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On December 9th, Béatrice Picard, a television and theater actress, passed away at the age of 96, as shared by her family on social media. The French-Canadian performer was very loved and praised in the cultural scene of Quebec, and the shock surrounding her death is reflected in messages of support and admiration for the artist.
Picard had an acting career of more than 75 years, with appearances in more than 50 television series and more than 200 plays. His relationship with 'The Simpsons' goes back 30 years, since he began to voice Marge in the French version of the Matt Groening series.
His raspy voice was more than recognizable and earned him the recognition and affection of the public during the 33 seasons of the series. Picard also dubbed the mother of Lisa, Bart and Maggie in 'The Simpsons Movie', in 2007. The performer also voiced Delima's mother in 'The Flintstones'.
Picard had also made forays onto the big screen. The latest is quite recent, with a brief appearance in 'Frontières', a 2023 film by Canadian filmmaker Guy Édoin. Years earlier, in 2018, Picard starred in the short film 'Marguerite', by director Marianne Farley. This was hugely praised by critics, with a nomination for best live action short film at the 91st Academy Awards.
"Vivacious, genuine, feminist from the start"
Béatrice Picard was a key figure in Canadian culture, essentially, and also throughout the world. She was a reference point, especially in the theatrical scene, and she bet on the "game", as she said in a speech in Quebec in 2018. "For years, we worked on our interpretive skills to express them properly, with rigor and flexibility," she affirmed about her work in the profession.
The Duceppe Theatre, which hosted Picard on its stage more than 40 times, remembers her as "full of enthusiasm, vivacious, genuine, feminist from the start and driven by an incessant passion." Furthermore, they consider her "one of the most vigorous builders of our culture." In short, an essential personality who will always be remembered.
