El Hedi ben Salem

El Hedi ben Salem (El Hedi ben Salem m’Barek Mohammed Mustafa) (c1935 – 1982), was a Moroccan actor best known for his work with German film director Rainer Werner Fassbinder.

El Hedi ben Salem was the lover of Rainer Werner Fassbinder from 1971 to 1974, though he also had a wife and five children in Morocco. During this period, he played several roles in Fassbinder’s films. He is best known for his role of Ali in Ali: Fear Eats the Soul. While intoxicated, Salem seriously injured three people by stabbing. He was deported to France, where he killed himself in prison. Fassbinder dedicated his last film Querelle to him. —Wikipedia