Laurent Lucas

laurent lucas, born smack in the middle of paris in '65, didn’t waste any time making his mark. The guy jumped straight into training with charles dullin and, trust me, he wasn’t just another face in the crowd at the Strasbourg National Theatre—people noticed, fast. He kicked off his film career in ’96 with “J’ai horreur de l’amour,” playing a dude grappling with being HIV positive—heavy stuff, and he nailed it. Things picked up speed after that. He found himself in Leos Carax’s “Pola X” (1999), and then teamed up with Karin Viard for not one, but two flicks that year: “La nouvelle Ève” and “Haut les coeurs!” That last one? Landed him a César nomination for Best Aspiring Actor. Not too shabby. By 2000, Lucas was on everyone’s radar thanks to his role as a young dad in “Harry, un ami qui vous veut du bien.” It was one of those performances that sticks with you—kind of unsettling, totally compelling. And talk about busy: in 2003, the guy was everywhere at Cannes with “Tiresia,” “Qui a tué Bambi?” and “Va, petite!” showing his range all over the place. Lately, Lucas has been killing it in films like “Lemming” and “Sur la trace d’Igor Rizzi.” At this point, he’s basically one of the top dogs among French actors of his generation. Always intense, always memorable—never just phoning it in.