Robert Castel

Robert Castel — Biography

Robert Castel, born Robert Moyal on 21 May 1933 in Bab El Oued, a neighborhood of Algiers in what was then French Algeria, was a French actor, comedian and musician whose father was the noted Algerian singer Lili Labassi. Much of his fame came from the pied-noir-themed comedy sketches he performed on television with his wife, Lucette Sahuquet, through the 1960s and 1970s, most notably in his recurring character Kaouito. On screen he appeared in films including Have I the Right to Kill?, The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe, and Iznogoud, and was recognized for his role in the 1980 comedy What Did I Ever Do to the Good Lord to Deserve a Wife Who Drinks in Cafes with Men?. He held the rank of Knight of the Legion of Honour and Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters. Castel died in Paris on 5 December 2020 at age 87.