Ilarion Ciobanu (; 28 October 1931 – 7 September 2008) was a

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

. He has been described as "a legend" in the press and the last true Romanian comic.

Biography

Ciobanu was born in Ciucur, Tighina County,

Kingdom of Romania The Kingdom of Romania ( ro, Regatul României) was a constitutional monarchy that existed in Romania from 13 March ( O.S.) / 25 March 1881 with the crowning of prince Karl of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen as King Carol I (thus beginning the Romanian ...

(now

Moldova Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The unrecognised state of Transnistr ...

), in a family with six brothers. When he was 8, his father, Vlase, a longshoreman in the

Port of Constanța The Port of Constanța is located in Constanța, Romania, on the western coast of the Black Sea, from the Bosphorus Strait and from the Sulina Branch, through which the Danube river flows into the sea. It covers , of which is land and the res ...

, died in an accident. His mother, Olga, moved to Constanța, where she had to work as a cook at a hospital to support her children, two of whom would die due to illness. From age 12, Ciobanu held a variety of jobs: he worked as a longshoreman, farmer, tractor driver, miner, digger, carpenter, sailor, and fisherman. He distinguished himself as a volunteer at the building of the Bumbești– Livezeni railroad; as a dump truck driver, he transported stone from

Ovidiu Ovidiu (, historical name: ''Canara'', tr, Kanara) is a town situated a few kilometres north of Constanța in Constanța County, Northern Dobruja, Romania. Ovidiu is quite small, with a population of around 12,000, and many wealthy inhabitants of ...

for the construction of the

Danube–Black Sea Canal The Danube–Black Sea Canal ( ro, Canalul Dunăre–Marea Neagră) is a navigable canal in Romania, which runs from Cernavodă on the Danube river, via two branches, to Constanța and Năvodari on the Black Sea. Administered from Agigea, it ...

. Starting in 1948 he played

rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...

, first with Știința București, then with

Dinamo București A dynamo is a magnetic device originally used as an electric generator. Dynamo or Dinamo may also refer to: Places * Dinamo (Moscow Metro), a station of the Moscow Metro, Moscow, Russia * Dinamo (Yekaterinburg Metro), a station of the Yekaterin ...

and finally (from 1959 to 1962) with Progresul București. In 1958 he was admitted at the I.L. Caragiale Institute of Theatre and Film Arts in

Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...

, but did not finish his studies. Instead, he worked as electrician at the

Bulandra Theatre The Bulandra Theatre ( ro, Teatrul Bulandra) in Bucharest, Romania was founded in 1947 as Teatrul Municipal; its first director was Lucia Sturdza-Bulandra, one of the leading Romanian stage actresses of her generation. Liviu Ciulei was director b ...

and made his debut in the movie

Thirst Thirst is the craving for potable fluids, resulting in the basic instinct of animals to drink. It is an essential mechanism involved in fluid balance. It arises from a lack of fluids or an increase in the concentration of certain osmolites, suc ...

. Ciobanu married twice (and divorced twice) Tamara Barna, a dancer with the Ciocârlia ensemble. In 1972, he married Marion; the two adopted Natalia Doina, the daughter from his wife's first marriage, and in 1978 their son Ioachim was born. He died in Bucharest at age 76 of laryngeal cancer; according to his wishes, his remains were cremated and his ashes were thrown into the

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Rom ...

Selected filmography

* ''

'' (1961) – Mitru Moț * ' (1962) * ' (1962) – Popescu * ''

Lupeni 29 ''Lupeni 29'' is a 1962 Romanian drama film about the Lupeni strike of 1929, directed by Mircea Drăgan. It was entered into the 3rd Moscow International Film Festival where it won a Silver Prize. Cast * as Ioana * Colea Răutu as Petre Letean ...

'' (1963) – Danet * ' (1964) – Gheorghe II * '' Răscoala'' (1965) – Petre Petre * ''Golgota'' (1966) * ' (1966) * '' Dacii'' (1966) – Gerula * '' (1968) — Redea * ''

The Column ''The Column'' ( ro, Columna) is a 1968 Romanian historical film directed by Mircea Drăgan. The film was selected as the Romanian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 41st Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee. The action ...

'' (1968) – Gerula, a Dacian Captain * ' (1969) – shephard Nichifor Lipan * ' (1969) – Pavel Costan * ' (1970) – Ghinda * ''

Michael the Brave Michael the Brave ( ro, Mihai Viteazul or ; 1558 – 9 August 1601), born as Mihai Pătrașcu, was the Prince of Wallachia (as Michael II, 1593 – 1601), Prince of Moldavia (1600) and ''de facto'' ruler of Transylvania (1599 – 1600). ...

'' (1971) – Stroe Buzescu * ' (1971) * ' (1971) – Gavrilă Drăgan * ' (1971) – Ilarion * ' (1971) – Pintea * ' (1972) – Pavel * '' Cu mâinile curate'' (1972) – Mihai Roman * ' (1972) * ''

Ultimul cartuș ''Ultimul cartuș'' (''The Last Cartridge'', ''The Last Bullet'') is a 1973 Romanian crime film directed by Sergiu Nicolaescu. It is about commissioner Roman, portrayed by Ilarion Ciobanu, who is trying to revenge his partner's death. Plot M ...

'' (1973) – Mihai Roman * ' (1973) – Mihai Roman * ' (1973) * ' (1973) – Mihai Roman * ' (1973) – Johannes Pierre Fripp * ' (1974) - Commissioner Mihai Roman * '' Nemuritorii'' (1974) – Vasile * ' (1975) – Johannes Pierre Fripp * ' (1975) – Dan Cernega * '' No Trespassing'' (1975) – Ilarie * ''

Toate pînzele sus ''Toate pînzele sus'' is a TV series of the Romanian Television (TVR), a film adaptation of the novel of the same name, ' ("All Sails Up!"), written by Radu Tudoran. * ' (1977) * '' The Prophet, the Gold and the Transylvanians'' (1978) – Traian Brad * ' (1978) – Teodosie Lazăr * ' (1978) – Hăisan * '' The Actress, the Dollars and the Transylvanians'' (1978) – Traian Brad * ' (1978) * ' (1978) – officer Percea * ' (1978) – Tudose Volintiru * ''

Mihail, câine de circ ''Mihail, câine de circ'' ( en, Michael, Circus Dog) is a 1979 Romanian adventure film directed by Sergiu Nicolaescu. It is based on the novel ''Michael, Brother of Jerry''. Cast * Karl Michael Vogler – Dag Daughtry * Ernest Maftei – Greenle ...

'' (1979) – Captain Duncan * ' (1979) – Vasile Mutu * ' (1979) * ' (1980) – colonel Cristescu * ' (1980) * ' (1980) – Vârlan * '' The Oil, the Baby and the Transylvanians'' (1981) – Traian Brad de la Poplaca * ' (1981) – Dăneț * ' (1981) * ' (1983) – Tudor * ' (1984) – Ion Barbu * ''Acasă'' (1985) – Moș Culai * ' (1986) – sergeant Oancea * ' (1986) – Octavian Borcea * ' (1987) – father Ionel * ' (1988) – Baciul Iuga * ' (1994) – Fane * ' (1995) — nea Parfenie * ' (2003) – Părintele Petrian * ' (2006) – Oana's father * ' (2006) – Romeo Protopopescu * ' (2007) – Rodia's father

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ciobanu, Ilarion 1931 births 2008 deaths Romanian people of Moldovan descent People from Cimișlia District Romanian rugby union players Romanian male film actors The Transylvanians series Deaths from cancer in Romania Deaths from laryngeal cancer