One of his earliest film appearances was Subway. He co-wrote with Jaoui Smoking/No Smoking, and co-wrote and starred in Un air de famille, On connaît la chanson, for which he won a César Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in 1998, The Taste of Others and Look at Me. Together, he and Jaoui have won the César Award for Best Writing four times, the Best Screenplay Award at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival and the European Film Awards, and the René Clair Award in 2001.