Luminița Gheorghiu (; 1 September 1949 – 4 July 2021) was a Romanian film actress, and artistic performer in

East Central Europe East Central Europe is the region between Germanic, West Slavic, and Hungarian-speaking Europe and the East Slavic countries of Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine. Those lands are described as situated "between two": "between two worlds, between ...

. She achieved international

recognition Recognition may refer to: *Award, something given in recognition of an achievement Machine learning *Pattern recognition, a branch of machine learning which encompasses the meanings below Biometric * Recognition of human individuals, or biomet ...

for her roles in ''

The Death of Mr. Lazarescu ''The Death of Mr. Lazarescu'' ( ro, Moartea domnului Lăzărescu) is a 2005 Romanian dark comedy film by director Cristi Puiu. In the film an old man ( Ioan Fiscuteanu) is carried by an ambulance from hospital to hospital all night long, as docto ...

'' (2006) and '' Child's Pose'' (2013). Gheorghiu's roles were mostly in

Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania ** Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language ***Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language **Romanian cuisine, traditiona ...

and

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

, including that in ''

Code Unknown ''Code Unknown'' (french: Code inconnu : Récit incomplet de divers voyages) is a 2000 film directed by Michael Haneke. Most of the story occurs in Paris, France, where the fates of several characters intersect and connect. ''Code Unknown'' is co ...

'' with

Juliette Binoche Juliette Binoche (; born 9 March 1964) is a French actress and dancer. She has appeared in more than sixty feature films and has been the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Silver Bear, ...

. Gheorghiu was a 1972 graduate of the Institute of Theatrical and Cinematographic 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 o ...

, where she studied under professor

Ion Cojar Ion Cojar (January 9, 1931 - October 18, 2009) was a Romanian acting teacher, researcher and theatre director. He is the founder of a unique method that revolutionised the Romanian school of acting. Ion Cojar as acting teacher Ion Cojar change ...

. She made her debut in 1971, at the Casandra Theatre, and then played at theaters in

Botoșani Botoșani () is the capital city of Botoșani County, in the northern part of Moldavia, Romania. Today, it is best known as the birthplace of many celebrated Romanians, including Mihai Eminescu, Nicolae Iorga and Grigore Antipa. Origin of the na ...

and

Piatra Neamț Piatra Neamț (; german: Kreuzburg an der Bistrița (Siret), Bistritz; hu, Karácsonkő) is the capital city of Neamț County, in the historical region of Western Moldavia, in northeastern Romania. Because of its privileged location in the Easter ...

. From 1976 to 2003, she played 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 ...

in Bucharest. Gheorghiu died on 4 July 2021, at the age of 71.

Theatrical roles

*Mărioara - ''Sânziana și Pepelea'' (''Sanziana and Pepelea'', a fairy story) by

Vasile Alecsandri Vasile Alecsandri (; 21 July 182122 August 1890) was a Romanian patriot, poet, dramatist, politician and diplomat. He was one of the key figures during the 1848 revolutions in Moldavia and Wallachia. He fought for the unification of the Romani ...

, directed by Alexandru Tocilescu, 1971, Studioul Casandra (Bucharest) *Mama Anghelușa -''Cânticele comice'' (''Comic Songs'') by Vasile Alecsandri, directed by

, Studioul Casandra, 1971 *Trandafira - ''Trei crai de la răsărit'' (''The Three Magi'') by

Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu ( 26 February 1838 – ) was a Romanian writer and philologist, who pioneered many branches of Romanian philology and history. Life He was born Tadeu Hâjdeu in Cristineștii Hotinului (now Kerstentsi in Chernivtsi ...

, directed by Ion Cojar, Studioul Casandra, 1971 *Victorița - ''O fată imposibilă'' (''An Impossible Girl'') by Virgil Stoenescu, directed by Marietta Sadova, Teatrul "Mihai Eminescu"

, 1972 *Vivian - ''

Mrs. Warren's Profession ''Mrs. Warren's Profession'' is a play written by George Bernard Shaw in 1893, and first performed in London in 1902. The play is about a former prostitute, now a madam ( brothel proprietor), who attempts to come to terms with her disapproving ...

'' by

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from ...

, directed by Marietta Sadova, Teatrul "Mihai Eminescu" Botoșani, 1972 *Mama - ''The Misunderstanding'' by

Albert Camus Albert Camus ( , ; ; 7 November 1913 – 4 January 1960) was a French philosopher, author, dramatist, and journalist. He was awarded the 1957 Nobel Prize in Literature at the age of 44, the second-youngest recipient in history. His work ...

, directed by Adrian Lupu, Studioul Casandra, 1972 *Cristina - ''Ultima cursă'' (''Last Race'') by Horia Lovinescu, directed by Emil Mandric, Teatrul "Mihai Eminescu" Botoșani 1974 *Lizzie Curry - '' The Rainmaker'' by

N. Richard Nash Nathan Richard Nusbaum (June 8, 1913 – December 11, 2000), known as N. Richard Nash, was an American writer and dramatist best known for writing Broadway shows, including '' The Rainmaker''. Early life Nash was born Nathan Richard Nusbau ...

, directed by Emil Mandric, Teatrul "Mihai Eminescu" Botoșani, 1974 *Ciocârlia - ''Tinerețe fără bătrânețe și viață fără de moarte'' (''Youth Without Age and Life Without Death'') by Eduard Covali, directed by Cătălina Buzoianu, Teatrul Tineretului

, 1975 *Gerda - ''The Pelican'' by

August Strindberg Johan August Strindberg (, ; 22 January 184914 May 1912) was a Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist and painter.Lane (1998), 1040. A prolific writer who often drew directly on his personal experience, Strindberg wrote more than sixty p ...

, directed by Ioan Taub, Teatrul Bulandra, 1976 *Nimi - ''

Miles Gloriosus ''Alazṓn'' ( grc, ἀλαζών) is one of three stock characters in comedy of the theatre of ancient Greece. He is the opponent of the '' eirôn''. The ''alazṓn'' is an impostor that sees himself as greater than he actually is. The ''senex ...

'' by

Plautus Titus Maccius Plautus (; c. 254 – 184 BC), commonly known as Plautus, was a Roman playwright of the Old Latin period. His comedies are the earliest Latin literary works to have survived in their entirety. He wrote Palliata comoedia, the g ...

, directed by Anton Taub, Teatrul Bulandra, 1976 *Safta - ''Răceala'' (''The Cold'') by

Marin Sorescu Marin Sorescu (; 29 February 1936 – 8 December 1996) was a Romanian poet, playwright, and novelist. His works were translated into more than 20 countries, and the total number of his books that were published abroad rises up to 60 books. He ha ...

, directed by Dan Micu, Teatrul Bulandra, 1977 *Doctorița - ''Undeva, o lumină'' (''Somewhere, a Light'') by Doru Moțoc, directed by Valeriu Moisescu, Teatrul Bulandra, 1977 *Lucietta - ''The New House'' by Carlo Goldoni, directed by Valeriu Moisescu, Teatrul Bulandra, 1978 *''La lilieci'' (''By the Lilacs'') by Marin Sorescu, directed by Virgil Ogășanu, Teatrul Bulandra, 1978 *Șura - ''A Day of Rest'' by

Valentin Katayev Valentin Petrovich Kataev (russian: Валенти́н Петро́вич Ката́ев; also spelled Katayev or Kataiev; – 12 April 1986) was a Russian and Soviet novelist and playwright who managed to create penetrating works discussing ...

, directed by Valeriu Moisescu, Teatrul Bulandra, 1981 *Dorina - ''

Tartuffe ''Tartuffe, or The Impostor, or The Hypocrite'' (; french: Tartuffe, ou l'Imposteur, ), first performed in 1664, is a theatrical comedy by Molière. The characters of Tartuffe, Elmire, and Orgon are considered among the greatest classical thea ...

'' by

Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (, ; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, , ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and world ...

, directed by Alexandru Tocilescu, Teatrul Bulandra, 1982 *O actriță - ''A Cabal of Hypocrites'' by Mihail Bulgakov, directed by Alexandru Tocilescu, Teatrul Bulandra, 1982 *''Liniște, ne privim în ochi'' (''Quietly, They Won't See Us'') by

, directed by Virgil Ogășanu, Teatrul Bulandra, 1983 *''O lume pe scenă'' (''A World on Stage''), directed by Miriam Răducanu, Teatrul Bulandra, 1984 *Ea - ''The Bench'' by Alexander Gelman, directed by Mircea Cornișteanu, Teatrul Bulandra, 1984 *Sonia - ''

Uncle Vanya ''Uncle Vanya'' ( rus, Дя́дя Ва́ня, r=Dyádya Ványa, p=ˈdʲædʲə ˈvanʲə) is a play by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. It was first published in 1898, and was first produced in 1899 by the Moscow Art Theatre under the di ...

'' by

Anton Chekhov Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; 29 January 1860 Old Style date 17 January. – 15 July 1904 Old Style date 2 July.) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer who is considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career ...

, directed by Alexa Visarion, Teatrul Bulandra, 1985 *Piticul Quaqueo - ''The Giants of the Mountain'' by

Luigi Pirandello Luigi Pirandello (; 28 June 1867 – 10 December 1936) was an Italian dramatist, novelist, poet, and short story writer whose greatest contributions were his plays. He was awarded the 1934 Nobel Prize in Literature for "his almost magical power ...

, directed by Cătălina Buzoianu, Teatrul Bulandra, 1987 *Fira - ''Omul cu mârțoaga'' (''The Man With the Jade'') by Gheorghe Ciprian, directed by Petre Popescu, Teatrul Bulandra, 1989 *Madame Bergman - ''The Awakening of Spring'' by

Frank Wedekind Benjamin Franklin Wedekind (July 24, 1864 – March 9, 1918) was a German playwright. His work, which often criticizes bourgeois attitudes (particularly towards sex), is considered to anticipate expressionism and was influential in the deve ...

, directed by

Liviu Ciulei Liviu Ciulei (; 7 July 1923 – 24 October 2011) was a Romanian theater and film director, film writer, actor, architect, educator, costume and set designer. During a career spanning over 50 years, he was described by ''Newsweek'' as "one of the b ...

, Teatrul Bulandra, 1991 *Vittoria - ''Comic Theater'' by Carlo Goldoni, directed by Silviu Purcărete, Teatrul Bulandra, 1992 *Whore, Angel - ''The Seventh Commandment'' by

Dario Fo Dario Luigi Angelo Fo (; 24 March 1926 – 13 October 2016) was an Italian playwright, actor, theatre director, stage designer, songwriter, political campaigner for the Italian left wing and the recipient of the 1997 Nobel Prize in Literature. ...

, directed by Gelu Colceag, Teatrul Bulandra, 1993 *A woman, wife of Ill - ''The Visit of the Old Lady'' by

Friedrich Dürrenmatt Friedrich Dürrenmatt (; 5 January 1921 – 14 December 1990) was a Swiss author and dramatist. He was a proponent of epic theatre whose plays reflected the recent experiences of World War II. The politically active author's work included avant- ...

, directed by Felix Alexa, Teatrul Bulandra, 1993 *Paulina - ''

The Winter's Tale ''The Winter's Tale'' is a play by William Shakespeare originally published in the First Folio of 1623. Although it was grouped among the comedies, many modern editors have relabelled the play as one of Shakespeare's late romances. Some cri ...

'' by

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

, directed by Alexandru Darie, Teatrul Bulandra, 1994 *Olga - '' Three Sisters'' by Anton Chekhov, directed by Alexandru Darie, Teatrul Bulandra, 1995 *Prezicătoare - ''

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, an ...

'' by William Shakespeare, directed by Alexandru Darie, Teatrul Bulandra, 1995 *Nevasta lui Simon - ''1794'', after

Camil Petrescu Camil Petrescu (; 9/21 April 1894 – 14 May 1957) was a Romanian playwright, novelist, philosopher and poet. He marked the end of the traditional novel era and laid the foundation of the modern novel era in Romania. Life Petrescu was born in Bu ...

Georg Buchner Georg may refer to: * ''Georg'' (film), 1997 *Georg (musical), Estonian musical * Georg (given name) * Georg (surname) * , a Kriegsmarine coastal tanker See also * George (disambiguation) George may refer to: People * George (given name) * G ...

Peter Weiss Peter Ulrich Weiss (8 November 1916 – 10 May 1982) was a German writer, painter, graphic artist, and experimental filmmaker of adopted Swedish nationality. He is particularly known for his plays ''Marat/Sade'' and ''The Investigation'' and hi ...

; director and

scenarist A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. T ...

Alexandru Darie Alexandru Darie (14 June 1959 – 18 September 2019) was a Romanian theater director. Born into an acting family, the son of Iurie Darie and Consuela Roșu, he graduated from the Caragiale Academy of Theatrical Arts and Cinematography in Bucha ...

, Teatrul Bulandra, 1997 *''

Exercises in Style ''Exercises in Style'' (french: Exercices de style), written by Raymond Queneau, is a collection of 99 retellings of the same story, each in a different style. In each, the narrator gets on the "S" bus (now no. 84), witnesses an altercation between ...

'', after

Raymond Queneau Raymond Queneau (; 21 February 1903 – 25 October 1976) was a French novelist, poet, critic, editor and co-founder and president of Oulipo ('' Ouvroir de littérature potentielle''), notable for his wit and cynical humour. Biography Queneau w ...

, directed by Ileana Cârstea-Simion, Teatrul Bulandra, 1997 *Bătrâna - '' Chickenhead'' by George Spiro, directed by Gelu Colceag, Teatrul Bulandra 1998 *Eugenia - ''Tango'' by Slawomir Mrozek, directed by Gelu Colceag, Teatrul Bulandra, 2001 *Portăreasa - ''De Pretore Vincenzo'' by

Eduardo De Filippo Eduardo De Filippo (; 24 May 1900 – 31 October 1984), also known simply as ''Eduardo'', was an Italian actor, director, screenwriter and playwright, best known for his Neapolitan works ''Filumena Marturano'' and '' Napoli Milionaria''. Consid ...

, directed by Horațiu Mălăele, Teatrul Bulandra, 2003

Feature films

*''Labirintul'' (''The Labyrinth'', 1980), directed by Șerban Creangă *''Secvențe'', directed by Alexandru Tatos *''Moromeții'' ('' The Moromete Family'', 1987), directed by

Stere Gulea Stere Gulea (born 2 August 1943) is a Romanian film director and screenwriter. He was born in Mihail Kogălniceanu commune, Constanța County, in an Aromanian family that had fled from the Kaliakra region of Southern Dobruja during the 1940 popu ...

- Catrina Moromete *''Drumul câinilor'' (lit. ''Road of the Dogs'', 1991), directed by Laurențiu Damian *''Rămânerea'', directed by Laurențiu Damian *''Privește înainte cu mânie'' (''Look Ahead with Anger'', 1993), directed by

Nicolae Mărgineanu Nicolae Mărgineanu (born 25 September 1938) is a Romanian film director and screenwriter. He has directed 15 films since 1978. His 1983 film '' Return from Hell'' was entered into the 13th Moscow International Film Festival The 13th Moscow I ...

- Lucreția Ciugudean *'' Prea târziu'' (''Too Late'', 1996), directed by

Lucian Pintilie Lucian Pintilie (; 9 November 1933 – 16 May 2018Lucian Pi ...

- Mureșan's wife *''Trenul Vieții'' (''Train of Life'', 1998) - Rivka *'' Code inconnu: Récit incomplet de divers voyages'' (''Code Unknown: Incomplete Tales of Several Journeys'', 2000), directed by

Michael Haneke Michael Haneke (; born 23 March 1942) is an Austrian film director and screenwriter. His work often examines social issues and depicts the feelings of estrangement experienced by individuals in modern society. Haneke has made films in French, G ...

*''Marfa și banii'' (''

Stuff and Dough ''Stuff and Dough'' ( ro, Marfa și banii) is a 2001 Romanian drama film directed by Cristi Puiu. The film was screened for the Directors' Fortnight at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival. Cast * Alexandru Papadopol - Ovidiu * Dragoș Bucur - Vali * ...

'', 2001) - Ovidiu's mother *'' Moartea Domnului Lazarescu'' (''Death of Mr. Lazarescu'', 2005) - Mioara Avram *'' 4 luni, 3 săptămâni și 2 zile'' (2007) - Gina *''Vine poliția!'' (Here comes the police) (TV Series) (2008) - Lucreția Corbescu *''Nunta mută'' (Silent Wedding) (2008) - Fira *''Regina'' (The Queen) (TV Series) (2009) - Elvira *''Iubire și onoare'' (Love and Honor) (TV Series) (2010) - Dr. Mioara Avram *''

Aurora An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...

'' (2010) - Mioara Avram *''

Pariu cu viața Pariu cu viața is a Romanian musical phenomenon comedy-drama television series that has aired on Pro TV. It focuses on a love story between two teenagers with a big passion for music, their family connections and the life of a music group formed ...

'' (TV Series) (2011 - 2013) - Minerva Dumitrescu *'' Brave'' (2012) - The Witch (dubbing) *''Dupa dealuri'' ( Beyond the Hills, 2012), directed by

Cristian Mungiu Cristian Mungiu (; born 27 April 1968) is a Romanian filmmaker. He won the Palme d'Or at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival for his film ''4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days'', which he wrote and directed. He has also won the awards for Best Screenplay an ...

*'' Child's Pose'' (2013) - won the international award

Golden Bear The Golden Bear (german: Goldener Bär) is the highest prize awarded for the best film at the Berlin International Film Festival. The bear is the heraldic animal of Berlin, featured on both the coat of arms and flag of Berlin. History The win ...

Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the fest ...

- Cornelia Keneres *''

Aferim! ''Aferim!'' ('' en, Bravo!'') is a 2015 Romanian drama film directed by Radu Jude and produced by Ada Solomon. It was screened in the main competition section of the 65th Berlin International Film Festival where Radu Jude won the Silver Bear for ...

'' (2015) - Smaranda Cîndescu *''Deschide ochii'' (Open your eyes) (TV Series) (2016) - Zina Barbu *''Fructul oprit'' (TV Series) (2018) - Reveca Boască *''Sacrificiul'' (TV Series) (2019) - Safta

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gheorghiu, Luminita 1949 births 2021 deaths Romanian stage actresses Romanian film actresses Actresses from Bucharest 20th-century Romanian actresses 21st-century Romanian actresses Caragiale Academy of Theatrical Arts and Cinematography alumni