b. June 4, 1949, Deschambault, Quebec

An imposing, robust figure with penetrating, soulful eyes, Gabriel Arcand has firmly established himself as one of the most reliable actors, leading or supporting, of Quebec stage and screen. His more than thirty film credits in as many years – including several notable roles in films directed by his older brother, Denys B evidence his vast range, while his diverse stage work also reflects his versatility and his passion for acting as an art form.

 
Arcand made his debut in 1967 with La Roulotte, a travelling theatre production directed by Paul Buissonneau. He then completed a master=s degree in philosophy before studying acting with Antoine Bourseiller in Marseilles, France. Deeply influenced by the ideas of Jerzy Grotowski, Arcand attended a workshop at the Polish Labatory Theatre in 1973. In 1974, he returned to Montreal and founded the Groupe de la Veillée, which was renamed Théâtre Prospero in 1999. He has directed productions of many classic plays, including Dostoevsky=s Crime and Punishment, and has performed numerous major roles in such plays as Dostoevsky=s The Idiot, Eugene Ionesco’s Le Roi se meurt and Tankred Dorst’s Moi, Feuerbach.

 
His notable screen credits include Jean-Guy Noël=s Tu brûles... tu brûles (1973), Robin Spry=s Suzanne (1980), Norman Jewison=s Agnes of God (1985), Louis Bélanger=s Post Mortem (1999) and Manon Briand=s La Turbulence des fluides (2002), as well as Denys Arcand=s La Maudite galette (1972), Réjeanne Padovani (1973) and Gina (1975). He won Best Supporting Actor Genies for his work in Denys’s Le Crime d=Ovide Plouffe (1984) and Le Déclin de l’empire américain(1986) and has been nominated for six Genie awards in total. He also received a Best Actor Prix Jutra for his commanding and compassionate performance in Post Mortem. Precociously talented, he also composed music for his brother’s Gina and La Maudite galette.