Marie Tifo | The Canadian Encyclopedia

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Marie Tifo

Marie Tifo, born Marie Thiffeault, actor (b at Chicoutimi, Que, 26 Sept 1948). This exceptional actor, whose career includes more than 80 theatrical productions, some 30 films and several television series, is among the most outstanding of her generation.

Marie Tifo

Marie Tifo, born Marie Thiffeault, actor (b at Chicoutimi, Que, 26 Sept 1948). This exceptional actor, whose career includes more than 80 theatrical productions, some 30 films and several television series, is among the most outstanding of her generation. In nearly 40 years, she has touched on all styles with spirit and energy, and can both move audiences and make them laugh. Whether in new works or staples in the repertoire, Marie Tifo is a powerful and determined performer who portrays her characters in depth.

In 1967, after her first experience in amateur theatre in Jonquière, Marie Tifo decided to study drama. She received her diploma from the Conservatoire d'art dramatique in Québec City in 1971 with the prix Jean-Valcourt in hand, awarded to the best performer in the class. She quickly appeared on stage at the Théâtre du Trident, playing in some 50 productions until the mid 1980s, and was already attacking major roles: Rosana in Roland Lepage's Le Temps d'une vie; Jenny in Brecht's L'Opéra de Quat'Sous, Nina in Tchekhov's La Mouette, and Mirandola in Goldoni's La Locandiera. Then, her career took her to most stages in Montréal, with memorable performances at the THÉÂTRE DU NOUVEAU MONDE and the THÉÂTRE DU RIDEAU VERT.

Still, Marie Tifo did not limit herself to theatre. Her fourth film, Les Bons Débarras directed by Francis MANKIEWICZ (1980), with script and screenplay by Réjean DUCHARME, propelled her to new heights. In this film Tifo plays a single mother living in an out-of-the-way village with her boorish brother Ti-Guy and her 13-year-old daughter, Manon, who demands her mother's unconditional love. The film was awarded a Silver Hugo at the Chicago Festival and 8 GENIES including best actor to Marie Tifo, and resulted in her likeness on a Canadian postage stamp for the year of the cinema (1996). She has made films with Yves Simoneau (Pouvoir intime and Dans le ventre du dragon); André Forcier (Kalamazoo), prix Guy-L'Écuyer, 1988; and Robert Ménard, T'es belle, Jeanne, for which she received a PRIX GÉMEAUX and the Prix du public in 1989.

Marie Tifo continued her strong performances in theatre. She appeared under Lorraine Pintal in Ducharme's Ha, ha!... (TNM, 1990), winning the Prix Gascon-Roux and the Prix de la critique for best female performer; in Marcel DUBÉ's Les Beaux Dimanches (TNM, 1993); Molière's Tartuffe (TNM, 1997); Miller's Les Sorcières de Salem (TNM, 1998); Ducharme's L'Hiver de force (TNM, 2001) and recently in Jean-Daniel Lafond's Déraison d'amour (2009), a one-woman show based on writings by Marie de L'Incarnation, that again garnered acclaim from critics and audiences. In addition, she played Queen Gertrude in Shakespeare's Hamlet (TNM, 1990), the title roles in Garcia Lorca's Yerma and Brecht's Mère Courage (Théâtre du Rideau Vert, 1993 and 1995), and Mère Ubu in Jarry's Ubu roi (TNM, 2007), forming a hilarious duo with Rémy GIRARD.

Marie Tifo created marvellous characters on television, notably in Fernand Dansereau's series Le Parc des braves, Jean BEAUDIN and Nino Monti's L'Or et le Papier, Victor-Lévy BEAULIEU's Montréal, P.Q., Jean-Marc Dalpé's Temps dur and Les Poupées russes, as well as television adaptations of Dominic Champagne's La Répétition, and Le Vrai Monde? and Bonjour, là, bonjour by Michel TREMBLAY. A woman and a citizen with firm convictions, Marie Tifo is married to Quebecois actor and politician Pierre Curzi.