Nawell Madani

Nawell Madani grew up in Belgium, hustling through a working-class life—her dad drove a cab, and she was that classic tomboy, forever getting into scrapes. She tried her hand at dancing when she was 21, but, nah, the whole bikini-wearing thing on stage? Not her vibe at all. So she bounced. For a minute, she ran a club in Antwerp, spinning through the nightlife, but the real magic happened when she packed her bags and landed in Paris. That city just has a way of pulling in people who want something more, you know? Paris was where things clicked. She studied there a bit, got into choreography, but most importantly, she joined up with Jamel Debbouze’s comedy crew at 25. That’s when things took off. Suddenly, there’s TV gigs, stand-up routines, all that jazz. And she never exactly played it safe—Nawell’s comedy is sharp, honest, and not afraid to kick at some big topics. She’s been up on stage talking about stuff like homosexuality and the whole mess around North African women’s virginity. Some folks love her for it, others, well, not so much. But she’s real, and you can’t ignore her. She ended up turning her own story into a movie—Stand Up Girl. It’s basically her life, the whole chaotic ride from Belgium to Paris, from failed dancer to comic with a cause. It’s raw, funny, a little messy, and super relatable for anyone who’s ever felt like an outsider trying to make it work.