- Denis Lavant
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Denis Lavant
Lavant in 2010 at the Deauville American Film FestivalBorn July 17, 1961
Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, FranceOccupation Actor Years active 1982–present Denis Lavant (born 17 June 1961) is a French film actor known for his distinctive face and the physically demanding aspects of the roles he plays, which often involve slapstick, acrobatics or dance, as well as for his long-standing association with director Leos Carax. Lavant has played the lead role in all but one of Carax's films.
Lavant is also known for his starring roles in Claire Denis' Beau Travail and Harmony Korine's Mister Lonely, which features Carax in a supporting role.
Contents
Biography
Lavant was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine in France. Lavant began acting professionally in 1982 and appeared in minor roles before making his breakthrough in 1984 as the lead in Boy Meets Girl, the directorial debut of Leos Carax, with whose films he has been associated ever since. In 1986, Lavant and Carax worked together again on the thriller Mauvais Sang and again in 1991 on Carax's third film, Les Amants du Pont-Neuf. In both Mauvais Sang and Les Amants du Pont-Neuf, Lavant starred opposite Juliette Binoche. In 1998, Lavant appeared in the iconic Jonathan Glazer-directed video for the UNKLE song Rabbit in Your Headlights, and in 1999, he played one of the lead roles in Beau Travail, directed by Claire Denis. In 2007, he appeared in Harmony Korine's Mister Lonely, in which he portrayed a Charlie Chaplin impersonator. Lavant, who does not speak English, took an intensive language course in preparation and learned his lines phonetically.[1] His longtime associate Leos Carax appears in a supporting role as the main character's talent agent.
In 2008, Lavant and Carax re-united for the anthology film Tokyo!, which marked their first work together since Lovers on the Bridge and Carax's first major directing work in nearly a decade. Carax's segment for the film, called "Merde," starred Lavant as a violent monster who lives in the sewers of Tokyo and speaks in a gibberish language, venturing out occasionally to attack passersby.
Filmography
Year Title 1982 L'ombre sur la plage 1982 Les Misérables 1983 After Midnight 1983 Paris ficelle 1983 At First Sight 1983 The Wounded Man 1984 Long Live Life 1984 Boy Meets Girl 1985 Going and Coming Back 1986 Mauvais Sang 1987 L'étendu 1989 Once Around the Park 1989 Mona and I 1991 C'est merveilleux 1991 Les Amants du Pont-Neuf 1992 Drôle d'immeuble 1993 Fuis la nuit 1993 Forced to Be with Others 1994 The Chess Game 1995 L'ennemi 1995 Obviously I Need You 1997 Wild Animals 1998 Don Juan 1998 Le monde à l'envers 1998 Melody for a Hustler 1999 Beau travail 1999 Tuvalu 2000 Deep in the Woods 2000 The Squale 2001 Married/Unmarried 2001 Affaire Libinski 2002 Sous-commandant Père Noël 2002 La merveilleuse odyssée de l'idiot Toboggan 2004 Low Street 2004 Luminal 2004 A Very Long Engagement 2004 Le soldat inconnu vivant 2005 Wild Camp 2006 Elegant 2007 Le passeur 2007 Mister Lonely 2007 Captain Ahab 2007 Iyi Seneler Londra 2008 Tokyo! (Segment "Merde") 2008 Comment Albert vit bouger les montagnes 2009 Les Williams 2009 Tamanrasset 2009 The Temptation of St. Tony 2009 Les cow-boys n'ont pas peur de mourir 2009 Obsession(s) 2010 Bury our Dogs 2010 Je, François Villon, voleur, assassin, poète 2010 Tandis qu'en bas des hommes en armes 2010 Hitler in Hollywood 2011 My Little Princess 2011 Les amours perdues 2011 Le petit poucet 2011 L'oeil de l'astronome 2012 Holly Motors References
External links
Categories:- 1961 births
- Living people
- People from Neuilly-sur-Seine
- French actors
- French actor stubs
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