Taxi 5: why Samy Naceri and Frédéric Diefenthal refused to resume their roles?

Released in cinemas in 2018, the movie called Taxi 5worn by Franck Gastambide, Malik BentalhaBernard Farcy, Edouard Montoute, Salvatore Esposito and Sabrina Ouazaniwill be broadcast Sunday, October 2, 2022, from 9:05 p.m. on TF1. Directed by Franck Gastambidethis feature film is the 5th opus of the franchise Taxi. This is the first film not to be staged actors Samy Naceri and Frederic Diefenthal, who played the protagonists Daniel and Émilien in the first four feature films. However, Franck Gastambide and the production of Taxi 5 initially wanted to offer secondary roles to the two former headliners of the saga.

“In my first treatment, Samy had a real role: he came at the end of the film to help us solve the story. Luc Besson told me that the character could not have such an important place because we needed a new duo of heroes and that it was their film. We could not rely on the elders. We then thought that Samy had to make at least one appearance, in the blink of an eye. We have Bernard Farcy, we have Edouard Montoute, we have the 407… But we needed Samy. We saw each other, we had a drink, we discussed the conditions… But he didn’t want to accept a simple appearance. We respected his decision. I’m really sad because I would have loved to offer this to the public“, explained Franck Gastambide.

Taxi 5: Samy Naceri very bitter following Franck Gastambide’s proposal

“I don’t call that an approach. When we make an approach, we invite people to have a coffee, we have a script read. I did the first four Taxi, I think I deserve a little more respect. They said on social media that I was going to be Bentalha’s uncle, I don’t even know, I haven’t read anything. I don’t know anything“, had affirmed for his part Samy Naceri in the columns of Tele-Leisure. Following the actor’s refusal to appear in Taxi 5, his former playing partner also made the decision not to participate in this 5th installment. “Émilien without Daniel, it no longer made sense“, declared Frédéric Diefenthal, who also wanted to free himself from this role, which he considers to be too close to his skin.

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