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Maria de Medeiros
Only two of de Medeiros' films have made an impact in the USA, but the elfin, dark-haired performer has an impressive resume in France. Born in Lisbon, de Medeiros studied philosophy before opting for acting, making her impressive stage debut in Brecht's "Mahoganny" at the National Theater of Lisbon in 1982. Moving to France in 1984, she studied acting while appearing onstage ("Elvire Jouvet 40"), on TV and in films. Even after she became successful in films, de Medeiros made time to appear in stage productions such as "Zazou" (1989) and "La Vie est un Songe" (1993).