D’jal, whose real name is Djalel Biad, didn’t really have a choice about his stage name… Here’s why.
Comedy fans know him for his character in “Portuguese” but D’jal, whose career on the stage took off thanks to the Jamel Comedy Club, has since taken on other roles. If he made a hit with his show JUST D’JALhe also became an actor and screenwriter. He notably worked for the film Operation Portugalbroadcast this Sunday, August 25 on France 2.
D’jal: where does his stage name come from?
He is now known as D’jal, but his real name is Djalil Biad. He then wanted to choose a stage name that would stand out from other well-known personalities in humor. This is in any case what he confided in the columns of Montélimar Agglomeration : “My real first name is Djalel, and since it sounds a lot like Jamel, I asked some friends who advised me to use my nickname, as they called me in the neighborhood where I lived.”.
Indeed, Jamel Debbouze is one of the most famous comedians and it was even he who opened the door to the stand up. Besides, it seems that Mélissa Theuriau’s husband wants D’jal back in her room. “Jamel told me again recently: ‘Come home, it will be a pleasure’, it shows what kind of person he is and the affection we have. It was a great recognition”he confided.
D’jal: Where does his character from the Portuguese come from?
In Operation PortugalD’jal plays Hakim, a clumsy police officer of Moroccan origin, who must infiltrate a Portuguese community for a mission. This leads to a series of comical situations based on cultural differences and misunderstandings.
But then, where does this character of the Portuguese come from? “I imitated my friends’ parents at the time and I did all the accents, Portuguese but also African, West Indian, Pakistani. And since there were no sketches about the Portuguese, I refined it, I put him in situations to bring him to where he is. Beyond the accent, he’s a clown in the middle of a comic situation.”he explained.
