Gérard Lanvin

Gérard Lanvin, born on June 21, 1950, in the Paris suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt, is one of those French actors who just sort of sneaks up on you—suddenly you realize you’ve seen him everywhere, from cult classics to gritty dramas. The guy’s not just an actor, though. He’s also a writer, which honestly explains a lot about the way he disappears into his roles. If you’ve ever caught L'ennemi public n°1 (the 2008 crime flick), you’ll know what I mean—he’s not exactly the type to play it safe or phone it in. And then there’s Le prix du danger from way back in ‘83, which is basically the French answer to those wild, dystopian thrillers Hollywood keeps churning out. That one’s all about survival and the dark side of reality TV, way before anyone was doomscrolling through Twitter. Lanvin’s range is kinda nuts. He’ll do something as biting and real as Le goût des autres (2000), which digs into relationships and all the messy, hilarious stuff that comes with people trying to understand each other. Not to get sappy, but it’s the kind of movie that makes you want to call your friends and hash things out over a bottle of wine. Off-screen, he’s been married to Jennifer since 1984. Two kids, and apparently, he’s managed to keep his private life pretty low-key despite being a big deal in French cinema. Not a small feat, considering how much attention the guy gets. Basically, Lanvin’s the sort of actor who makes you believe in the characters—gritty, charming, and real, even when the story goes totally off the rails.