Patrick Maurice Benguigui (born 14 May 1959), better known by his stage name Patrick Bruel, is a French singer-songwriter, actor and professional poker player. Patrick is the son of Pierre Benguigui and Augusta Kammoun, daughter of Elie and Céline ben Sidoun. He lived in the staff accommodation of the girls' school in Argenteuil where his mother was a teacher. In his youth, Bruel aspired to be a football player, but decided instead to pursue singing after seeing Michel Sardou in 1975. His first success came as an actor, in 1979's Le Coup de sirocco. He continued acting in films, on television, and in the theater while pursuing his singing career. His first single, "Vide" ("Empty"), released in 1982, was not a success, but the follow-up, "Marre de cette nana-là" ("Fed up with that chick"), was a hit. In 2003, just before his partner, t...