A Gallic, raven-haired leading man with a Mediterranean look, Hubert Benhamdine seemed tailor-made for dashing lead roles in his native France and apt at both dramatic and comedic portrayals. In lieu of beginning with bit parts and working his way up through supporting turns to lead billing, Benhamdine jump-started his career as a headliner. He debuted on film with the most prominent in the 2002 international arthouse hit Le Chignon d'Olga as the conflicted eldest son in a family whose matriarch suddenly dies. After a succession of additional projects with exposure that largely remained confined to Europe, Benhamdine reemerged as the star of director Hormoz's I Dreamt Under the Water (2007) as a bisexual young man desperately searching for love and acceptance.