Do you recognize the name Maria de Medeiros? No? That makes sense, to be honest. Since playing Butch’s girlfriend, Fabienne, in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, the actress hasn’t done much in American movies. Why didn’t the star become popular when she was in one of Tarantino’s most praised movies?
Medeiros grew up in a time of change in Portugal. Her father was a composer and her mother was a political journalist. The actress thinks of this as a turning point in her life. The political and social revolution also sparked an artistic revolution in the country, which led to the creation of new art forms.
Revolutions in Cinema
This is where Medeiros fell in love with not only acting, but also movies and art in general. Since she was a child, Maria de Medeiros was always drawing or singing to herself. When she was 15, she was cast in her first movie, a local one called Silvestre. This was a turning point in her life. Three years later, she would keep trying out acting and move to France.
In order to learn how to act, the actress went to college and also acted in several French movies. At this point, it’s important to note that she speaks six languages well. I write for a living and can barely finish one, so that’s impressive to me.
In the end, she played the lead role in France’s entry for Best Foreign Film at the 1989 Oscars. Even though it didn’t win, a nomination is a great way to add to your resume. At the very least, it will get Damien Chazelle’s attention.
Pulp Fiction
From there, she got better, which led to her being cast in the American play Henry & June. In the movie, she worked with Uma Thurman, who she would later work with in Pulp Fiction. Kevin Spacey, who played Kevin in Kevin’s Christmas Eve Throwdown, was also a big deal.
Quentin Tarantino and Medeiros became friends when they met at a French film festival where he was showing Reservoir Dogs. Then Tarantino cast her as Fabienne in his next movie, Pulp Fiction. This made her famous because Pulp Fiction is one of the most cult-favorite movies of all time.
Unlike most of the other cast members, she didn’t go on to do any big Hollywood roles after that. In fact, the movie brought John Travolta’s career back to life. Again. Medeiros could have gone anywhere, but she chose to go back to France and work in the movie business there again before making a big move back to her home country of Portugal.
Noping Out of America
Medeiros released April Captains in Portugal on April 21, 2000, just four days before the 26th anniversary of the events in the movie. It is a tribute to and story of the Carnation Revolution, which happened in Portugal on April 25, 2000. It focuses on the two men who overthrew the oppressive Portuguese government without anyone getting hurt.
The movie was praised by critics in Portugal and around the world, and it would help the already talented artist improve his love of directing and writing. She would go on to direct more films, both documentaries and dramas, and get praise for her work.
After making a well-received film of her own, Maria de Medeiros didn’t stop acting. Instead, she moved to Europe and worked in movies and on TV for the next twenty years in France, Germany, Italy, and her home country of Portugal. Since Pulp Fiction, she hasn’t been in many English-language movies.
Multi-Media Threat
In the late 2000s, Medeiros did try her hand at music. She put out a few covers and an album of her own songs in her native language. The actress’s albums did well, but she hasn’t worked on music in any way other than live shows since 2010.
Even though she keeps a lot of her personal life a secret, it is known that she has been with her current husband Augusti Camps since at least 1997, when their oldest daughter was born. A second daughter was born to the couple in 2003.
On the Horizon
Even though she keeps most of her personal life private, the artist often posts photos and videos from her trips around Europe on Instagram. Even though she travels a lot, it seems like it’s mostly for work and not for fun, since most of the time she’s acting, directing, singing, producing, or sometimes writing. But you should keep doing what you’re good at, right?
Maria de Medeiros won’t be slowing down any time soon. She has projects in the works as both a director and an actress. She hasn’t said anything to suggest that she’ll be back in American movies soon, but with the right part, Tarantino could bring her back.
