Hamidou Benmessaoud (Arabic: حميدو بنمسعود‎; 2 August 1935 – 19 September 2013), best known as Amidou, was a Moroccan-French film, television and stage actor.Born in Rabat, at 17 Amidou moved to Paris to attend the CNSAD. In 1968 he made his debut on stage, in Jean Genet's Les paravents.Amidou is probably best known for his association with director Claude Lelouch, with whom he has shot eleven films, including the Lelouch's film debut Le propre de l'homme (1960).