She starred in six movies but is best known for her role as witty 11-year-old Paloma in Mona Achache's 2009 film The Hedgehog along with Josiane Balasko.
Dominique Lavanant achieved fame in the mid-1970s while filming Les bronzés with the acting troupe Le Splendid - (Gérard Jugnot, Josiane Balasko, Michel Blanc, Thierry Lhermitte, Christian Clavier, Marie-Anne Chazel).
Le Splendid is the name of the café-théâtre company founded by a collection of writers and actors in the 1970s - Christian Clavier, Michel Blanc, Gérard Jugnot, Thierry Lhermitte (four childhood friends who knew one another from the Lycée Pasteur in Neuilly-sur-Seine), Josiane Balasko, Marie-Anne Chazel, Bruno Moynot and Claire Magnin.
It tells the story of Bernard (Gérard Depardieu), a well established BMW car dealer in the South of France, is cheating on his beautiful wife (Carole Bouquet) with his ordinary looking temporary secretary (Josiane Balasko).