At 35, comedian, actor and director Malik Bentalha returns with a third show: “Nouveau Monde”. He will be at the Narbonne Arena on October 18, at 8:30 p.m. Before taking the stage, he speaks to L’Indépendant. Interview.
He’s the type of guy who says “health” to everyone. Gardois Malik Bentalha has, at the age of 35, made his childhood dreams come true. The stage, television, cinema, in front of or behind the camera, it’s already in his CV. However, for four years, the comedian no longer felt like laughing. Victim of burn-out, he withdrew from the sets and boards. He comes back stronger, funnier and “plus intense” as he likes to point out. Interview before his show “Nouveau Monde” at the Arena, October 18 at 8:30 p.m.
It’s a show that is billed as “original” and “relevant”. How would you describe it?
I’m really exposing myself because I’ve been through a lot and gained maturity. I try to approach serious subjects like mental health with humor, I talk about the latest parody videos that I have been able to make and which all have a message. There is my life, my professional failures, my successes, my travels… I really open up, like never before to be honest.
Have these four years away from everything allowed you to see the world differently?
Yes, I fellow while watching people evolve around me. I took the time to think about what I wanted to do, what direction I wanted to take in my career and what subjects I wanted to address. I needed to feel aligned with who I was at 35. I hope that this show will speak to as many people as possible because I am very proud of it and I feel in tune with what I say and the jokes I do.
From a very young age did you want recognition?
Yes because I wasn’t necessarily the one invited to the parties. I wanted people to look at me. I wanted to be a footballer, but everything stopped when I was 8 years old with chicken pox and I quickly moved towards humor which suited my physique more.
Do you think that notoriety makes you beautiful?
Yes, in any case it gave me confidence in myself. This is the basis. The most important thing is how we perceive ourselves. Although sometimes I still apologize for existing, at other times I am very comfortable when I walk into a room and it shows.
Are you already thinking about health at 35?
It echoes a lot of things. Before, I was crazy. From 30 to 40 years old, we gain maturity but we already start to have pains that we didn’t know about and to go to be checked more often.
DR – DR
As you are at a turning point, do you have any regrets about the start of your career?
Not much, success and mistakes build us. On the other hand, I trusted too easily. It’s a job that is 90% based on human relations and it’s true that I’ve been disappointed by people. This environment is complex. I had to manage it alone, but I learned.
Have you overindulged?
Yes. Never drugs, I don’t drink, but what do I like to eat! Since I was little, I have had a lot of weight problems. We don’t realize, but sugar is a drug.
How many pounds have you lost?
25kg. Today I’m getting into an excessive situation where I’m careful, I run 30 or 40 minutes every day. In Australia or Mexico, at school, they have classes in the morning and sports in the afternoon, it’s such a good solution for young people. I would have liked, rather than being given a too heavy school bag with a 5 to 6 p.m. physics and chemistry class, that I would have been taught healthy living. It was never explained to me that food didn’t just have an impact on the body. I was raised by a grandmother who said no to me too rarely.
Since humor heals many things, conveys messages or resolves conflict situations, what role has it played in your life?
It allowed me to exorcise a lot of things. There were times when I felt alone, not well, and knowing that an audience was there, that they still followed me, that saved me. We are privileged to receive so much love. You imagine if a plumber finished fixing a sink and a thousand people stood up and applauded him, that would be crazy. He would go home with a smile.
We should! Some applaud airplane pilots…
Yes, or caregivers during Covid. Now it’s normal, we forget quickly. Yet they deserve it every day. They are the real heroes like the teachers. This is why I would like to educate young people to speak up. When you have a heartache, you go to see a cardiologist; when you have a headache, you have to say it, it saves lives.
Evil often comes from social networks. Have you suffered from “haters”?
Yes of course. At the beginning I was very careful about it, today I do this job for the people who love me. We have the unfortunate tendency to focus on the negative message in the middle of a dozen positive ones. The way to take this philosophically is to focus on the positive, that can be learned. Negative is everywhere, you just have to create your own world.
On TV, you were a recurring guest. Is it finished?
I found my place with quirky videos on the internet in this free and messy space. I like not to go through any intermediaries. I think of something, I do it, I post it and I get the immediate reaction. TV, cinema, it’s a team and it distorts because he would have liked to add that, the other wanted to remove that… There, I’m live with the public with things that are funny but make sense. My one and only project is this show, it’s my baby. I don’t want to disperse anymore, we’ll see later.
