Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia
Bégin, Catherine
Acclaimed Quebec-based actor who was active in theatre for four decades. Catherine Bégin was born in Bois-Colombes, France in 1939, died in Montreal in December 2013 at the age of 74. She studied at the Conservatoire d'art dramatique de Montréal.
She performed in over 100 plays - from classics to modern works. She appeared in the world premiere of the award-winning Le Voyage Magnifique d'Emily Carr by Jovette Marchessault (Théâtre d'Aujourd'hui, 1990). At Centaur Theatre she performed in Une pucelle pour un gorille (1992, in French and English); at Café de la Place des Arts in Avant la retraite (1992); and at Théâtre des Cascades in Fiancés de l'armoire à linge/What the Butler Saw (1994). She also appeared in the world premiere of Jean-Pierre Boucher's Les vieux ne courent pas les rues (Théâtre d'Aujourd'hui, March, 2000).
She played many major roles in television and film, including in Les Beaux Dimanches by Marcel Dubé, directed by Richard Martin.
In 1999 Catherine Bégin was named president of the Académie québécoise de théâtre, the body which gave out the Masques Awards. She received a Masque Award herself in 2005 for supporting actress in Jouliks.
She had an elegant stage presence and a lush voice. In her obituary, La Presse lauded her acting talents: "Connue pour ses rôles dramatiques, joués avec intensité et réalisme, l'actrice savait aussi donner dans la comédie et incarner les émotions avec vérité" (30 Dec 2013).
Profile by Gaetan Charlebois and Anne Nothof.
Last updated 2019-02-26
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The Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia web site was originally conceived and developed in 1996 by Gaetan Charlebois—theatre critic, playwright, and actor.
