Before the lights, the cameras, and the casting calls, Mouhaned Ben Amor was just a regular kid chasing dreams on the football pitch. From the age of 7 to 13, he trained at Brentford Academy in England, sharp on the ball, quick on his feet, and dreaming of Premier League glory. But something else was brewing off the field.

Mouhaned didn’t spend his evenings buried in homework. Instead, he was glued to the screen, mesmerized by movies. “I wanted to be inside the film,” he would later recall. “I felt I had something… a kind of charisma.” That spark, untamed and raw, was about to be ignited.

One ordinary day in class, the teacher assigned a simple poem reading. Most students read it flat, like an obligation. Mouhaned? He performed it. He dropped to his knees mid-recital, channeling sadness and stress with a level of passion no one expected. The room fell silent. His teacher, Mr. Watkins, pulled him aside. Mouhaned feared punishment, but instead, Mr. Watkins gave him a direction: “You should try theatre.”

At first, Mouhaned resisted. He still clung to his football dreams. But destiny had its ways.

At a family gathering that same year, 13-year-old Mouhaned stood up and began imitating his relatives one after another. Comedy, tragedy, drama, his range stunned the room. “That was the first time I saw their faces change,” he said. “They were shocked. And I loved that feeling.”

Not long after, he joined a school play. Despite the social pressure, drama was seen as “uncool” in his school, Mouhaned, a popular student, refused to conform to the stereotype. He auditioned, and in a moment of pure instinct, stole the show. With no training, he landed the lead role. The performance was raw but magnetic, and his circle encouraged him to keep going. That’s when Mouhaned asked himself the big question: Why am I not doing this for real?

He started auditioning locally, without drama school training, experimenting with performance, absorbing, learning on his feet. And then came a turning point.

At 15, while performing in a local play, a woman from the audience approached him backstage. Her friend owned a small talent agency, and she believed Mouhaned had something special. That day, he signed with his first agency.

Soon after, he landed a small but meaningful role in Mariah: The Diva, the Demons, the Drama, a biopic about Mariah Carey. Mouhaned played her older brother in a flashback scene. It was only three to four minutes on screen, but to him, it meant the world. “That was the moment I saw myself on the silver screen,” he says. “It wasn’t big, but it was real.”

At 14, Mouhaned returned to Tunisia for a trial with Étoile Sportive du Sahel and got accepted. But his mother, his number one supporter, wanted him to stay in England to focus on his education. She had been there every step of the way, riding long train journeys with him to auditions, believing in him when no one else did. After his parents’ divorce when he was just 8, his mother became his anchor.

When Mouhaned passed his A-levels, he chose to study Sports Education, Business, and Drama, a mix that reflected both his past and his future.

And then, the galaxy came calling.

At 17, Mouhaned auditioned for an untitled project, one that turned out to be Star Wars: Andor, the acclaimed Disney+ series set in the iconic universe. He had no idea at the time that it was Star Wars, a franchise that had deeply influenced him since age 11, when he watched a Star Wars film in a Tunisian cinema and took a photo in front of the poster. It felt like fate.

Andor ran from 2022 to 2025, with 12 episodes in its second season. Landing a role of this scale at such a young age was a remarkable achievement. But Mouhaned was more than a teenage actor. He was a boy from Sousse with football boots and a dream. A classroom poem had sparked his passion for acting, and he chose to follow that calling, even when it meant leaving familiar paths behind.

At 17, Mouhaned auditioned for an unnamed project. He later discovered it was Star Wars: Andor, the acclaimed Disney+ series set in the Star Wars universe. At the time, he had no idea he was auditioning for such a major production.

The franchise had fascinated him since he was 11. He remembered watching a Star Wars film in a Tunisian cinema and proudly posing in front of its poster. Years later, he found himself stepping into that same universe as an actor.

His role in the first season of Andor was relatively small, but he approached it with complete dedication. While preparing for his A-level examinations, he balanced his studies with demanding filming schedules. He remained focused on set and committed himself to every scene.

Mouhaned also made the most of every opportunity to learn. Away from the cameras, he approached experienced actors for advice. Their responses surprised him. Some assumed he had trained at a leading drama school because of his natural ability, composure, and range. Others described him as “Premier League material,” placing him among the most promising young actors.

These reactions gave Mouhaned more than praise. They reassured him that his hard work and willingness to take risks were paying off. He had not simply entered the Star Wars universe; he had earned the respect of those around him.

In 2022, Mouhaned took another important step by signing with Hamilton Hodell, one of London’s established talent agencies. The agency represents acclaimed actors, including Eddie Redmayne, Gemma Arterton, and Tom Hiddleston. Joining its roster marked a significant moment in his developing career.

Then came a call that would change everything. As Andor Season 2 entered production, showrunner Tony Gilroy contacted Mouhaned personally. He outlined plans for a much larger role, placing the young Tunisian actor among the series’ leading supporting performers. It was a clear sign of the production team’s confidence in his abilities.

Filming began in January 2023. At just 19, Mouhaned embarked on seven intense months of production across the season’s 12 episodes. He worked alongside acclaimed actors such as Forest Whitaker, Diego Luna, Adria Arjona, and Stellan Skarsgård.

For Mouhaned, the experience was extraordinary. The veteran cast welcomed him warmly, and some were impressed by the confidence and maturity he brought to his performances. Their reactions reinforced what he had been discovering throughout his journey: talent, dedication, and a willingness to learn could take him far beyond the expectations placed on a young actor from Sousse.

Today, Mouhaned Ben Amor continues to build his career, exploring new creative roles and expanding his ambitions. He is no longer simply the young Tunisian who landed a part in Star Wars. He is developing his own voice as a performer and storyteller, shaping his future one scene at a time.

Despite the demanding schedule, filming days ran from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Mouhaned described the experience as the best of his life. The support of the cast and crew, the creative atmosphere, and the sense of belonging made it a transformative experience.

Since then, Mouhaned has expanded his skills in writing and directing. He was also close to joining the highly anticipated Netflix series Wednesday, starring Jenna Ortega. Acting has changed his life, helping him build strong connections across the industry. He has also been shortlisted for Emmy Awards recognition. Despite his growing international career, he remains deeply connected to Tunisia and hopes to gain greater recognition in his home country.

Mouhaned is now filming a Netflix series titled Extraction. At the same time, he is directing a Tunisian film scheduled to reach cinemas and international festivals next year. These projects mark another step in his career, allowing him to work on international productions while bringing Tunisian stories to a wider audience.

Muhannad Ben Amor