Though born in France, actor Saïd Taghmaoui's ethnic origins and exotic, ruggedly handsome look predestined him for being typecast in Middle Eastern roles. Significantly, Taghmaoui's multilingualism also liberated him from the confines of stardom in one particular country, and he found it relatively easy to rack up assignments on multiple continents, initially in bit parts or supporting capacities. Memorable international crossover successes that starred the actor included Gillies MacKinnon's period drama Hideous Kinky (1998), David O. Russell's Gulf War adventure Three Kings (1999), Neil Jordan's Bob le Flambeur remake The Good Thief (2003), and the Jeffrey Nachmanoff unglamorized spy film Traitor (2008). Also in 2008, Taghmaoui signed on to play Breaker in the big-screen feature G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra (2009). In the years to come, Taghmaoui would remain active on screen, appearing in films like Stranded.