Denis Lavant (born June 17, 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.
Known For
Hyacinthe
Reda
2025
It's Not Me
Monsieur Merde
2024
The Boy Who Owns the World
Kasimir
2024
Thunder Voice
Prophet
2023
Body of Crime
2023
Miserable Miracle
Narrator (French)
2023
L'Impossible Monsieur Simon
Self
2023
All Effort of Men
Narrator (voice)
2022
X14
2022
South Sentinel
Commandant de Royer
2022
Le discours
Le politicien
2021
Scaramouche Scaramouche
Scaramouche
2018
Fan Club
Damien
2018
Me and Kaminski
Karl-Ludwig
2015
Austerlitz
Jacques Austerlitz
2015
Dark Forests
Voice
2015
Pitchipoï
Pierre Schulmann
2015
Journey to the West
Dragon
2014
Mr. X
Self
2014
Ogaden
2014
Age of Uprising: The Legend of Michael Kohlhaas
The Theologist
2013
Biette
Self
2013
Les Grandes Marées
Marc
2013
Marussia
Clochard
2013
Marcel Dassault, l'homme au pardessus
Marcel Dassault
2013
Morning Star
Elliot
2012
Holy Motors
Mr. Oscar / Banker / Beggar / Father / Accordionist / Killer
2012
Eye of the Astronomer
Jean Kepler
2012
Hop-o'-My-Thumb
The ogre
2011
My Little Princess
Ernst
2011
Atlantika
2011
The Temptation of St. Tony
Count Korzybski
2009
The Lonely
2009
Les Williams
2009
Tokyo!
Merde' (segment "Merde")
2008
Captain Ahab
Capitaine Achab
2008
Mister Lonely
Charlie Chaplin
2008
Wild Camp
Blaise
2005
Language Does Not Lie
Narrator (voice)
2004
A Very Long Engagement
Six-Soux
2004
Luminal
Ryu
2004
Correspondances: Dostoïevski
reader
2003
Mark Rothko (1903-1970) : un humaniste abstrait
Self - Narrator (voice)
2003
Married/Unmarried
Love
2001
La Squale
Le joker
2000
Deep in the Woods
Stephane
2000
Beau Travail
Galoup
2000
Tuvalu
Anton
1999
Melody for a Hustler
L'auto-stoppeur
1998
Don Juan
Pierrot
1998
Wild Animals
Emil
1997
Visiblement je vous aime
Denis
1995
The Chess Game
Max
1994
De force avec d'autres
Denis
1993
The Lovers on the Bridge
Alex
1991
Mona and I
Pierre
1990
Once Around the Park
Berville
1989
Mauvais Sang
Alex
1986
Boy Meets Girl
Alex
1984
Long Live Life
Caviar delivery man
1984
After Midnight
(voice)
1983
Entre Nous
Un militaire
1983
Les Misérables
Montparnasse
1982
Que demande le peuple
La nuit du vivant, voyage au cœur de la pourriture
Narrateur
Redoubt
Karl-Göran Persson
Le Pays d’Arto
2026
Sibyl
(Archive footage)
2025
DEMONS TO DIAMONDS
2025
In the Name of Blood
Jacques
2025
Fracas
2024
Two Night Owls in Paris
Le bouquiniste
2024
Hood Witch
Jules
2024
Petit Papa Noël va mourir aujourd'hui
2023
Poisson rouge
Père de Guillaume
2023
The Green Eyes
2023
Human Flowers of Flesh
Galoup
2023
Aymeline
Franco Fontane
2022
Tralala
Climby
2021
The Nipple Whisperer
Maurice Sanders
2021
Night of the Kings
Silence
2021
Silver Skates
Fourier
2020
Gagarine
Gérard
2020
The Blue Star
Le Narrateur
2020
The Escapade
Jacques
2019
Figurant
2019
Who the Fuck Are You
Psychiatrist
2019
Vous êtes jeunes, vous êtes beaux
Monsieur Loyal
2019
The Bra
Kamal
2019
Girls with Balls
Barman
2019
The Mountain
Jack
2019
The Traveller
Alberto · (1 episode)
2019
Silent Streams
2019
The Emperor of Paris
Maillard
2018
One Nation, One King
Marat
2018
Cornelius, the Howling Miller
Doctor de Chomo
2018
3 Days in Quiberon
Fisherman Poet
2018
The Night Eats the World
Alfred
2018
My Intelligent Comedy
Allen
2018
Gray House
Self
2017
Kazarken: As We Dig
Chiron, le centaure
2016
Midnight Sun
Pierre Carnot · (8 episodes)
2016
Louis-Ferdinand Céline
Louis-Ferdinand Céline
2016
Boris Without Beatrice
L'Inconnu
2016
History's Future
Lottery Ticket Seller
2016
21 Nights with Pattie
André
2015
Eva Doesn't Sleep
Koenig
2015
Graziella
Antoine
2015
Le mystère des jonquilles
Sam
2014
The Iron Ivan
Poddubny's Coach
2014
Jiminy
Otto Hoffmann
2013
En ningún lugar, Don Luis Buñuel
Self
2013
Tired of Being Handsome
2013
DRIVE IN Holy Motors
Self
2013
Square
Self · (1 episode)
2012
Je, François Villon, voleur, assassin, poète
Bezon
2010
Hymn to Merde
Merde
2009
Les Cowboys n'ont pas peur de mourir
(voice)
2009
The Little Murders of Agatha Christie
André Custe · (1 episode)
2009
Happy New Year London
Gerrard Ames
2007
Une année au front : dans les coulisses de "Un long dimanche de fiançailles"
Self
2005
La merveilleuse odyssée de l'idiot Toboggan
(voice)
2002
Şoför
The Driver
2001
Le monde à l'envers
Yann Kerebel
1998
Going and Coming Back
Simon Lerner's patient
1985
The Wounded Man
Wanderer
1983
Paris Ficelle
Joe
1982
Dante's Divine Comedy
Narrator / Virgil / Dante
Erratic Blocks
Lucien Le Saint