Biography
International actor Kamal Moummad was born in the City of Lights (i.e. Paris) and is the eighth of ten children. His mother is from Agadir, a beautiful city in southwest Morocco, and his father was born and raised in a small village called Ouled Driss near Zagora, an ancient town in southeast Morocco.
Because his parents didn't want him to forget his African roots, Kamal spent every summer in Morocco. They were devoted to family life and instilled in their children the high moral values, proper work ethics, honesty, love, respect and integrity that are such a strong part of Kamal's character today. With his multicultural background, it's no surprise that he is fluent in English, French, Spanish and Arabic.
Growing up in Mantes-La Ville, just outside of Paris, Kamal started playing basketball at a young age, encouraged by his sister who is an official basketball referee in France. Briefly putting an athletic career on hold, he pursued a college degree at the University of Versailles where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Communication Studies and Networks (Multimedia). With his eye on an NCAA Division One college basketball program, Kamal took intensive private courses in English and was accepted to Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. In September of 1995, he moved to the United States to start his new adventure with just $500 to his name and a whole lot of faith.
"In France, there is much more pessimism, or realism, but I like the answer 'Why not?' in response to pursuing your dreams. In my mind, everything is possible." ~ Kamal Moummad
When he'd played basketball for one full season, Kamal and another French college basketball player, Tariq Abdul-Wahad (also known as Olivier Saint-Jean) who later became the first French player to be drafted to the NBA, moved to California. Kamal joined the men's basketball team at San Jose State University as a walk-on. He graduated in 1998 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies and Literature and played college basketball until the fall of 2000, at which point he returned to France to play pro basketball.
And then the second chapter of his dreams began. After several years as a professional basketball player, Kamal was encouraged to model and with his tall, athletic body and timeless good looks, he quickly found success in San Francisco and New York. After booking his very first audition (for a commercial print ad for Coca-Cola), Moummad went on to model for such clients as Nike, Gap, Banana Republic, Levi's, Dockers, Mervyn's, Adidas, and Converse. He also did a national commercial with Lance Armstrong for Subaru, but it was the voice-over work in French for the San Francisco Opera that planted the acting bug in him.
One day his agent submitted Kamal Moummad for a comedy about basketball and he was personally invited by the casting director to audition for a part in Semi-Pro, starring Will Ferrell and Woody Harrelson. After three days of a very competitive auditioning process, Kamal was cast as the lead point-guard for the "Anaheim Amigos."
At this point, Kamal knew that acting was his true passion and thus began the third chapter of his dreams. His diverse background, rich life experience, and natural talents give him the ability to embody characters from different walks of life and give them depth and authenticity. Whether he is playing a freed slave and loyal servant, African Special Forces Agent, Timbuktu refugee, or captain of the British South African Police Force, Moummad transforms himself with all the nuances of a young Sidney Poitier.
He has been featured next to some of Hollywood's and Bollywood's elite, immersing himself in such roles as a Senegalese ambassador, an illegal miner, a powerful Black Panther member, a suicidal student, and a UN interpreter.
Kamal was invited as the guest of honor and member of the jury to the 10th Annual Agadir Cinéma and Migrations Festival. During this life-changing journey to Morocco, he was chosen to become the first ambassador in the United States for Touche Pas Á Mon Enfant (Hands Off My Child), a Moroccan non-profit organization dedicated to the fight against pedophilia and abuses against children in Africa and around the world.
Kamal's passion for family and community life has led him to doing meaningful work. He is a Humanitarian and the Peace Ambassador representing the Kingdom of Morocco for the Global Prosperity and Peace Initiative (GPPI), a non-profit organization committed to increasing the level of prosperity, peace and love in the world today. He is also their Regional Director for the Greater Middle East.
Kamal has also invested a significant amount of his time to mentoring. He started a foundation called The 8th Wonder Endeavors, which focuses on positively engaging, empowering and educating underprivileged children through literacy, education, healthy active lifestyles, sports, art and entertainment.
Expect to see much more of Kamal Moummad, global citizen and talented actor with a heart for humanity, on the big screen in the years to come.
