ACTORS from Tunisia

Top 6

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Tunisian Actors of all time. This list of famous Tunisian Actors is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity.

1. Claudia Cardinale (1938 - 2025)

With an HPI of 80.94, Claudia Cardinale is the most famous Tunisian Actor.  Her biography has been translated into 71 different languages on wikipedia.

Claude Joséphine Rose "Claudia" Cardinale (Italian: [ˈklaudja kardiˈnaːle]; 15 April 1938 – 23 September 2025) was an Italian actress. Regarded as one of the leading figures of Italian cinema, alongside Sophia Loren and Gina Lollobrigida, she achieved international recognition during a career spanning more than six decades. Celebrated in the 1960s as "the most beautiful woman in the world" and widely considered a sex symbol of the era, she appeared in more than 175 films, primarily in Italy and France, across genres including comedy, drama, spaghetti westerns, and historical epics. She collaborated with acclaimed directors such as Federico Fellini, Sergio Leone, and Werner Herzog, and several of her films are regarded as significant works in the history of cinema. At the time of her death, she was one of the last surviving stars from the Golden Age of European cinema. Born and raised in La Goulette, a municipality in Tunisia near Tunis, Cardinale won the "Most Beautiful Italian Girl in Tunisia" competition in 1957, the prize being a trip to Italy, which quickly led to film contracts, due above all to the involvement of producer Franco Cristaldi, who acted as her mentor for a number of years and later married her. After making her debut in a minor role with Egyptian star Omar Sharif in Goha (1958), Cardinale became one of the best-known actresses in Italy, with roles in films such as Rocco and His Brothers (1960), Girl with a Suitcase (1961), Cartouche (1962), The Leopard (1963) and Federico Fellini's 8½ (1963). From 1963, Cardinale appeared in The Pink Panther opposite David Niven. She went on to appear in the Hollywood films Blindfold (1966), Lost Command (1966), The Professionals (1966), Don't Make Waves (1967) with Tony Curtis, The Hell with Heroes (1968), The Red Tent (1969), A Fine Pair (1968), The Salamander (1981), and the Sergio Leone Western Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), a joint U.S.–Italian production, in which she was praised for her role as a former prostitute opposite Jason Robards, Charles Bronson and Henry Fonda. Jaded with Hollywood and not wanting to become a cliché, Cardinale returned to Italian and French cinema and garnered the David di Donatello for Best Actress award for her roles in The Day of the Owl (1968) and as a prostitute alongside Alberto Sordi in A Girl in Australia (1971). In 1974, Cardinale met director Pasquale Squitieri, who would become her partner. She frequently featured in his films, including Blood Brothers (1974), Father of the Godfathers (1978) and Claretta (1984), the last of which won her the Nastro d'Argento Award for Best Actress. In 1982, she starred in Werner Herzog's Fitzcarraldo as the love interest of Klaus Kinski, who raises the funds to buy a steamship in Peru. In 2010, Cardinale received the Best Actress Award at the 47th Antalya "Golden Orange" International Film Festival for her performance as an elderly Italian woman who takes in a young Turkish exchange student in Signora Enrica. Over the years, Cardinale was outspoken about women's rights and became a UNESCO goodwill ambassador for the Defence of Women's Rights beginning in March 2000. In February 2011, the Los Angeles Times Magazine named Cardinale among the 50 most beautiful women in film history.

2. Sandra Milo (1933 - 2024)

With an HPI of 63.94, Sandra Milo is the 2nd most famous Tunisian Actor.  Her biography has been translated into 29 different languages.

Sandra Milo (born Salvatrice Elena Greco; 11 March 1933 – 29 January 2024) was an Italian actress, television personality, author, and musician. She won a Nastro d'Argento for Best Supporting Actress for each of her roles in Federico Fellini's 8½ and Juliet of the Spirits.

3. Abdelmajid Lakhal (1939 - 2014)

With an HPI of 62.73, Abdelmajid Lakhal is the 3rd most famous Tunisian Actor.  His biography has been translated into 24 different languages.

Abdelmajid Lakhal (November 29, 1939 – September 27, 2014) was a Tunisian theatre and film actor and theatre director. He was considered to be a professional and versatile interpreter. Recently, he performed classical pieces (Carlo Goldoni, Anton Chekhov) translated into Arabic, at the Municipal theatre of Tunis, which were well received. He was known on Arab Television for acting in many telefilms.

4. Abdellatif Kechiche (b. 1960)

With an HPI of 60.72, Abdellatif Kechiche is the 4th most famous Tunisian Actor.  His biography has been translated into 37 different languages.

Abdellatif Kechiche (French: [abdɛlatif keʃiʃ]; Arabic: عبد اللطيف كشيش, born 7 December 1960), also known as Abdel Kechiche, is a Tunisian-French filmmaker, producer and actor. Known for his naturalistic style, he has been awarded several times at the César Awards, including Best Film for Games of Love and Chance (2003) and The Secret of the Grain (2007), and the Palme d'Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival for his film Blue Is the Warmest Colour.

5. Hend Sabry (b. 1979)

With an HPI of 45.88, Hend Sabry is the 5th most famous Tunisian Actor.  Her biography has been translated into 21 different languages.

Hend Sabry (Arabic: هند صبري, born 1979) is a Tunisian and Egyptian actress and producer. She is mostly known for being active in Egyptian cinema.

6. Poorna Jagannathan (b. 1972)

With an HPI of 44.23, Poorna Jagannathan is the 6th most famous Tunisian Actor.  Her biography has been translated into 22 different languages.

Poorna Jagannathan ( POR-nə JAH-gə-NAH-thən; born December 22, 1972) is an American producer and actress. She is known for her portrayal of Safar Khan in the HBO drama miniseries The Night Of, as well as for her role as Nalini Vishwakumar in the Netflix teen comedy series Never Have I Ever. Poorna also co-conceived, produced, and acted in the play Nirbhaya, which was considered "one of the most powerful and urgent pieces of human rights theatre ever made," and is regarded as a critical moment in India's history of women's empowerment. Poorna was named among the "Top 100 Most Impactful Asians" in America in 2021, 2022 and 2025 by Goldhouse. People magazine featured her in their 2024 “The Beautiful Issue” while Verve magazine named her among the top 50 most powerful women in India in 2014.