Catherine Bégin (22 April 1939 – 29 December 2013)[1][2][3][4] was a Canadian actress.
Biography
Catherine Bégin's parents were Quebec sound engineer Lucien Bégin (1895–1964) and Belgian accountant Marie-Louise Vanhavre (or Van Havre) (1906–1967), who married in 1935. Catherine was born in Bois-Colombes, France in 1939. They were in Paris when World War II was declared and fled to Périgueux, then Lisbon, arriving in Montreal in August 1941.[5]
She portrayed more than a hundred roles on the stage,[7] frequently including the classical (Euripides, Corneille, Racine, Molière, Musset, Marivaux, Beaumarchais, Chekhov), contemporary (Cocteau, Arrabal, Bernhardt), and Québécoise repertoires (Marcel Dubé, Réjean Ducharme, Jovette Marchessault, Michel Garneau [fr], Évelyne de la Chenelière). Her interpretations of Madame Rosa (La vie devant soi), Hécube (Les Troyennes), and La Mé (Jouliks) won her a Masque [fr] for Best Female Performance in a Supporting Role.[1]
In the cinema, Bégin acted under the direction of Jean-Claude Lord (Délivrez-nous du mal, Panique), Denys Arcand (Stardom), Bernard Émond (Contre toute espérance), Ghyslaine Côté (Le Secret de ma mère) and Denis Côté (Elle veut le chaos).[8] She embodied the disturbing character of Mademoiselle in Pascal Laugier's genre film Martyrs. One of her last performances in the cinema was Mamy Rose, under the direction of Xavier Dolan in Laurence Anyways.[9]
As a theater instructor at Collège Lionel-Groulx for over 20 years,[3] she helped train a generation of young actors.[3][9]
Involved in the cause of a better recognition of the importance of the arts, and the improvement of the status of artists and creators in Quebec, Bégin acted as spokesperson for the World Coalition of Arts and Cultural Affairs (1986–1990). In particular, she participated in the works of the boards of directors of the Union des artistes (1976–1980) and the Association des directeurs de théâtre (1980–1984).[7] She chaired the Quebec Council of Theatre (1986–1990)[3] and the Académie québécoise du théâtre [fr] (1999–2003).[2][6]
^ abcd"Begin, Catherine 1939 - 2013". La Presse (in French). Quebec: Groupe Gesca. 4 January 2014. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
^"Catherine Begin" (in French). lesgensducinema.com. Archived from the original on 30 November 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
^Bégin, Monique (2011). Notre exode, 1939-1941: famille Lucien et Marie-Louise Bégin (in French). Curieuse limitée. p. 237. ISBN978-2-9812-1234-4.
^ ab"Catherine Bégin (décédée)" [Catherine Bégin (deceased)] (in French). Option-Théâtre du collège Lionel-Groulx. Archived from the original on 30 November 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
^Daignault, Daniel (30 December 2013). "Décès de la comédienne Catherine Bégin" [Death of actress Catherine Bégin] (in French). TVA Nouvelles. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
^ ab"La comédienne Catherine Bégin rend l'âme" [The actress Catherine Bégin gives up the soul]. Le Droit (in French). Capital Media Group. The Canadian Press. 31 December 2013. Archived from the original on 30 November 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
