Maria de Medeiros

Maria de Medeiros
Maria de Medeiros at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival
Born	Maria de Medeiros Esteves Vitorino de Almeida August 19, 1965 (1965-08-19) Lisbon, Portugal
Occupation	Actress, director, singer
Years active	1980–present
Spouse	Agustí Camps

Maria de Medeiros Esteves Vitorino de Almeida, DamSE (born August 19, 1965), better known as Maria de Medeiros (Portuguese pronunciation: [mɐˈɾiɐ dɨ mɨˈdɐjɾuʃ]), is a Portuguese 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 France 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.

In 2008, Medeiros was nominated for the UNESCO Artist for Peace.

Film career

Among Medeiros' most memorable film appearances are three early 1990s roles. Her considerable resemblance to Anaïs Nin 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.

Music career

In 2007, Medeiros released an album, A Little More Blue, in which she performs songs by Brazilian musicians, including Chico Buarque, 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.

Selected filmography

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

• 1871 (1990)
• Henry & June (1990)
• Meeting Venus (1991)
• Pulp Fiction (1994)
• Adão e Eva (1995)
• Go for gold (1997)
• Airbag (1997)
• April Captains (2000)
• Honolulu Baby (2001)
• Stranded: Náufragos (2002)
• My Life Without Me (2003)
• Moi César, 10 ans 1/2, 1m39 (2003)
• The Saddest Music in the World (2004)
• Medea Miracle (2007)
• Midsummer Madness (2007)
• Riparo (aka Shelter Me) (2007)
• My Stars (2008)
• Il Compleanno (aka David's Birthday) (2009)
• Chicken with Plums (2011)

Discography

• A Little More Blue (2007)
• Penínsulas & Continentes (2010)

Collaborations

• Drama Box de Misia (2005)
• Rendez-vous Chez Nino Rota, CD+DVD from the Italian Mauro Gioia, with Adriana Calcanhotto, Martirio, Ute Lemper, Catherine Ringer, Susana Rinaldi y Sharleen Spiteri. Maria signs La pappa col pomodoro (2008)
• Femina. The Legendary Tigerman Maria de Medeiros sings "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" (2009)
• Señora (ellas cantan a Serrat). Maria de Medeiros sings Nanas de la Cebolla (2009)

External links

• Official website of Maria de Medeiros
• Maria de Medeiros at the Internet Movie Database
• Youtube channel