Instead of studying, he opted to steal from tourists and pick-pocket until he landed in jail as a teenager. Police run-ins soon followed, and Sellou dropped out of school. By 10, he was stealing and attempting to extort his classmates. At the age of four, he was sent to live with relatives in Paris. He was born in Algeria - one of nine children - and he was admittedly 'the devil' to his family. While time will tell where the 2019 film The Upside will land among the best movie remakes ever, the true story behind how diBorgo and Sellou crossed paths has the hallmarks of an all-time great friendship.Ībdel Sellou led a very different life than di Borgo. The two formed a real-world bond worthy of memoirs and movies. The two struck up an unlikely connection that blossomed into a friendship that allowed both men to transcend their troubled histories. He hired Abdel Sellou, a man with a past as a con man, to be his caregiver. His recovery was not easy and he fell into a depression. However, after an unfortunate accident, he became a quadriplegic. What would inspire such a critically acclaimed and commercially successful cast to tell his tale?Ī French aristocrat, di Borgo came from wealth and status on both sides of his family and seemed to have it all. That didn't stop the 2011 French film Les Intouchables from turning di Borgo's story into a feel-good hit and inspiring an American remake starring Bryan Cranston, Kevin Hart, and Nicole Kidman. Philippe Pozzo di Borgo isn't exactly a household name, and not many people would want to see a movie about a champagne executive.

True story behind the movie the act