Who Is Swann Arlaud, the Disarmingly Appealing Lawyer in ‘Anatomy of a Fall’?

Sometimes it all boils down to the hair. In Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall, Swann Arlaud plays Vincent Renzi—a committed lawyer charmed by his client, Sandra (Sandra Hüller), a writer suspected of killing her husband—and the role has propelled him to a whole new level of fame, helped along by a “fancam” on X set to the song “Comme des Garçons” by Rina Sawayama. Now that Arlaud has been named best supporting actor at the 2024 César Awards—France’s equivalent to the Oscars—Vogue takes a look back at his impeccable career… and what it is, exactly, about Arlaud’s latest performance that’s caused such a sensation.

Swann Arlaud, un enfant du cinéma

Yes, Swann Arlaud comes from a family steeped in the world of cinema, but that didn’t make him a natural actor—at least, that’s what he says. His grandfathers, Rodolphe-Maurice Arlaud and Max Vialle, were a screenwriter and an actor, respectively. His parents, Yan Arlaud and Tatiana Vialle, are a cinematographer and a casting director. (Vialle is also a stage director, and has made two short films.) Yet Arlaud didn’t initially consider acting as a career; it was mainly the desire to earn some pocket money that first led him to audition for television roles.

Despite his love for graffiti and a degree from the Decorative Arts of Strasbourg, Arlaud found himself naturally drawn towards cinema, regardless of his initial intentions. His mother kickstarted his acting career by casting him in her play A Woman in Berlin, alongside Isabelle Carré. Soon after, he transitioned to film and quickly established himself with bold, politically charged roles. Whether playing an anarchist, an exfiltrated individual, or a Maoist philosophy professor, Arlaud has embodied characters in search of meaning. That quest has shaped a compelling filmography, culminating in his appearance at the César Awards for his role in Hubert Charuel’s Bloody Milk (Petit Paysan). In the film he played Pierre Chavanges, a farmer managing a herd of dairy cows on his family farm. The part earned him the César for best actor in 2018, a milestone that propelled Arlaud’s career forward.