Veronica Lazăr
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Veronica Lazăr (6 October 1938 – 8 June 2014) 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 ...
n-born
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...
actress.


Biography

Lazăr was born 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 ...
in 1938. She graduated from the Caragiale Academy of Theatrical Arts and Cinematography (where she also obtained a degree in psychology, which she practiced until 1994, dealing mainly in couples therapy) and subsequently played roles in Romanian theatre otably_a_run_of_''Right_You_Are_(if_you_think_so)''_in_1963-64.html" ;"title="Right_You_Are_(if_you_think_so).html" ;"title="otably a run of ''
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_and_eventually_settled_in_Italy_in_1965._She_managed_to_learn_the_Italian_language.html" "title="Socialist_Republic_of_Romania.html" "title="Right You Are (if you think so)">otably a run of ''Right You Are (if you think so)'' in 1963-64">Right_You_Are_(if_you_think_so).html" ;"title="otably a run of ''Right You Are (if you think so)">otably a run of ''Right You Are (if you think so)'' in 1963-64 She fled her home country to escape Socialist Republic of Romania">communism Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a ...
and eventually settled in Italy in 1965. She managed to learn the Italian language">Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...
language in only a few weeks and had planned to move on to the United States or Israel, but became entranced with Rome. There, she met and married Italian actor Adolfo Celi with whom she had two children, director Leonardo Celi and actress Alessandra Celi. She made her screen debut as Marlon Brando's deceased wife in Bernardo Bertolucci's ''
Last Tango in Paris ''Last Tango in Paris'' ( it, Ultimo tango a Parigi; french: Le Dernier Tango à Paris) is a 1972 erotic drama film directed by Bernardo Bertolucci. The film stars Marlon Brando, Maria Schneider and Jean-Pierre Léaud, and portrays a recently wi ...
'' (1972), and also appeared in some of the director's subsequent films, '' La Luna'' (1979), ''
The Sheltering Sky ''The Sheltering Sky'' is a 1949 novel of alienation and existential despair by American writer and composer Paul Bowles. Plot The story centers on Port Moresby and his wife Kit, a married couple originally from New York who travel to the Nor ...
'' (1990), and ''
Besieged Besieged may refer to: * the state of being under siege * ''Besieged'' (film), a 1998 film by Bernardo Bertolucci {{disambiguation ...
'' (1998). Lazăr is probably best known internationally for her role as the demonic Mater Tenebrarum in Dario Argento's ''
Inferno Inferno may refer to: * Hell, an afterlife place of suffering * Conflagration, a large uncontrolled fire Film * ''L'Inferno'', a 1911 Italian film * Inferno (1953 film), ''Inferno'' (1953 film), a film noir by Roy Ward Baker * Inferno (1973 fi ...
'' (1980), as well as the ill-fated Martha in
Lucio Fulci Lucio Fulci (; 17 June 1927 – 13 March 1996) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor. Although he worked in a wide array of genres through a career spanning nearly five decades, including comedies and Spaghetti Westerns, he ga ...
's '' The Beyond'' (1981). She later appeared in Argento's ''
The Stendhal Syndrome ''The Stendhal Syndrome'' ''(Ital. La Sindrome di Stendhal)'' is a 1996 Italian Giallo film written and directed by Dario Argento and starring his daughter Asia Argento, with Thomas Kretschmann and Marco Leonardi. It was the first Italian film t ...
'' (1996) in a role that was removed from the North American version (though she is still billed in the end credits). Her other films included Michelangelo Antonioni's '' Identification of a Woman'' (1982), '' My Sister and I'' (1987), ''
Towards Evening ''Towards Evening'' ( it, Verso sera) is a 1990 Italian drama film directed by Francesca Archibugi. It was entered into the 17th Moscow International Film Festival. For her performance Zoe Incrocci was awarded with a David di Donatello for Bes ...
'' (1990), '' The Prince's Manuscript'' (2000) and '' Ginostra'' (2002). She had an extensive career in (mostly) Italian television, where she was often the lead or one of the lead characters. Lazăr headlined the 1978 adaptation of ''
The Elective Affinities ''The Elective Affinities'' ( it, Le affinità elettive, french: Les affinités électives) is a 1996 Italian-French comedy film directed by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani. It was screened out of competition at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival. Cast * ...
'', '' Giacinta'' (1980) and was a big part of the 1989 BBC miniseries ''
Summer's Lease ''Summer's Lease'' is a novel by Sir John Mortimer, author of the Rumpole novels, which is set predominantly in Italy. It was first published in 1988 and made into a British television mini-series, first shown in 1989. The title "Summer's Leas ...
''. Her last role was that of the main character Lorenzo's loving grandmother in Bertolucci's '' Me and You'' (2012). Veronica Lazăr was a renowned woman of culture and a cultural ambassador between Italian and Romanian cinema (the latter, a position she began in 1989). She was a linguistic interpreter and was seen as a symbolic figure with a protective aura by her countrymen in both Italy and Romania. She was also president of the Itaro Art Foundation and was instrumental in its 2007 retrospective on Romanian cinema held in Rome and Pisa. She was heavily involved with the acting students at
Teatro Valle Teatro may refer to: * Theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific p ...
and often would cook meals for them at her home and bring them to the theatre. The students there nicknamed her "Nonna Veronica." Lazăr also coordinated the construction of a hospital in
Mali Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mal ...
over the course of a year, on orders of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. When she returned to Italy, she brought with her African fabrics, statues, and carpets, many of which were still in her home when she died. Lazăr loved to play cards, share with her friends, and had a special affinity for the sea. At her funeral, she wanted her 18-year-old niece, a career musician already, to play the theme from ''
Schindler's List ''Schindler's List'' is a 1993 American epic historical drama film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg and written by Steven Zaillian. It is based on the 1982 novel ''Schindler's Ark'' by Australian novelist Thomas Keneally. The film f ...
'' throughout the Jewish cemetery in
Prima Porta Prima Porta is the 58th ''Zones of Rome, zona'' of Rome, identified by the initials Z. LVIII. The name Prima Porta (First Door) came from an arch of the aqueduct that brought water to the Villa of Livia, which formed over Via Flaminia a sort of ga ...
where she was laid to rest.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lazar, Veronica 1938 births 2014 deaths Italian film actresses Italian stage actresses Italian television actresses Actresses from Bucharest Romanian emigrants to Italy Naturalised citizens of Italy