Maria de Medeiros
Encyclopedia
Maria de Medeiros Esteves Vitorino de Almeida, DamSE (born August 19, 1965), better known as Maria de Medeiros (mɐˈɾiɐ dɨ mɨˈdɐjɾuʃ), is a Portuguese
actress, director, and singer who has been involved in both European and American film productions.
to pursue her acting studies and was a student at the CNSAD
. Medeiros speaks French
fluently without an accent and has acted extensively on stage and on screen in French productions. She also acts in Spanish, German, and Italian productions.
Medeiros was on the front cover of issue two of the London
fanzine "The Freaky Jason". In 2008, Medeiros was nominated for the UNESCO
Artist for Peace.
landed her the primary role in Henry & June
(1990), in which she played the author. In 1990, she played the role of Maria in Ken McMullen
's film about the rise of the Paris Commune, 1871
. In 1994, Medeiros appeared in Quentin Tarantino
's Pulp Fiction
, playing Butch Coolidge's (Bruce Willis
) girlfriend, Fabienne.
In 2000, Medeiros directed the film April Captains (in which she also had a small role) about the 1974 Carnation Revolution
in Portugal. The film was screened in the Un Certain Regard
section at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival
.
In 2003, Medeiros appeared as a hairdresser in the movie My Life Without Me
starring Sarah Polley
. She has starred in the Canadian movie The Saddest Music in the World
(2004) directed by Guy Maddin
and co-starring Isabella Rossellini
and Mark McKinney
.
, Caetano Veloso
, Ivan Lins
, and Dolores Duran
. On the album, she sings in French ("Joana Francesa" by Chico Buarque), Portuguese, and English ("A Little More Blue" by Caetano Veloso).
On February 23, 2010, her second recording was released, Peninsulas & Continentes.
In 2009, she sang "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'
" on The Legendary Tigerman
album Femina.
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
actress, director, and singer who has been involved in both European and American film productions.
Personal life
Maria de Medeiros was born in Lisbon, Portugal, the daughter of musician and composer António Vitorino de Almeida. She played her first part on screen at the age of 15. At the age of 18, she moved to FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
to pursue her acting studies and was a student at the CNSAD
CNSAD
The Conservatoire National Supérieur d'Art Dramatique is France's national drama academy in Paris...
. Medeiros speaks French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
fluently without an accent and has acted extensively on stage and on screen in French productions. She also acts in Spanish, German, and Italian productions.
Medeiros was on the front cover of issue two of the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
fanzine "The Freaky Jason". In 2008, Medeiros was nominated for the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
Artist for Peace.
Film career
Among Medeiros' most memorable film appearances are three early 1990s roles. Her considerable resemblance to Anaïs NinAnaïs Nin
Anaïs Nin was a French-Cuban author, based at first in France and later in the United States, who published her journals, which span more than 60 years, beginning when she was 11 years old and ending shortly before her death, her erotic literature, and short stories...
landed her the primary role in Henry & June
Henry & June
Henry & June is a 1990 American film directed by Philip Kaufman and stars Fred Ward, Maria de Medeiros, and Uma Thurman. It is loosely based on the book of the same name by the French author Anaïs Nin, and tells the story of Nin's relationship with Henry Miller and his wife, June.-Plot:The story...
(1990), in which she played the author. In 1990, she played the role of Maria in Ken McMullen
Ken McMullen (film director)
Ken McMullen is an award-winning film director and artist living currently in London. His feature films are distributed worldwide, his documentaries broadcast extensively and his art works exhibited in leading contemporary art galleries in Europe, The United States and the Far East...
's film about the rise of the Paris Commune, 1871
1871 (film)
1871 is a 1990 period film about the rise and fall of the Paris Commune in 1871. It was directed by Ken McMullen and produced by Stewart Richards. The writers were McMullen, James Leahy and Terry James...
. In 1994, Medeiros appeared in Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
's Pulp Fiction
Pulp fiction
Pulp fiction may refer to:* pulp magazines, short stories presented in a magazine format, printed on cheaply made wood-pulp paper* Pulp Fiction, a 1994 film directed by Quentin Tarantino...
, playing Butch Coolidge's (Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis
Walter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles...
) girlfriend, Fabienne.
In 2000, Medeiros directed the film April Captains (in which she also had a small role) about the 1974 Carnation Revolution
Carnation Revolution
The Carnation Revolution , also referred to as the 25 de Abril , was a military coup started on 25 April 1974, in Lisbon, Portugal, coupled with an unanticipated and extensive campaign of civil resistance...
in Portugal. The film was screened in the Un Certain Regard
Un Certain Regard
Un Certain Regard is a section of the Cannes Film Festival's Official Selection. It is run at the Salle Debussy, parallel to the competition for the Palme d'Or.This section was introduced in 1978 by Gilles Jacob...
section at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival
2000 Cannes Film Festival
The 2000 Cannes Film Festival started on May 14 and ran until May 25. The Palme d'Or went to the Danish film Dancer in the Dark by Lars von Trier.-Jury:* Luc Besson, President * Jonathan Demme * Nicole Garcia...
.
In 2003, Medeiros appeared as a hairdresser in the movie My Life Without Me
My Life Without Me
My Life Without Me is a 2003 Spanish/Canadian film directed by Isabel Coixet and starring Sarah Polley, Mark Ruffalo, Scott Speedman, and Leonor Watling. Based on the book Pretending the Bed Is a Raft by Nanci Kincaid, it tells a story of the dying process of a 23-year-old woman who has a husband...
starring Sarah Polley
Sarah Polley
Sarah Polley is a Canadian actress, singer, film director, and screenwriter. Polley first attained notice in her role as Sara Stanley in the Canadian television series, Road to Avonlea...
. She has starred in the Canadian movie The Saddest Music in the World
The Saddest Music in the World
The Saddest Music in the World is a 2003 Canadian film directed by Guy Maddin. It stars Mark McKinney, Isabella Rossellini, Maria de Medeiros, David Fox and Ross McMillan....
(2004) directed by Guy Maddin
Guy Maddin
Guy Maddin, OM is a Canadian screenwriter, director, cinematographer and film editor of both features and short films from Winnipeg, Manitoba...
and co-starring Isabella Rossellini
Isabella Rossellini
Isabella Fiorella Elettra Giovanna Rossellini is an Italian actress, filmmaker, author, philanthropist, and model. Rossellini is noted for her 14-year tenure as a Lancôme model, and for her roles in films such as Blue Velvet and Death Becomes Her.-Background and early life:Rossellini is a...
and Mark McKinney
Mark McKinney
Mark Douglas Brown McKinney is a Canadian comedian and actor, best known for his work in the sketch comedy troupe The Kids in the Hall. Following the run of their television series and feature film , he went on to star in Saturday Night Live from 1995 to 1997...
.
Music career
In 2007, Medeiros released an album, A Little More Blue, in which she performs songs by Brazilian musicians, including Chico BuarqueChico Buarque
Francisco Buarque de Hollanda , popularly known as Chico Buarque , is a singer, guitarist, composer, dramatist, writer and poet...
, Caetano Veloso
Caetano Veloso
Caetano Emanuel Viana Teles Veloso , better known as Caetano Veloso, is a Brazilian composer, singer, guitarist, writer, and political activist. Veloso first became known for his participation in the Brazilian musical movement Tropicalismo which encompassed theatre, poetry and music in the 1960s,...
, Ivan Lins
Ivan Lins
Ivan Guimarães Lins is a Latin Grammy winning Brazilian musician. He has been an active performer and songwriter of Brazilian popular music and jazz for over 30 years. His first hit, Madalena, was recorded by Elis Regina in 1970. Beyond his own performance of his compositions, Simone is his most...
, and Dolores Duran
Dolores Duran
Dolores Duran was a Brazilian singer and composer.Adiléia Silva da Rocha debuted at age 10 on the radio. Two years later, when her father died, she started to work on the television, too...
. On the album, she sings in French ("Joana Francesa" by Chico Buarque), Portuguese, and English ("A Little More Blue" by Caetano Veloso).
On February 23, 2010, her second recording was released, Peninsulas & Continentes.
In 2009, she sang "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'
These Boots Are Made for Walkin'
Jessica Simpson recorded her own version of "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" for the soundtrack to the film The Dukes of Hazzard . Simpson's cover was co-produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and was released as the soundtrack's first single in 2005)...
" on The Legendary Tigerman
The Legendary Tigerman
The Legendary Tigerman is the artistic name of Paulo Furtado, a Portuguese blues performer in a one-man-band style. With a singular style, Furtado plays guitar, harmonica and drums alone on stage....
album Femina.
As director
- Sévérine C. (1987)
- Fragmento II (1988)
- A Morte do Príncipe (1991)
- April Captains (2000)
- Mathilde au matin (2004)
- Je t'aime moi non plus (2004)
As actress
- 18711871 (film)1871 is a 1990 period film about the rise and fall of the Paris Commune in 1871. It was directed by Ken McMullen and produced by Stewart Richards. The writers were McMullen, James Leahy and Terry James...
(1990) - Henry & JuneHenry & JuneHenry & June is a 1990 American film directed by Philip Kaufman and stars Fred Ward, Maria de Medeiros, and Uma Thurman. It is loosely based on the book of the same name by the French author Anaïs Nin, and tells the story of Nin's relationship with Henry Miller and his wife, June.-Plot:The story...
(1990) - Meeting VenusMeeting VenusMeeting Venus is a 1991 British–American-Japanese film directed by the Hungarian director István Szabó and starring Glenn Close, Niels Arestrup, Marián Labuda, Victor Poletti, Jay O. Sanders, Maria de Medeiros and Johanna ter Steege...
(1991) - Pulp FictionPulp fictionPulp fiction may refer to:* pulp magazines, short stories presented in a magazine format, printed on cheaply made wood-pulp paper* Pulp Fiction, a 1994 film directed by Quentin Tarantino...
(1994) - Adão e Eva (1995)
- Go for gold (1997)
- AirbagAirbag (film)Airbag is a 1997 Spanish film written and directed by Juanma Bajo Ulloa.- Cast:* Fernando Guillén Cuervo as Konradín* Karra Elejalde as Juantxo* Alberto San Juan as Pako* Manuel Manquiña as Pazos* Maria de Medeiros as Fátima do Espíritu Santo...
(1997) - April Captains (2000)
- Honolulu Baby (2001)
- Stranded: NáufragosStranded: NáufragosStranded is a 2001 film about the fictional first manned mission to Mars. The movie starred Vincent Gallo and Maria de Medeiros.It was directed by Spanish filmmaker and actress María Lidón and with a screenplay by Spanish science fiction author Juan Miguel Aguilera...
(2002) - My Life Without MeMy Life Without MeMy Life Without Me is a 2003 Spanish/Canadian film directed by Isabel Coixet and starring Sarah Polley, Mark Ruffalo, Scott Speedman, and Leonor Watling. Based on the book Pretending the Bed Is a Raft by Nanci Kincaid, it tells a story of the dying process of a 23-year-old woman who has a husband...
(2003) - Moi César, 10 ans 1/2, 1m39 (2003)
- The Saddest Music in the WorldThe Saddest Music in the WorldThe Saddest Music in the World is a 2003 Canadian film directed by Guy Maddin. It stars Mark McKinney, Isabella Rossellini, Maria de Medeiros, David Fox and Ross McMillan....
(2004) - Medea MiracleMedea MiracleMedea Miracle is a 2007 French-Italian drama film directed by Tonino De Bernardi and starring Isabelle Huppert.-Cast:* Julia Camps - Girl* Eugenia Capizzano - Medea employed* Lou Castel - Creo* Rossella Dassu - Louise* Giulietta De Bernardi - Martha...
(2007) - Midsummer Madness (2007)
- Riparo (aka Shelter Me) (2007)
- My Stars (2008)
- Il Compleanno (aka David's Birthday) (2009)
- Chicken with PlumsChicken with Plums (film)Chicken with Plums is a 2011 French drama film directed by Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud. It is based on the graphic novel of the same name. The film premiered in competition at the 68th Venice International Film Festival on 3 September 2011...
(2011)
Collaborations
- Drama Box de MisiaMisiaMisia is a Japanese R&B singer, this could also mean:*Mísia, a Portuguese fado singer*Misia Sert, a Parisian socialite*Style Misia, a musical name...
(2005) - Rendez-vous Chez Nino RotaNino RotaNino Rota was an Italian composer and academic who is best known for his film scores, notably for the films of Federico Fellini and Luchino Visconti...
, CD+DVD from the Italian Mauro Gioia, with Adriana CalcanhottoAdriana CalcanhottoAdriana Calcanhotto is a Brazilian singer/composer. Her melancholic songs are often categorized as belonging to the MPB genre...
, MartirioMartirioMaribel Quiñones or María Isabel Quiñones Gutiérrez in full, known under her stage name as Martirio is a Spanish singer born in 1958 in Huelva, Spain....
, Ute LemperUte LemperUte Lemper is a German chanteuse and actress renowned for her interpretation of the work of Kurt Weill.- Biography :Born in Münster, Germany, Ute Lemper was raised in a Roman Catholic family. She joined the punk music group known as the Panama Drive Band at the age of 16...
, Catherine RingerCatherine RingerCatherine Ringer is a French singer, musician, songwriter, dancer, choreographer, and actress.Ringer started her professional career on stage in the late 1970s in productions with Michael Lonsdale's Théâtre de Recherche Musicale as well as musical and dance productions...
, Susana RinaldiSusana RinaldiSusana Natividad Rinaldi is an Argentine tango singer.Dubbed "La Tana", she was born Susana Natividad Rinaldi in Buenos Aires on December 25, 1935. The daughter of a wealthy father and a poor mother, she spent her childhood moving throughout different provinces of Argentina...
y Sharleen SpiteriSharleen SpiteriSharleen Spiteri is a Scottish recording artist and songwriter, best known as being the lead singer of Scottish rock/blues band Texas. Texas began their career in 1986, and shot to fame in 1989 with their UK Top Ten single, "I Don't Want a Lover" released from Southside...
. Maria signs La pappa col pomodoro (2008) - Femina. The Legendary Tigerman Maria de Medeiros sings "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'These Boots Are Made for Walkin'Jessica Simpson recorded her own version of "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" for the soundtrack to the film The Dukes of Hazzard . Simpson's cover was co-produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and was released as the soundtrack's first single in 2005)...
" (2009) - Señora (ellas cantan a Serrat). Maria de Medeiros sings Nanas de la Cebolla (2009)