Lavant was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine , Hauts-de-Seine , in France . At 13 , he took courses in pantomime and the circus , fascinated by Marcel Marceau . He trained at the Paris Conservatoire under Jacques Lassalle , and began his professional career in 1982 in theatre , acting in Shakespeare 's '' Hamlet '' and '' The Merchant of Venice '' . In 1982 he appeared in the television film '' L'Ombre sur la plage '' , before playing the minor part of Montparnasse in Robert Hossein 's '' Les Misérables '' , which was entered into the 13th Moscow International Film Festival where it won a Special Prize . He appeared in several further minor roles before making his breakthrough in 1984 as the lead in '' Boy Meets Girl '' , playing a depressed , aspiring filmmaker who falls in love with a suicidal young woman . The film marked the directorial debut of Leos Carax , with whose films Lavant has been associated ever since
13th Moscow International Film Festival
13th Moscow International Film Festival
Denis Lavant