About

Known credits:
38
Birthday:
1931-05-16
Place of birth:
Montréal, Québec, Canada
Website:
N/A

Denise Filiatrault

Overview

Denise Filiatrault (born May 16, 1931) is a Canadian actress and director.

She attained star status on TV in the 1960s, co-starring with Dominique Michel in the Radio-Canada television series Moi et l'autre (1967–71) and in many editions of Radio-Canada's annual New Year's special, Bye Bye. She had further success in Chez Denise (1978–1982), Le 101, avenue des Pins (1984–85) and Denise... aujourd'hui (1990–91).

In addition to her television career, Filiatrault also performed in films and on stage, notably in works by Michel Tremblay. She was known to perform both comic and dramatic roles, such as Gilles Carle's The Death of a Lumberjack (La Mort d'un bûcheron) in 1973, André Brassard's film version of Tremblay's Once Upon a Time in the East (Il était une fois dans l'Est) in 1974, Denys Arcand's Gina in 1975, Claude Fournier's Far from You Sweetheart (Je suis loin de toi mignonne) in 1976, Fantastica in 1980 and Carle's The Plouffe Family (Les Plouffe) in 1981, playing the tormented Cécile.

Following Les Plouffe, Filiatrault took a break from film, concentrating more in writing and directing for theatre and summer comedy. Filiatrault then decided to take the leap to directing cinema by adapting Tremblay's novel C't'à ton tour, Laura Cadieux into the 1998 film It's Your Turn, Laura Cadieux, presenting the world of overweight women yearning for love and affection. Filiatrault opted for a simple yet effective style that showcased the talents of the film's strong female leads. This dramatic comedy scored such success that Filiatrault wrote and directed the 1999 sequel Laura Cadieux II (Laura Cadieux... la suite), in which she further developed the characters and their world.

In 2002, she produced a new comedy fantasy, Alice's Odyssey (L'Odyssée d'Alice Tremblay), which received a lukewarm response from critics and moviegoers. In 2003, taking advantage of the success of her motion picture characters, Filiatrault produced a television miniseries for TVA, Le Petit monde de Laura Cadieux (2003), before tackling a new film Bittersweet Memories (Ma vie en cinémascope) (2004), a dramatic biography of 1930s-1950s singer Alys Robi (played by Pascale Bussières).

As artistic director of the Théâtre du Rideau Vert, she and the theatre were criticized in January 2015 by a coalition of Montreal arts groups for a year-end production in which a Caucasian actor portrayed hockey player P.K. Subban in blackface. Filiatrault responded that she was "shocked, outraged, and humiliated" by the reaction, saying that she had been in show business for 60 years and was the first person to hire a black Quebecer on television.

Known for

Acting
2024 Sisters and Neighbors! Actor Madame Tremblay N/A
N/A
2022 Filiatrault : Parcours d'une légende Actor Self N/A
N/A
2019 Compulsive Liar Actor Chauffeure Uber 59
Average
2017 It's the Heart That Dies Last Actor Mme Lapierre 59
Average
2013 Filiatrault Actor Herself N/A
N/A
2012 Laurence Anyways Actor Restaurant Manager 69
Fair
1991 Nelligan Actor Mère supérieure 58
Average
1990 The Horse Trader’s Daughter Actor N/A
N/A
1988 Les Tisserands du pouvoir 2, la révolte Actor N/A
N/A
1988 Les Tisserands du pouvoir Actor Emma Leclair N/A
N/A
1985 The Razor's Edge Actor Mother 59
Average
1984 The Crime of Ovide Plouffe Actor Soeur d'Ovide 58
Average
1983 Effraction Actor La barmaid de l'établissement de nuit 58
Average
1981 The Plouffe Family Actor Cécile 59
Average
1980 Fantastica Actor Emma 58
Average
1979 Bye, See You Monday Actor The airline lady 58
Average
1979 Chez Denise Actor Denise Dussault N/A
N/A
1977 15 Nov Actor N/A
N/A
1977 The Late Blossom Actor Marguerite Lapointe-Beaulieu N/A
N/A
1976 Je suis loin de toi mignonne Actor Florence 58
Average
1976 Mado Actor Lucienne 59
Average
1975 Gina Actor Une actrice 59
Average
1974 Les beaux dimanches Actor Angéline 58
Average
1974 Once Upon a Time in the East Actor Hélène 59
Average
1974 Bedmania Actor Fabienne 58
Average
1974 Par le sang des autres Actor Geneviève Barthélemy 59
Average
1973 The Death of a Lumberjack Actor Blanche Bellefeuille 58
Average
1973 Backyard Theatre Actor N/A
N/A
Alisée Actor Nora N/A
N/A

Directing
2004 Bittersweet Memories Directing Director 59
Average
2002 Alice's Odyssey Directing Director 58
Average
1999 Laura Cadieux II Directing Director 58
Average
1998 It's Your Turn, Laura Directing Director 58
Average

Writing
2004 Bittersweet Memories Writing Writer 59
Average
1999 Laura Cadieux II Writing Writer 58
Average
1998 It's Your Turn, Laura Writing Writer 58
Average
1984 Le 101, ouest, avenue des Pins Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1976 Je suis loin de toi mignonne Writing Writer 58
Average