François Arnaud (actor)

François Arnaud (actor)

François Landriault-Barbeau (born July 5, 1985), known professionally as François Arnaud, is a Canadian actor. His accolades include a Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award, in addition to nominations for two Canadian Screen Awards.

He is best known for his roles as Antonin Rimbaud in the film J'ai tué ma mère, I Killed My Mother (2009), Cesare Borgia in the Showtime period drama series The Borgias (2011–2013), Manfred Bernardo in the NBC supernatural drama series Midnight, Texas (2017–2018), and Scott Hunter in the Crave sports romance series Heated Rivalry (2025–present).

Early life and education

François Arnaud (actor)

Arnaud was born on July 5, 1985, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He is French Canadian. The first play he saw was Cyrano de Bergerac at age nine; inspired by the performance, he went home and tried to learn the monologues. Arnaud graduated from Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf with an arts degree. He later trained at the Conservatoire d'art dramatique in Montreal.

Career

François Arnaud (actor)

Arnaud started his career in his home country by landing a role in a comedy series called Taxi 0-22 and guest starring in several other Canadian shows. He also starred as Antonin Rimbaud in the French-Canadian film J'ai tué ma mère (I Killed My Mother), an Oedipal coming-of-age drama directed by Xavier Dolan. Arnaud received a VFCC Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Canadian Film for the role, and credits this with getting him an agent in Hollywood who helped him get auditions for larger roles.

Arnaud at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival

Arnaud became known for his performance as Cesare Borgia in the Showtime series The Borgias. He portrayed Oscar in the NBC drama series Blindspot. He also starred in Midnight, Texas portraying the troubled psychic Manfred Bernardo from 2017 to 2018. The show filmed in Albuquerque and Arnaud enjoyed exploring the mountains and waterfalls nearby during his five months there.

In 2016, Arnaud filmed Permission in New York City. Later, Arnaud filmed sci-fi thriller Origami, a French-Canadian movie that was shot in his home town of Montreal. The film was so physically and psychologically exhausting for Arnaud that he could not work for a month afterwards so he retreated to a cabin in the woods. In 2017, Arnaud filmed the indie film, She's in Portland with Tommy Dewey, which was released in 2020.

Arnaud featured in an episode of Schitt's Creek as Sebastien Raine, David's ex-boyfriend and photographer. In 2019, the film Rapid Eye Movement was released which saw Arnaud playing a radio DJ whose ratings are falling so he plays a stunt by going without sleep to break a world record. Arnaud shot this in Times Square in a glass booth where he interacted with passersby. Also in 2019, Arnaud started shooting a psychological thriller called Home about a young couple dealing with raising a newborn. He plays opposite Emily Hampshire, whom he met while working on Schitt's Creek. He was cast because Emily would only accept her role if Arnaud played her husband. Arnaud portrayed Dan Moody in The Moodys over two seasons until its cancellation in 2021.

In 2024, Arnaud starred in the music video for "How Far Will We Take It?" by Orville Peck and Noah Cyrus. In 2025, Arnaud starred as ice hockey player Scott Hunter in the Canadian gay sports romance television series Heated Rivalry. The show is based on Canadian writer Rachel Reid's Game Changers book series. Arnaud also filmed German director Wiebke von Carolsfeld's upcoming drama Someone's Daughter, portraying a man who is kidnapped along with the criminal lawyer who defended him against a rape charge.

Personal life

François Arnaud (actor)

Arnaud came out as bisexual on his Instagram on November 19, 2020. In May 2023, he announced he had been dating actor Marc Bendavid for a year.

Arnaud speaks French and English. He learned Spanish in high school and later traveled to Latin America, where a Chilean girlfriend helped improve his command of the language. However, he did not use Spanish for a decade before his role in Amapola, which was set in Argentina.

Filmography

Film

<table><thead><tr><th>Year</th><th>Title</th><th>Role</th><th>Notes</th><th>Ref.</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>2009</td><td>I Killed My Mother</td><td>Antonin Rimbaud</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Heat Wave</td><td>Yannick Ménard</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2013</td><td>Copperhead</td><td>Warner Pitts</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Moroccan Gigolos</td><td>Nicholas</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2014</td><td>Amapola</td><td>Luke</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Big Sky</td><td>Clete</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2015</td><td>Caesar</td><td>Mark Antony</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>The Girl King</td><td>Karl Gustav Kasimir</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Rabid Dogs</td><td>Vincent</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2016</td><td>The Man Who Was Thursday</td><td>Gabriel Syme</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Jean of the Joneses</td><td>Jeremiah Rosen</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>The People Garden</td><td>Jamie</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2017</td><td>Permission</td><td>Dane</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Origami</td><td>David</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2018</td><td>Rapid Eye Movement</td><td>Rick Weider</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2020</td><td>She's in Portland</td><td>Luke</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Paint</td><td>Conner Fontaine</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Esther's Choice</td><td>Michael</td><td>Short film</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2021</td><td>Goodbye Happiness</td><td>Nicolas</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>The Winter House</td><td>Jesse</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2022</td><td>Norbourg</td><td>Vincent Lacroix</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Marlowe</td><td>Nico Peterson</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>The Switch</td><td>Leblanc</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Two Days Before Christmas</td><td>Alex</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2024</td><td>Mom</td><td>Jared</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2025</td><td>Twinless</td><td>Sammy</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>In Transit</td><td>Tom</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Fucktoys</td><td>The Mechanic</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2026</td><td>Abril</td><td>Gabriel</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Someone's Daughter</td><td>Paul</td><td>Post-production</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>TBA</td><td>Keeper of the Cup</td><td>Brad</td><td>Pre-production</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

Television

<table><thead><tr><th>Year</th><th>Title</th><th>Role</th><th>Notes</th><th>Ref.</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>2007</td><td>C.A.</td><td>Serveur resto Maude</td><td>Episode: "Réseau rencontre"</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2008</td><td>Taxi 0-22</td><td>Marc-André</td><td>3 episodes</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>The Double Life of Eleanor Kendall</td><td>Stefan</td><td>Television film</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2009–2010</td><td>Yamaska</td><td>Théo Carpentier</td><td>15 episodes</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2011–2013</td><td>The Borgias</td><td>Cesare Borgia</td><td>29 episodes</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2014</td><td>Apocalypse: World War I</td><td>Narrator</td><td>5 episodes</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2015–2016</td><td>X Company</td><td>Rene Villiers</td><td>4 episodes</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2015–2016, 2020</td><td>Blindspot</td><td>Oscar</td><td>18 episodes</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2017</td><td>Schitt's Creek</td><td>Sebastien Raine</td><td>Episode: "Sebastien Raine"</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>High School Lover</td><td>Christian Booth</td><td>Television film</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2017–2018</td><td>Midnight, Texas</td><td>Manfred Bernardo</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2018</td><td>UnREAL</td><td>Tommy Castelli</td><td>8 episodes</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2019–2021</td><td>The Moodys</td><td>Dan Moody</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2022</td><td>Surface</td><td>Harrison</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2023</td><td>Plan B</td><td>Patrick Landry</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Yellowjackets</td><td>Paul</td><td>4 episodes</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Quantum Leap</td><td>Curtis Bailey</td><td>Episode: "This Took Too Long!"</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2025</td><td>Mr. Big</td><td>Jean-François "Jeff" Sauvageau</td><td>10 episodes</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2025–present</td><td>Heated Rivalry</td><td>Scott Hunter</td><td>5 episodes</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>TBA</td><td>Alice</td><td>Mitchell</td><td>5 episodes, Post-production</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

Theatre

<table><thead><tr><th>Year</th><th>Title</th><th>Role</th><th>Venue</th><th>Ref.</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>2008</td><td>Réveillez-vous et chantez</td><td>Ralph</td><td>Théâtre de l'Opsis</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2008</td><td>L'impressario de Smyrne</td><td></td><td>Théâtre Prospero</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2009</td><td>L'oeil du lynx</td><td>Le garçon</td><td>Théâtre du Nouveau Monde</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2023</td><td>Une fête d'enfants</td><td>David</td><td>Théâtre du Nouveau Monde</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

Awards and nominations

François Arnaud (actor)

<table><thead><tr><th>Year</th><th>Award</th><th>Category</th><th>Work</th><th>Result</th><th>Ref.</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>2010</td><td>Vancouver Film Critics Circle</td><td>Best Supporting Actor in a Canadian Film</td><td>I Killed My Mother</td><td>Won</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2010</td><td>Prix Gémeaux</td><td>Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama</td><td>Yamaska</td><td>Nominated</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2014</td><td>Canadian Screen Awards</td><td>Best Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role</td><td>The Borgias</td><td>Nominated</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2022</td><td>Alpe d'Huez International Comedy Film Festival</td><td>Best Actor (shared with Antoine Bertrand, Louis Morissette and Patrice Robitaille)</td><td>Goodbye Happiness</td><td>Won</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2024</td><td>Northern Ontario Music and Film Awards</td><td>Outstanding Performance by an Actor</td><td>The Switch</td><td>Nominated</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2024</td><td>Vienna Independent Film Festival</td><td>Best Actor</td><td>Canadian, Sniper</td><td>Won</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2026</td><td>Queerty Awards</td><td>Best TV Performance</td><td>Heated Rivalry</td><td>Won</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2026</td><td>Canadian Screen Awards</td><td>Best Leading Performance in a Drama Series</td><td>Pending</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>