François Arnaud (actor)

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François Arnaud
Arnaud in 2018
Born
François Landriault-Barbeau

(1985-07-05) July 5, 1985
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
OccupationActor
Years active2007–present

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

Arnaud's film career began with a role in Xavier Dolan's award-winning I Killed My Mother (2009). He has since appeared in films such as Jean of the Joneses (2016), Origami (2017), Marlowe (2022), Twinless (2025), and Fucktoys (2025). His first television role was on the French Canadian comedy series Taxi 0-22 in 2008, after which Arnaud starred as Cesare Borgia in the Showtime period drama series The Borgias (2011–2013) and Manfred Bernardo in the NBC supernatural drama series Midnight, Texas (2017–2018). In 2025, Arnaud attracted widespread acclaim for portraying Scott Hunter in the Crave sports romance television series Heated Rivalry (2025–present).

Early life and education

Arnaud was born on July 5, 1985,[1] in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.[2] He is French Canadian.[3] 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.[4] Arnaud graduated from Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf with an arts degree.[5] He later trained at the Conservatoire d'art dramatique de Montréal.[6]

Career

Arnaud started his career in Quebec by landing a role in French Canadian comedy series Taxi 0-22 in 2008.[7] The following year, he starred as Antonin Rimbaud in the Xavier Dolan's award-winning film I Killed My Mother (J'ai tué ma mère),[8] an Oedipal coming-of-age drama that premiered in the Director's Fortnight section of the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.[9][10] Arnaud received a VFCC Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Canadian Film for his work in I Killed My Mother,[11] and credits this with getting him an agent in Hollywood who helped him get auditions for larger roles.[12]

Arnaud at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival

Arnaud became known for his performance as Cesare Borgia in the Showtime series The Borgias.[6][13] He portrayed Oscar in the NBC drama series Blindspot.[14] He also starred in Midnight, Texas[15] 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.[16]

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.[16] In 2017, Arnaud filmed the indie film, She's in Portland with Tommy Dewey, which was released in 2020.[16]

Arnaud featured in an episode of Schitt's Creek as Sebastien Raine, David's ex-boyfriend and photographer.[17] In 2019, the film Rapid Eye Movement was released which saw Arnaud playing a radio DJ. Arnaud shot this in Times Square in a glass booth where he interacted with passersby.[18] Also in 2019, Arnaud started shooting a psychological thriller called Mom. 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.[18] Arnaud portrayed Dan Moody in The Moodys over two seasons until its cancellation in 2021.[19]

In 2024, Arnaud starred in the music video for "How Far Will We Take It?" by Orville Peck and Noah Cyrus.[20]

In 2025, Arnaud starred as ice hockey player Scott Hunter in the Canadian sports romance television series Heated Rivalry. His performance in the role received widespread critical acclaim, particularly his work in the third episode of the season, "Hunter".[21][22] The series is based on Canadian writer Rachel Reid's Game Changers book series.[23][24][25] That year, Arnaud also appeared in Annapurna Sriram's Fucktoys, which premiered at South by Southwest;[26] James Sweeney's Twinless, which premiered at Sundance;[27] and Wiebke von Carolsfeld's forthcoming drama film Someone's Daughter.[28]

In June 2026, Arnaud was cast in the upcoming Hulu limited series Count My Lies in a recurring role as Danny, appearing opposite Lindsay Lohan.[29] The same month, it was announced that Arnaud had joined David Corenswet and Yvonne Strahovski in the Broadway revival of Three Days of Rain, portraying Pip and Theo.[30]

Personal life

Arnaud was in a relationship with Canadian actress Evelyne Brochu from 2012 to 2014.[31][32] On November 19, 2020, Arnaud came out as bisexual on his Instagram.[33][34] In May 2023, he announced that he had been dating Canadian actor Marc Bendavid for a year.[35]

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.[4]

In March 2026, Arnaud and his Heated Rivalry co-star Hudson Williams shared a joint message on their Instagram stories addressing hateful comments from some fans.[36] The post read, "Don't call yourself a fan if you share racist/homophobic/biphobic/misogynistic/ageist/ableist/parasocial/bigoted comments of any kind ... None of us need your hateful 'love' ... We all respect and support and love each other and are on the same side ... if you can't accept that gtfoh."[36]

Acting credits

Film

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

Television

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2007 C.A. Serveur resto Maude Episode: "Réseau rencontre"
2008 Taxi 0-22 Marc-André 5 episodes
The Double Life of Eleanor Kendall Stefan Television film
2009–2010 Yamaska Théo Carpentier 27 episodes
2011–2013 The Borgias Cesare Borgia 29 episodes
2014 Apocalypse: World War I Narrator 5 episodes
2015–2016 X Company Rene Villiers 4 episodes
2015–2016, 2020 Blindspot Oscar 18 episodes
2017 Schitt's Creek Sebastien Raine Episode: "Sebastien Raine"
High School Lover Christian Booth Television film
2017–2018 Midnight, Texas Manfred Bernardo
2018 UnREAL Tommy Castelli 8 episodes
2019–2021 The Moodys Dan Moody
2022 Surface Harrison
2023 Plan B Patrick Landry
Yellowjackets Paul 4 episodes
Quantum Leap Curtis Bailey Episode: "This Took Too Long!"
2025 Mr. Big Jean-François "Jeff" Sauvageau 10 episodes
2025–present Heated Rivalry Scott Hunter 5 episodes
2026 Alice Mitchell 5 episodes, Post-production
TBA Count My Lies Danny Shepherd Recurring role [29]

Theatre

Year Title Role Venue Ref.
2008 Réveillez-vous et chantez Ralph Théâtre de l'Opsis
2008 L'impressario de Smyrne Théâtre Prospero
2009 L'oeil du lynx Le garçon Théâtre du Nouveau Monde
2025 Une fête d'enfants David Théâtre du Nouveau Monde
2027 (upcoming) Three Days of Rain Pip/Theo Shubert Theatre

Awards and nominations

List of awards and nominations for François Arnaud
Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
Vancouver Film Critics Circle Best Supporting Actor in a Canadian Film I Killed My Mother Won
2010
 Prix Gémeaux Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama Yamaska Nominated
Canadian Screen Awards Best Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role The Borgias Nominated
2022
 Alpe d'Huez International Comedy Film Festival Best Actor (shared with Antoine Bertrand, Louis Morissette and Patrice Robitaille) Goodbye Happiness Won
2024
 Northern Ontario Music and Film Awards Outstanding Performance by an Actor The Switch Nominated
2024
 Vienna Independent Film Festival Best Actor Canadian, Sniper Won
Queerty Awards Best TV Performance Heated Rivalry Won
Canadian Screen Awards Best Leading Performance in a Drama Series Nominated
2026
 ACTRA Award Members' Choice Series Ensemble Won [45]
2026
 ACTRA Award in Montreal Outstanding Performance in TV Won [46][47]
2026
 Dorian TV Awards Best Supporting TV Performance – Drama Pending [48]

References

  1. "davidremington.com". Archived from the original on April 26, 2012. Retrieved May 23, 2012.
  2. "Heated Rivalry's François Arnaud Is Hollywood's Quiet Chameleon". NUVO. Retrieved January 13, 2026.
  3. Nicolaou, Elena. "Do You Have A Crush On François Arnaud Yet?". refinery29.com. Retrieved January 13, 2026.
  4. "François Arnaud: Post-Renaissance Man". Interview. June 25, 2013. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  5. "Interview - François Arnaud for Mon Cinéma". cesare-lucrezia.livejournal.com. Retrieved February 4, 2026.
  6. "François Arnaud | The Marilyn Denis Show". www.marilyn.ca. Archived from the original on March 25, 2017. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
  7. "François Arnaud | Biography and Filmography | 1985". Hollywood.com. December 10, 2014. Retrieved September 8, 2017.
  8. Saltz, Rachel (March 12, 2013). "I Killed My Mother, a Xavier Dolan Film". The New York Times. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
  9. "Quebec film scores hat trick at Cannes". Montreal Gazette. May 23, 2009. Archived from the original on October 21, 2009. Retrieved May 25, 2009.
  10. Gheciu, Alex Nino. "François Arnaud Is Hollywood's Quiet Chameleon". NUVO. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
  11. "François Arnaud Biography". buddytv.com. Archived from the original on August 6, 2017. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
  12. "Cover Story - François Arnaud". New York Moves. April 15, 2017. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  13. "François Arnaud Talks The Borgias Season 2, the Third Season, Deleted Scenes, and More". Collider. March 26, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
  14. Petski, Denise (October 9, 2015). "François Arnaud Joins NBC Drama Blindspot; LisaGay Hamilton In The Wilding". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
  15. Andreeva, Nellie (March 7, 2016). "Midnight, Texas: François Arnaud Set As The Lead In NBC Drama Pilot". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
  16. "François Arnaud". Interview. July 24, 2017. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  17. "Schitt's Creek actor François Arnaud comes out as bisexual". NBC News. September 22, 2020. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  18. "Pop-Culturalist Chats with Rapid Eye Movement's François Arnaud". Pop-Culturalist. September 16, 2019. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  19. White, Peter (June 18, 2021). "The Moodys Canceled At Fox After Two Seasons". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  20. Orville Peck (May 10, 2024). Orville Peck & Noah Cyrus - How Far Will We Take It? (Official Music Video). Retrieved January 9, 2026 – via YouTube.
  21. Baez, Dominic (December 30, 2025). "Heated Rivalry review: Gay hockey adaptation on HBO one of 2025's best shows". The Seattle Times. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  22. Feinberg, Daniel (February 24, 2026). "Sex, Scalpels and Surprises: THR Critics on Winter's Must-See TV". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 27, 2026.
  23. Garner, Glenn (December 5, 2025). "'Heated Rivalry's François Arnaud Unpacks Scott's "Cautionary" Rom-Com Episode, Jokes It's "A Different Porn Category"". Deadline. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
  24. Sim, Bernardo. "Heated Rivalry: Scott isn't actually clocking Shane, actor says | Out.com". www.out.com. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
  25. Malkin, Marc (December 5, 2025). "'Heated Rivalry' Star François Arnaud on Episode 3's Surprise Romance, Sex Scenes With [SPOILER] and Coming Out as Bisexual: 'I Didn't Want to Hide'". Variety. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
  26. Shatto, Rachel. "SXSW 2025 preview: 15 queer films we can't wait to see!". www.pride.com. Retrieved May 12, 2026.
  27. Rubin, Rebecca (April 8, 2025). "Dylan O'Brien Comedy 'Twinless' Nears Sale to Roadside, Lionsgate After Winning Sundance Audience Award (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved May 12, 2026.
  28. Wiseman, Andreas (February 10, 2026). "First Look At 'Heated Rivalry' Star François Arnaud In New Movie 'Someone's Daughter' As EFM Sales Launch". Deadline. Retrieved May 12, 2026.
  29. Cordero, Rosy (June 16, 2026). "'Heated Rivalry' Star François Arnaud Joins Hulu's 'Count My Lies'". Deadline. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
  30. Evans, Greg (June 25, 2026). "François Arnaud, David Corenswet & Yvonne Strahovski Heading To Broadway In 'Three Days Of Rain' 2027 Revival". Deadline. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
  31. "Nouveau couple" [New couple]. Le Journal de Montréal. Retrieved July 4, 2026.
  32. "Five Minutes With: Evelyne Brochu of Tom At The Farm". Flare. May 27, 2014. Archived from the original on September 26, 2015.
  33. Padgett, Donald (September 21, 2020). "'The Borgias' François Arnaud Comes Out as Bisexual to Fight Stigma". Out. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  34. "Who plays Scott Hunter on Heated Rivalry? Meet François Arnaud". South China Morning Post. December 8, 2025. Retrieved December 15, 2025.
  35. "Francois Arnaud Reveals Relationship with Actor Marc Bendavid Amidst New Series Launch - SSBCrack News". December 5, 2025. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
  36. "'Heated Rivalry' Stars Tell Fans to 'GTFOH' If They Can't Be Kind on Social Media". Rolling Stone Australia. March 10, 2026. Retrieved March 25, 2026.
  37. "Vancouver critics pick I Killed My Mother". CBC News, January 13, 2010.
  38. "Prix Gémeaux: Liste des finalistes". Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, August 30, 2010
  39. "Orphan Black leads the way in this year's Canadian Screen Awards nominations". The Globe and Mail, January 13, 2014.
  40. "Le film «Au revoir le bonheur» triomphe au Festival de l’Alpe d’Huez". [Sous Les Projecteurs], January 23, 2022.
  41. "NOMFA 2024 Film & TV Awards". [NOMFA], 2024.
  42. "VIFF 2024 Winners". [VIFF], 2024.
  43. Malkin, Marc (March 10, 2026). "'Heated Rivalry,' Cynthia Erivo and Lady Gaga Win Big at Queerties Awards: Full Winners List". Variety. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
  44. Weaver, Jackson (March 25, 2025). "North of North, Heated Rivalry, 40 Acres lead Canadian Screen Award nominees". CBC News. Retrieved March 25, 2025.
  45. "ACTRA Toronto announces 24th ACTRA Awards in Toronto nominees, and Stunt Award and Lifetime membership recipients". ACTRA Award. April 16, 2026. Retrieved April 21, 2026.
  46. "Special Awardees and Host". ACTRA Awards. June 15, 2026. Retrieved June 15, 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  47. Nulman, Stuart (May 26, 2026). "ACTRA Montreal Unveils Nominees for its 15th Biennial Awards". Montreal Times. Archived from the original on May 28, 2026. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
  48. Neglia, Matt (June 17, 2026). "The 2026 Dorian (GALECA) TV Award Nominations". Next Best Picture. Retrieved June 17, 2026.