Biography

Valeriu Popescu was born on 1st of December 1938 in Bucharest, Romania. He graduate from the Acting Faculty of the Institutul de Arta Teatrala si Cinematografica "Ion Luca Caragiale" (IATC), the "National University of Theatre and Movie" (UNATC) of today, Bucharest, in 1962, at prof. Ion Olteanu's class, assisted by Irina Rachiteanu-Sirianu... Till 1970 he played on different important stages of the country, as Targu Mures, Ploiesti and the "Small Theatre" ("Teatrul Mic") Bucharest, in leading parts, as he was a tall, a good looking, charismatic person, in plays such as "The twelfth Night" ("A douasprezecea Noapte") by William Shakespeare, "The Devil's Disciple" ("Discipolul Diavolului") by Bernard Shaw, "Orfeu Descending" ("Orfeu in Infern") by Tennessee Williams, "Romeo and Juliett" by William Shakespeare, "Two for the Seesaw" ("Doi pe un Balansoar") by William Gibson etc. In 1969 he defected Romania and the communist system, setting in Paris, France, where he changed his name to Valerio Popesco, adapting it to the country's language. He played diverse parts in different movies and at the television, as the part of the Stranger in the film of the Belgian director Andre Delvaux "Belle", in 1973, working also with famous French directors as: Jean-Luc Godard, Philippe Galardi, Roger Burkhardt...

He also directed himself "The Premiere" by John Cromwell, "Butterflies, Butterflies" by Aldo Nicolai, "Moments of Life" by William Saroyan. In 1984 he established the theatre company "Instants" in Lyon, for which he was artistic director till 1989, when the communist system fell. In 1995 he returned to Romania, where he played again more leading roles, at the "Nottara" Theatre (Starbuck in "The Rainmaker" by Richard Nash) and at the "National Theatre" Bucharest, where he was employed one year later. But the most important role he did in the last years of his life was that of Alfredo in "The Queen Mum" by Manlio Santanelli, next to Olga Tudorache, on the "Amfiteatre" stage. In the movies, he started with a part in "The Upheaval" ("Rascoala") by Mircea Muresan, "The jolly Quarter" directed by Manole Marcus, "Papparazzo", directed by Nicolae Margineanu and in Television productions as "The early Train doesn't stop here anymore" by Tennessee Williams, directed by Catalina Buzoianu, "Here, doesn't live anybody", script and direction by Malvina Ursianu, "A lost Lettre" ("O Scrisoare pierduta"), script and direction by Mircea Veroiu. He died on 18th of November 2005, at the age of nearly 67 years, he would have completed 12 days later, on 1st of Decembre. Valeriu Popescu is buried at Romania's most famous Cemetery "Bellu" in Bucharest, Romania.
- IMDb mini biography by: Magdalena Möller (Madalina Radulescu)