Personal details
Born:
- Born Place: Paris, Ile-de-France, France
Guslagie Malanda
Guslagie Malanda (born 1990 in Paris) is a French actress and art curator celebrated for her powerful, understated performances and resolute approach to role selection. She made her debut in Jean‑Paul Civeyrac’s My Friend Victoria (2014), earning critical praise for a "pensive performance" . Following this, she stepped away from acting for several years—refusing stereotypical roles—while working in contemporary art. Her return came with Alice Diop’s Saint Omer (2022), where she portrayed Laurence Coly, a Senegalese immigrant on trial, in a performance lauded for its "tragic, piercing dignity" of a Racine heroine and earning her a César nomination for Most Promising Actress . To prepare, she studied tai chi for breath control and examined court transcripts to authentically inhabit the role. In 2023, she took on a contrasting role in Bertrand Bonello’s The Beast, and most recently appeared in Dominik Moll’s Case 137 (2025). Raised in Val‑d’Oise to parents with academic and professional backgrounds, Malanda holds a degree in art history and remains active as an independent curator . Her deliberate career choices—declining clichéd parts with no depth—underscore her commitment to authenticity and representation, making her one of the most compelling voices in contemporary French cinema .
