Paris, February 1, 2026 – From the operating room to the stage, and now to the screen, Amir is redefining what it means to follow your passion. The singer, who once practiced dentistry, is making his foray into acting with the new TF1 series, “La Belle et le Boulanger,” premiering February 2nd.
A Second Act: From Scalpel to Script
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Amir’s unexpected career shift showcases the power of embracing new challenges and following creative impulses.
- Amir transitioned from a career in dentistry to pursue his artistic passions, first through music and then theater.
- He landed the role of Benjamin in “La Belle et le Boulanger” after a serendipitous lunch with TF1 executives.
- Amir credits his theatrical background and supportive team for helping him prepare for his on-screen debut.
Though initially trained as a dentist, Amir quickly discovered that his true calling lay in the arts. After expressing himself through music and performing on stage for two consecutive years, he’s now channeling his creativity in front of the camera. In “La Belle et le Boulanger,” he portrays Benjamin, a young baker who unexpectedly falls for a famous model.
The Unexpected Path to Acting
“The new experience, the challenge, and the feeling that I have something to contribute,” Amir explained when asked what drew him to acting. “I never decided to become a singer or decide to do theater. It’s always a reaction to a proposal that I receive, based on what I feel inside, and I let life carry me away.”
His casting in “La Belle et le Boulanger” was a happy accident. “It was very surprising!” he recalled. “We had lunch with the TF1 teams, we talked about everything and nothing. They told me they had seen me at the theater. I told them about projects that I liked, including an Israeli series with a baker in love with a top model. They said, ‘You’re talking about ‘Beauty and the Baker.’ We have the rights, are you interested?’ I said yeah (laughs). Six months later, we were filming.”
Preparing to Knead the Role
Amir leaned heavily on his prior theatrical experience to prepare for the role of Benjamin. “Theater helps a lot,” he said. “Playing a role on stage for two years, being able to not be afraid of ridicule, taking on emotions… It’s not the same job but it creates some foundations.” He also praised his director and the entire team for their support. “I also had a great coach, an extraordinary team and a very experienced director. Everyone wanted to make this project beautiful and successful. There was no need for anything more.”
He wasn’t intimidated by working alongside seasoned actors. “On the contrary, I found that it was exactly what I needed to move forward and learn. So, of course we feel inferior naturally, but rather than seeing that as a negative aspect, I listened, I tried to learn, to adapt to the level, to work hard. I really had a memorable experience.”
To convincingly portray a baker, Amir and his co-stars received impromptu baking lessons from a member of the prop department. “One of the prop makers was a baker and took us during breaks for little accelerated courses, to give us guidelines and so that we could make chouquettes, baguettes… It was cool, especially with my father and my brother from the series. It got us into it easier.” Though tempted, he resisted indulging in the baked goods. “No, because we didn’t put them in the oven afterwards. But once, I had the misfortune of tasting a croissant that was part of the decor… I got torn. Because there are rules and that’s forbidden. But I was so hungry (laughs).”
Amir Haddad, Ludmilla Von Claer, Gary Mihaileanu, from the series “La Belle et le Boulanger” at the La Rochelle Fiction Festival, September 17, 2025.
© Bestimage
Family Ties and Facing Fears
The series also explores themes of familial expectations. “Making parents proud, I know that. I even went so far as to study for 6 years for it. I think that in caring families, we do a lot of things to please the other. But sometimes you get a reminder that tells you: in the end, what I will leave behind is what others wanted and never what I wanted.”
Amir identifies with Benjamin’s difficulty in saying “no.” “I can understand it, this fear of disappointing. This is work that I have been doing on myself for a long time. I’m less so today, but I think many of us have trouble saying no. But I prefer to be on that side than those who say no to everything and become unbearable.”
Drawing on his own family dynamics, Amir found resonance in Benjamin’s relationships with his siblings. “Yes, definitely. I am the eldest son in a very close-knit, very close family. So there were immediately things that spoke to me, big brother reflexes, bickering, loving while sometimes being firm and authoritarian.”
His co-star, Ludmilla Von Claer, proved to be a natural fit. “There was an immediate feeling of friendship, easy, natural. And I knew that if I could be his friend, I could also play his lover. That reassured me, that’s why I insisted that it was her because she had this thing.” The intimacy of some scenes presented a challenge, but their friendship helped them navigate it. “As it was the first time for me, yes there was a challenge. But I think what helped our friendship was the fact that we were able to talk to each other about it in the most transparent way possible, understand what we were afraid of, what we were apprehensive about, and manage to overcome it together.”
Amir’s wife, Lital, was supportive of his new role. “She loved the original series, we watched it together. And I think she welcomed it with the elegance and perspective that she always had on everything. In a classy way.” His three sons will eventually be able to watch the series, though he anticipates a conversation about the romantic aspects. “I would like them to watch it when they are able to understand why dad kisses another woman (smile). But yes, they know: I showed them images of me making bread, it was funny.”
This fear of disappointing… It’s something I’ve been doing on myself for a long time.
Amir
