Elvire Popesco
- Actriță
- Born: 10.05.1894 in Bucharest
- Died: 11.12.1993 in Paris
Graduate of the Conservatory of Dramatic Arts, Bucharest, professors Aristizza Romanescu and
Constantin Nottara. Astress at National Theatre in Bucharest. From 1923 when she played the lead in Louis Verneuil's "Ma cousine de Varsovie" to 1978 when she played again (and for the last time) "La Mamma", written specially for her by André Roussin, Elvire Popesco was the undisputed queen of "Théâtre de Boulevard" (light comedies). For 55 years in a row, la Popesco was that ebullient and charming thick-accented foreigner who graced with her cheerful energy dozens of plays by such witty playwrights such as Louis Verneuil, Jacques Deval, Sacha Guitry, Henri Bernstein, André Roussin, Marcel Achard and many others. She seldom ventured into "serious" territory but Jean Cocteau's "La machine infernale" and Frédéric Dard's "La dame de Chicago" are exceptions that help to back up Tristan Bernard's own definition of her personality: "Elvire Popesco is a glass of champagne with tears at the bottom". Even when she appeared in a famous thriller like René Clément's Purple Noon (1960), she was her usual eccentric foreigner self. Though when she was still a young Romananian thespian her dream was to become a great tragedian, she soon realized that if she wanted to succeed in France her accent was a terrible handicap. She made people laugh and she proved wise enough to accept it for a fact. She was wonderful as a result instead of... ridiculous. (Guy Bellinger for imdb.com)
Trivia
- Married with the politician Ion Manolescu Strunga.
- Was romantically involved with writer Louis Verneuil.
- Elvira Popescu, contesse De Foy by mariage with Maximilien Sébastien De Foy.
- In 1987, Elvire Popesco received the Molière Prize for career achievement.
- In 1989, President François Mitterrand conferred upon her the Légion d'honneur.
- Together with Elena Vacarescu, Anna de Noailles, and Marthe Bibesco, Elvire Popesco is considered to be the inspiration for Henri Matisse's painting, La Blouse Roumaine (1940).
- In her apartment in Avenue Foch, it was an open house for personalities: André Roussin, Guy de Rothschild, Jacques Chirac, Pierre Cardin, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing.
- In Bucharest is Cinema ”Elvire Popesco” at French Institute.
- Buried in the exclusive "Père Lachaise" cemetery Paris, France.
Actrița Leny Caler despre Elvire Popesco:
„Este o imagine, aproape ca un vis, pe care o păstrez despre Elvira Popescu din anii de când eram încă la Conservator. Într-o zi de iarnă însorită, am ieşit de la şcoală, şi trecând prin Piaţa Palatului, acoperită cu un covor de zăpadă, am rămas pironită pe loc, privind la un splendid tablou. În faţa mea, în mijlocul acelei vaste pieţe, stătea pe loc, privind departe, o femeie înaltă, blondă de o strălucitoare fumuseţe. Trupul ei zvelt era înfăşurat într-o haină de blană scumpă, lungă până în pământ. Pe cap, o pălărie cu boruri late îi umbrea ochii, nu mari, dar sclipind bucuria vieţii. Ţinea în amândouă braţele un imens buchet de trandafiri roşii“. (volumul ”Amintiri”)
