Marthe Villalonga, a French comic actress, is known for her vivacious, good-natured, and friendly personality, but also for her fussy, invasive, and possessive traits, which she has portrayed in many of her characters over the course of her five-decade-long career.
Born in Algeria in 1932, Villalonga was raised in a town called Fort de l'Eau, now known as Bordj el Kifan, where one of her grandmothers owned a movie theater. Her family had Portuguese blue blood, and she was soon drawn to the arts, beginning her acting career at the age of six.
Villalonga's early life was marked by her love of theater and music, and she learned to play the piano at a young age. She also showed a talent for writing, publishing a book called "Tout simplement" in 2003, which explored the everyday lives of the "pieds-noirs," a term used to describe French-Algerians.
After leaving school, Villalonga enrolled in the Algiers Drama Academy and began working in Algerian theaters, where she had the opportunity to take part in the play "Famille Hernandez" alongside Robert Castel and Lucette Sahuquet. The play was a huge success, both in Algiers and Paris, and helped to raise awareness about the experiences of the "pieds-noirs."
Villalonga decided to stay in France after the Algerian War, and initially thought that her accent would be a barrier to her success. However, she was persuaded by René Simon to keep her accent, which has since become one of her defining characteristics.
Throughout her career, Villalonga has worked hard to make audiences laugh, appearing in a wide range of films and television shows. While some of her projects have been less successful than others, she has also starred in several critically acclaimed films, including "Le Coup de Sirocco" and her collaborations with André Téchiné.
In addition to her comedic talents, Villalonga has also demonstrated her sensitivity and range as a dramatic actress, and has been praised for her ability to bring depth and nuance to her characters.
