After more than a decade in television and film, François Arnaud was ready to come out as bisexual. The talented actor made the reveal a day ahead of Bi Visibility Day, which falls on Sept. 23. “Last week, I was chatting with work friends, and as I brought up a trip I’d taken with an ex-girlfriend, I asked myself — for the ten-thousandth time — how to tell such a story without making it seem like that was the whole story of me,” Arnaud began a series of posts on his Instagram Story.
As for why he felt compelled to open up about his sexual orientation, François explained, “I’m sure many bisexual guys feel the same and end up doing as I did: letting other people’s assumptions of straightness stand uncorrected. Perhaps out of fear of oversharing. Under the guise of privacy, maybe. Probably because ‘masculinity’ is a most fragile currency, ready to nose-dive at the first sign of vulnerability or difference. And because it’s really f–king scary to give up your privilege. Without a doubt because stigmas of indecisiveness, infidelity, deception and trendiness are still clinging to bisexuality.”
However, François realized he no longer wanted to stay “silent” on his sexuality, despite the issues surrounding labels. “But here’s the thing. Silence has the perverse effect of perpetuating those stereotypes, making bi guys invisible, and leading people to doubt that we even exist,” he continued. “No wonder it’s still a chore to acknowledge bisexuality without getting into lengthy explanations.”
In conclusion, the actor wrote, “So yes, labels are frustrating and words, imperfect. I’ve always considered myself bisexual. Not confused or trying to look edgy. Not disloyal. Not ashamed. Not invisible.” Now learn more about François, as we celebrate his decision to break down stereotypes and embrace his sexuality in the public eye:
1. François is most well-known for his role on The Borgias. He played the ruthless Cesare Borgia on the Showtime historical fiction series, which centered around the real-life Borgia family in Italy during the Renaissance era. The series aired between 2011-2013.
2. He’s also held leading roles in other television shows. François continued to have a successful track in television after The Borgias ended. He landed the lead roles as Manfred Bernardo on the NBC series Midnight, Texas and as Dan Moody on the FOX sitcom The Moodys. He also held a recurring role as Oscar in the NBC series Blindspot between 2015-2020.
3. He also had a memorable guest role on Schitt’s Creek. François made a cameo as the infamous ex-boyfriend of David Rose (played by Dan Levy), who is a well-known photographer from New York named Sebastien Raine. However, David preferred to instead refer to his ex as a “monster” on Episode 10, Season 3 of Schitt’s Creek.
4. François has starred on the big screen, too. He kick-started his film career with a role in the 2009 French film I Killed My Mother, which earned him the honor for “Best Supporting Actor in a Canadian Film” from the Vancouver Film Critics Circle. He has gone on to act in films like Rapid Eye Movement and She’s in Portland.
5. François is French-Canadian. François was raised in both France and Canada, but was born in Montreal of Quebec, Canada, according to his IMDb page. French is the official language of Montreal, and François can fluently speak three languages: French, English and Spanish.