For Tewfik Jallab, the success of Paris Has Fallen has brought recognition, but also a challenge he is keenly aware of: not letting one role define him. As he returns as Vincent Taleb in the second season, Paris Has Fallen, Jallab is already thinking beyond the action-hero image the franchise could cement.
The actor says the global response to the first season was beyond what he had expected, even as the long shooting schedule means he experiences much of that success from a distance.
With the second season mounted on a bigger scale, the 44-year-old was keen to retain one element from the first. 100% action is done by me, and I loved every second of it. Because i feel I have a lot of skills and there are a lot of things that I wish to and I am capable of playing,” he explains, so I am trying to find that kind of balance,.
The action, meanwhile, remains a part he embraces. Asked if he prefers doing his own action sequences, Jallab is unequivocal: “Totally. But his choices between the two seasons show why he does not want to be confined to the genre. “I try my best to not be boxed. Between two seasons, I shot two feature films, a musical and another one about two gypsy brothers. Jallab is not looking to move away from action. Instead, the actor wants roles that allow him to explore more than physicality. “I love action. To me, it’s more than just two people shooting at each other.
“What I didn’t want to lose is the relationship between Zara (played by British-Indian actor Ritu Arya) and Vincent,” he says. So I kind of felt that I was blessed to be able to play something else, and break the mould,” Jallab says.
