Maria de Medeiros
Maria Esteves de Medeiros Victorino de Almeida, DamSE (born 19 August 1965), known professionally as Maria de Medeiros (), is a Portuguese actress, director, and singer who has been involved in both European and American film productions. Early life. Maria de Medeiros was born in Lisbon, Portugal, the daughter of musician and composer António Victorino de Almeida. She played her first part on screen at the age of 15. At 18, she moved to France to pursue her acting studies and was a student at the CNSAD. Medeiros speaks French fluently without an accent and has acted extensively  on stage and on screen in French productions. She also acts in German, Spanish and Italian productions. Medeiros is the first Portuguese woman to be designated a UNESCO Artist for Peace. Film career. Among Medeiros' most memorable film appearances are three early 1990s roles. Her considerable resemblance to Anaïs Nin landed her the primary role in "Henry & June" (1990), in which she played the author. In 1990, she played the role of Maria in Ken McMullen's film about the rise of the Paris Commune, "1871". In 1994, Medeiros appeared in Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction" playing Fabienne, the girlfriend  of Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis). In 2000, Medeiros directed the film "April Captains" (in which she also had a small role) about the 1974 Carnation Revolution in Portugal. The film was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival. In 2003, Medeiros appeared as a hairdresser in the movie "My Life Without Me" starring Sarah Polley. She has starred in the Canadian movie "The Saddest Music in the World" (2004) directed by Guy Maddin and co-starring Isabella Rossellini and Mark McKinney. Music career. In 2007, Medeiros released the album "A Little More Blue" on  which she performs songs by Brazilian musicians, including Chico Buarque, Caetano Veloso, Ivan Lins, and Dolores Duran. She sings in Portuguese, French ("Joana Francesa" by Buarque), and English ("A Little More Blue" by Veloso). In 2009, she sang "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" on The Legendary Tigerman album "Femina". Her second recording, "Penínsulas & Continentes", was released on 23 February 2010.