Action film mastermind John Woo (Hard target, In the face/out) is ready to light up Peacock this month with The Killera bold reinterpretation of his own sophisticated Hong Kong classic of the same name, which wowed film critics and earned Woo plenty of praise when it debuted in 1989.
With Fast Saga And game of Thrones Acting alumna Nathalie Emmanuel next to Jurassic World Veteran Omar Sy, The Killer The Aug. 23 Peacock premiere date is fast approaching, and it’s a long-awaited movie return for longtime fans of Woo, an action auteur beloved by adrenaline junkies for his distinctive bullet-ballet-like directing style and time-shifted fight choreography.
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With the film’s big premiere date on Peacock fast approaching, now is the perfect time to take a closer look at Sy, his role in The Killerand all the screen locations where you’ve probably seen him before.
Who is Omar Sy?
Born in a Paris suburb in 1978, Sy was a big hit in his native France long before moving to Hollywood, where he has recently landed a string of successful English-language roles. The 46-year-old actor, the child of Mauritanian and Senegalese immigrants, got his big break as a co-star in the 2011 film “The Last Man.” Pretty much best friendsa groundbreaking French comedy-drama that brought Sy international fame – crowned with the award for Best Actor at the 2012 Tokyo International Film Festival.
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What are Omar Sy’s previous movies and TV shows?
While the whole world was taking notice of his acting talent, Sy amassed a number of film roles in the 2010s that brought him even more into the US spotlight.
In 2014 he played Bishop in X-Men: Days of Future Pastthen in 2015 he tamed Velociraptors together with Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) Jurassic World. In the same year he starred alongside Bradley Cooper in the buddy comedy Burntbefore she delved deeper into the world of science fiction blockbusters in 2017 and gave her voice to Hot Rod Transformers: The Last KnightMeanwhile, Sy has continued to take on high-profile roles in his native French, including his recent role as elegant thief Assane Diop in the international mystery series lupine.
Is Omar Sy married?
A happy husband and father, Sy has been married since 2007 to Hélène Sy, his long-time French girlfriend, whom he originally met when he was a teenager.
Together, the couple have five children (three daughters and two sons), four of whom were born in France before the couple made their big move to Los Angeles in 2012 to keep up with Sy’s rapidly growing Hollywood career. (Fun fact: Sy reportedly has Keeping up with the KardashiansHe also relies on a tutor as an intensive English crash course to perfect his learned acting language!)
Who does Omar Sy play? The Killer?
While Emmanuel leads The Killer Playing Zee, the French assassin pursued by criminals in the film and known on the streets as the “Queen of the Dead,” Sy plays a Paris police detective who teams up with Zee after thugs from all corners of the underworld conspire to take her out.
Recently I spoke with IGNSy described his character in The Killer — who also happens to be known by his first name Sy — as “a loyal cop who plays by his own rules to bring about real justice and really does it from the bottom of his heart. It’s more about instinct and feelings, you know? He’s the good guy, but sometimes he crosses the line to do what’s best. That was very interesting to me.”
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Woo’s experience in action films had long caught Sy’s eye, and when he learned that he had been cast in one of the two lead roles in the film, he gave his approach even more momentum.
“I was a huge fan of John Woo films, especially (the 1989 version) The Killer”, said Sy. “It is a classic for me and my friends, and In the face/out. John Woo changed everything with the action film, all the slow motion, all these new ways of portraying the action. But if you look closely at his films, you also see that he is a romantic guy. There are a lot of little glances, chemistry between the actors. It’s a lot about love, friendship, loyalty.”
How to watch Omar Sy in The Killer on peacock
The Killer will debut exclusively on Peacock beginning Friday, August 23rd.
The NBCUniversal platform offers two monthly subscriptions: Premium ($7.99 per month with ads) and Premium Plus ($13.99 per month with no ads and download access to certain titles). If you’re a student, you can enjoy the Premium subscription for a whole year for just $1.99!
