Bilal Wahib

Bilal Wahib (born Bilal El Mehdi Wahib on 20 January 1999 in Amsterdam) is a Dutch actor, singer and rapper who has become one of the most recognizable faces of contemporary Dutch entertainment. Growing up in a multicultural neighbourhood, Wahib quickly gravitated toward performance, landing his first on‑screen appearance at the age of fourteen in the film Mimoun and steadily building a résumé that spans television series such as Nieuwe buren, SpangaS and the crime drama Mocro Maffia. His breakthrough on the big screen arrived with the 2016 drama Layla M., where he played Younes, the brother of the titular character, and he further solidified his reputation with supporting roles in De Held and Broeders. The pinnacle of his acting career came in 2020 when he won the prestigious Golden Calf for Best Supporting Actor for his nuanced portrayal of Yousef in Paradise Drifters, a performance praised for its emotional depth and cultural authenticity. Parallel to his acting, Wahib launched a music career that quickly yielded chart‑topping singles. His 2019 soundtrack contribution “Vliegen” introduced him as a recording artist, but it was the 2020 hit “Tigers” and the 2021 follow‑up “501” that propelled him to the top of the Dutch Single Top 100 while reaching number three on the Dutch Top 40. Both tracks earned gold and platinum certifications and secured him a nomination for Best Dutch Act at the 2020 MTV Europe Music Awards. Despite these successes, Wahib’s public image suffered a severe blow in March 2021 when he was arrested on suspicion of child‑pornography‑related offenses stemming from a controversial Instagram livestream. The case sparked intense media scrutiny, led to his dismissal from BNNVARA and TopNotch, and resulted in a lifetime ban from Instagram, although prosecutors later decided not to pursue charges in February 2022. Since the controversy, Wahib has returned to acting and music, releasing a self‑titled album in November 2021 and continuing to appear in television projects such as Commando's and Red Light, illustrating his resilience and ongoing relevance in the Dutch cultural scene.