A caregiver who gets a whole Paris mansion dancing to Earth, Wind & Fire, a clown who dazzles Belle Époque Paris, an overwhelmed overnight father, a raptor handler who whispers to dinosaurs. Omar Sy is the actor of emotion and generosity — one of French cinema's best-loved smiles, now known the world over. He is not the ambassador of any fragrance house: this page is an editorial inspiration from Olara perfumery, a selection composed in the spirit of his world — built around Acqua di Parma's Colonia, the sunny, generous eau de cologne born in Parma, to be found in the Acqua di Parma collection.
1“The Intouchables”: Driss, joy as medicine
In 2011, Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano made the film that changed everything: in “The Intouchables”, Omar Sy plays Driss, a young man from the banlieue hired against all odds as caregiver to Philippe, a quadriplegic aristocrat played by François Cluzet. Massages with rare essences, Berlioz swapped for Earth, Wind & Fire, night rides in a Maserati: Driss heals through laughter, and the duo moved all of France. The role earned Omar Sy the César Award for Best Actor in 2012 — the first Black actor to receive it, the very year Jean Dujardin triumphed at the Oscars. Generosity as a way of life: his whole cinema is already there, and it is also the spirit of our unisex fragrances, which, like him, move between every register.
2“Chocolat”: the clown who dazzled the Belle Époque
In 2016, Roschdy Zem unearthed a forgotten true story: in “Chocolat”, Omar Sy plays Rafael Padilla, known as Chocolat, a former slave who became, in Belle Époque Paris, the first Black performer to conquer the French stage, in a double act with the white clown George Footit, played by James Thierrée, Charlie Chaplin's grandson. The glitter of the Nouveau Cirque, posters in the style of Toulouse-Lautrec, then the dark side of triumph: the film reveals the actor's graver register, his gift for letting emotion pass beneath the laughter. A Paris of red velvet and rice powder that has its own trail too — that of the great classic colognes, elegant and timeless.
3“Two Is a Family”: a father overnight
Also in 2016, Hugo Gélin handed him an emotional high-wire act: in “Two Is a Family”, Omar Sy plays Samuel, a carefree thirty-something from the French Riviera to whom a former fling entrusts a baby — before disappearing. Off to London, now a stuntman and full-time father, Samuel builds a world of inventions and wonders with his daughter Gloria, until life catches up with the fairy tale. Roars of laughter, tissues by the final reel: the film confirmed that Omar Sy can carry a crowd-pleasing comedy while giving it an immense heart. Tenderness in its purest form — that of morning rituals, of a fresh fragrance put on like a gesture of affection.
4“Jurassic World”: Barry, the man who talks to raptors
In 2015, Colin Trevorrow revived the cult saga brought to the screen by Steven Spielberg: in “Jurassic World”, Omar Sy plays Barry, raptor handler alongside Owen, the trainer played by Chris Pratt — the calm man who knows Blue and her sisters better than anyone. The blockbuster propelled the French actor to Hollywood, and he returned to the character in 2022 in “Jurassic World Dominion”. In between, the series “Lupin”, in which he plays a gentleman thief inspired by Arsène Lupin, completed his rise to global stardom — but that is another story than the big screen's. Open-air adventure, shirts unbuttoned under the sun: a register perfumery calls hesperidic, and it leads straight to Parma.
5Colonia: the cologne made for sharing since 1916
In 1916, in the old centre of Parma, Colonia was born — one of the very first great Italian eaux de cologne, originally created to scent the silk handkerchiefs of elegant gentlemen. More than a century later, its black-capped Art Deco bottle has barely changed, and neither has its spirit: a luminous, ageless freshness anyone can wear — men, women, morning, evening. The top bursts with citrus: Sicilian lemon, bergamot, sweet orange. The heart is a Mediterranean garden where lavender and rosemary meet Bulgarian rose and verbena. The base wraps it all in vetiver, sandalwood and patchouli — deep enough to last, discreet enough never to weigh. The opposite of an armour-fragrance: a cologne that is shared, like a smile.
Did you know?
“The Intouchables” long remained the biggest success of French cinema abroad. In Germany, where it is titled “Ziemlich beste Freunde”, it stayed in cinemas for months, and Hollywood remade it as “The Upside”, with Kevin Hart and Bryan Cranston. As for Colonia, it was born in 1916 — in the middle of the First World War — and its Art Deco bottle has crossed the decades almost unchanged: two classics proving that generosity never goes out of style.
6Which Colonia to choose? The Olara selection
Like the actor, Colonia has several registers. The 1916 original remains the sunlit reference, from the 50 ml size to the generous 500 ml that sits on a dresser like a carafe of light. Colonia Intensa darkens the mood for evening: cardamom and ginger on top, myrtle and neroli at the heart, and a woody-leather base warmed with benzoin — the “Chocolat” side of the wardrobe, hushed and magnetic. The latest arrival, Colonia C.L.U.B., dresses the Art Deco bottle in green and sets bergamot and peppers sparkling over a shiso-rosemary duo, resting on cedar and musk — the “Jurassic World” energy, urban and contemporary. In between, Colonia Essenza and Colonia Pura offer two more distinctive readings, to discover as the mood takes you. And because generosity is the real subject, the house lends itself wonderfully to gifting: the newly arrived Discovery Set gathers ten emblematic fragrances in travel sizes — all of Italy in miniature —, the Buongiorno set turns hand care into a scented ritual, and the Luce di Colonia candle carries the trail into the living room, alongside our scented candles. To continue the house's Italian journey, our dive into the world of Paul Mescal explores Fico di Amalfi, and our Josh O'Connor feature tells Colonia's story in another light. The whole awaits you in the Acqua di Parma collection and among our unisex fragrances.
Your questions, answered
Which films does Omar Sy appear in?
He plays Driss in “The Intouchables” by Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano (2011, César Award for Best Actor in 2012), Rafael Padilla in “Chocolat” by Roschdy Zem (2016), Samuel in “Two Is a Family” by Hugo Gélin (2016) and Barry in “Jurassic World” (2015), a role he reprises in “Jurassic World Dominion” (2022). On television, he is also the lead of the series “Lupin”.
Is Omar Sy the face of a fragrance?
No. To our knowledge, Omar Sy is not the ambassador of any fragrance house, and this article is not product placement: it is an editorial inspiration from Olara perfumery, a selection freely composed in the spirit of his world — sunny, generous, elegant.
What does Acqua di Parma's Colonia smell like?
A classic, luminous Italian eau de cologne born in Parma in 1916: sparkling citrus on top (Sicilian lemon, bergamot, sweet orange), an aromatic, floral heart (lavender, rosemary, Bulgarian rose, verbena), and a base of vetiver, sandalwood and patchouli. An elegant freshness, neither masculine nor feminine, worn in every season.
Is Colonia a men's or a women's fragrance?
Both: Colonia has been conceived as a unisex eau de cologne since its origins. Its hesperidic freshness and discreet woody base make it a universal skin scent, which the house then declines into more pronounced interpretations such as Colonia Intensa, Essenza, Pura or C.L.U.B.
Which Colonia should I choose, or give?
The original for everyday light, from 50 ml to the grand 500 ml format; Colonia Intensa for the evening, with its woody-leather base; Colonia C.L.U.B., the most recent, for an urban, contrasted energy. For gifting, the Discovery Set and its ten travel sizes let you explore the whole house before choosing your full bottle.
