Khalil Ben Gharbia is a French actor born in 1999 in Paris, France. He is best known for playing Bilal Cherif in Skam France and Ismaël in Netflix’s The 7 Lives of Lea.
Since then, he has built a growing filmography across France, Belgium, and the United Kingdom.
Who is Khalil Ben Gharbia?
Khalil Ben Gharbia is a French actor known for his work in television and film. He first drew attention through Skam France, then expanded into festival cinema.
His role as Amir in Peter von Kant introduced him to international audiences. That performance earned him his first acting award.
Ben Gharbia later starred in The Lost Boys, a feature that premiered at the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight in 2023. His career has moved steadily from short films into major festival titles.
Early Life of Khalil Ben Gharbia
Khalil Ben Gharbia was born in 1999 in Paris, France. His exact birth date is not publicly confirmed.
His father, Hassen Ben Gharbia, works as a martial arts expert and theatre artist. Hassen encouraged Khalil to take theatre classes as a teenager.
Ben Gharbia has a younger brother named Assil Ben Gharbia. The family background in performing arts shaped his early interest in acting.
He also enjoys soccer, skateboarding, and playing guitar and drums outside of his film work.
Khalil Ben Gharbia Age
Khalil Ben Gharbia is 27 years old as of 2026, born in 1999 in Paris. His exact birth date has not been publicly confirmed by reliable sources.
He has built his acting career through his mid-twenties. In 2026, he continued working on projects for both French and British productions.
Khalil Ben Gharbia Ethnicity and Nationality
Khalil Ben Gharbia holds French nationality and was born and raised in Paris. His family has North African heritage, reflected in his surname Ben Gharbia.
He grew up in a household centered on performing arts. His father’s background in theatre and martial arts shaped much of his early cultural exposure.
Khalil Ben Gharbia Height and Weight
Khalil Ben Gharbia stands at approximately 5 feet 10 inches, or 1.78 meters. His weight is reported at around 65 kilograms, or 143 pounds.
He has dark curly hair and brown eyes. His build suits the physical roles he has taken on, including his part in the youth detention drama The Lost Boys.
Khalil Ben Gharbia Education
Khalil Ben Gharbia joined the Ateliers d’Amélie, the youth training program of a Paris drama school, after finishing high school. He trained there from 2017 to 2019.
During this period, he learned foundational acting techniques. This training prepared him for his transition into professional short films and television.
His father’s own theatre background also gave him early informal exposure to performing arts before his formal training began.
Khalil Ben Gharbia Career
Khalil Ben Gharbia began his acting career in regional theatre productions. He then moved into short films before reaching television and cinema.
Breakthrough Role
Ben Gharbia made his screen debut in the 2020 short film The Night Train, playing a character named Ahmad. The same year, he appeared in the short film He, playing Selim.
These early roles led to his casting in Skam France. He played Bilal Cherif, a character whose storyline with co-star Louise Malek’s Jo became a fan favorite among viewers.
His work on Skam France ran across the show’s 2022 season with ten episodes. That role became his first major introduction to a wide young audience.
Notable Films and Projects
In 2022, Ben Gharbia joined the Netflix series The 7 Lives of Lea, created by Raïka Hazanavicius, playing the character Ismaël across seven episodes. The same year, he starred as Amir Ben Salem in Peter von Kant, directed by François Ozon.
Peter von Kant opened the Berlin International Film Festival in February 2022. The film won the festival’s Teddy Award for best LGBTQ+ feature.
Ben Gharbia’s performance in Peter von Kant won the FilmOut Festival Award for Best Supporting Actor at the FilmOut San Diego LGBTQ Film Festival in 2022.
In 2023, he took on the lead role of Joe in The Lost Boys, directed by Zeno Graton, which premiered at the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight. He followed this with a role as Riyad in the 2024 film Barbès, little Algérie.
Recent Work
Ben Gharbia was cast in Towards Zero, a BBC and BritBox three-part adaptation of the Agatha Christie novel, joining a cast that includes Anjelica Huston, Matthew Rhys, and Oliver Jackson-Cohen. The series is set in 1936 England and centers on a country house murder mystery.
He also has an upcoming role in the short film Moutons, playing a character named Ibrahim. Another project, the miniseries Two Weeks in August, was listed as in post-production as of mid-2026.
Khalil Ben Gharbia Filmography
- The Night Train (2020) as Ahmad, short film
- He (2020) as Selim, short film
- Skam France (2022) as Bilal Cherif, television series
- Peter von Kant (2022) as Amir Ben Salem
- The 7 Lives of Lea (2022) as Ismaël, television series
- The Lost Boys (2023) as Joe
- Barbès, little Algérie (2024) as Riyad
- Towards Zero (2025-2026) as Jon, television miniseries
- Moutons (upcoming) as Ibrahim, short film
- Two Weeks in August (upcoming) television miniseries
Khalil Ben Gharbia Awards and Recognition
Khalil Ben Gharbia won the FilmOut Festival Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2022. He received the honor for his performance as Amir in Peter von Kant.
The award came from the FilmOut San Diego LGBTQ Film Festival. It stands as his first major acting honor.
Peter von Kant itself also earned the Teddy Award at the Berlinale that same year, adding further recognition to the project he starred in.
Khalil Ben Gharbia Net Worth
Khalil Ben Gharbia’s estimated net worth is $1 million as of 2026. His income comes mainly from television and film acting roles across French and British productions.
He has built this figure over a relatively short career that began in 2020. Continued casting in international productions like Towards Zero points toward further growth in his earnings.
The Bottom Line
Khalil Ben Gharbia won the FilmOut Festival Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2022 for his role in Peter von Kant. That performance opened the door to further festival cinema work, including The Lost Boys in 2023.
He trained at the Ateliers d’Amélie drama school in Paris from 2017 to 2019. His father’s background in theatre and martial arts shaped his early path into acting.
In 2026, Ben Gharbia is part of the cast of Towards Zero, a BBC and BritBox adaptation of an Agatha Christie novel. He also has upcoming roles in the short film Moutons and the miniseries Two Weeks in August.
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