Hamidou Benmessaoud (Arabic: حميدو بنمسعود; 2 August 1935 – 19 September 2013), best known as Amidou, was a Moroccan-French film, television, and stage actor.

[citation needed] Born in Rabat, at 17 Amidou moved to Paris to attend the CNSAD.

[2] He made his debut in a Moroccan film in 1969, starring in Soleil de printemps directed by Latif Lahlou.

[2] In 2005 he received, from the hands of Martin Scorsese, a Lifetime Career Award at the International Film Festival of Marrakech.

[3] He was also the first Moroccan actor to have won an acting award at the National Conservatory of Dramatic Art.