 

Playing Rahim in Sex Education – an openly gay student who is not afraid of his feelings – is not Sami’s first LGBTQ+ character on screen. He has also appeared as Sélim in Philippe Faucon’s Fiertés, a three-part miniseries that shows three generations of French family coinciding with the rise of the gay rights moment in France.

The 1991-born actor has also walked the runway for Alexandre Mattiussi’s AMI autumn/winter collection, sporting a patterned T-shirt over an oversized black trench coat that is topped by a cap and a pair of white trainers. Meanwhile, as a true Parisian, Sami also has a suave fashion style as can be seen on his Instagram page. Whether he is sporting a white on white hoodie over a kimono shirt, or a navy turtleneck and ankle jeans – Sami always has a good sense of style.