Jean Martin
French actor Jean Martin was the only cast member with a professional background in acting, most of which occurred on the stage. He originated the role of Lucky in the premiere production of Samuel Beckett’s legendary play Waiting for Godot. Martin appeared in several small film roles—usually uncredited—before landing a lead role in The Battle of Algiers. His powerful performance paved the way for an impressive film resume that would range from the political thriller The Day of the Jackal to the western comedy My Name is Nobody. He received a nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Philippe Mathieu from the National Society of Film Critics.
Brahim Hadjadj (credited as Brahim Haggiag)
Although he plays the central figure in the film, Brahim Hadjadj was not a professional actor when cast by Pontecorvo, who preferred to populate the film with amateurs and unknowns in order to enhance the documentary-like realism. Hadjadj received critical acclaim for his naturalistic portrayal of the prominent FLN member Ali La Pointe. He appeared in five more films over the succeeding two decades.
Saadi Yacef
Aside from appearing as an extra in a film as a child, The Battle of Algiers is the only film in which Saadi Yacef ever acted. However, he was not a member of the film’s cast of unknowns: Yacef was a leading member of the FLN and wrote Souvenirs de la Bataille d'Alger, the memoir upon which the film was based. Captured by the French, he was sentenced to death and only avoided that fate through a pardon by French President Charles De Gaulle. Yacef appears as a thinly fictionalized version of himself. He was also one of the film’s producers.
Fusia El Kader
Another non-actor Pontecorvo cast in the film, Fusia El Kader's plays one of the female FLN members who proved indispensable to furthering the group's political aims. At the end of the film, El Kader's character dies alongside Ali in the wall cavity hideout.
