Denise Filiatrault, born on May 16, 1931, is a celebrated Canadian actress and director. She rose to stardom in the 1960s, notably starring alongside Dominique Michel in the Radio-Canada series Moi et l'autre (1967–71) and appearing in several editions of the network's annual New Year's special, Bye Bye. Her television success continued with Chez Denise (1978–1982), Le 101, avenue des Pins (1984–85), and Denise... aujourd'hui (1990–91).
Beyond television, Filiatrault built a rich career in film and theatre, frequently collaborating on works by Michel Tremblay. She demonstrated versatility in both comedic and dramatic parts, with notable film roles in Gilles Carle's The Death of a Lumberjack (1973), André Brassard's Once Upon a Time in the East (1974), Denys Arcand's Gina (1975), Claude Fournier's Far from You Sweetheart (1976), Fantastica (1980), and Carle's The Plouffe Family (1981), where she portrayed the troubled Cécile.
After Les Plouffe, she shifted focus to writing and directing for theatre and summer comedy before venturing into film directing with It's Your Turn, Laura Cadieux (1998), adapted from Tremblay's novel. Its success led to the sequel Laura Cadieux II (1999). She later produced Alice's Odyssey (2002), the TV miniseries Le Petit monde de Laura Cadieux (2003), and Bittersweet Memories (2004), a biopic of singer Alys Robi. As artistic director of Théâtre du Rideau Vert, she faced criticism in 2015 over a blackface portrayal of P.K. Subban.
Beyond television, Filiatrault built a rich career in film and theatre, frequently collaborating on works by Michel Tremblay. She demonstrated versatility in both comedic and dramatic parts, with notable film roles in Gilles Carle's The Death of a Lumberjack (1973), André Brassard's Once Upon a Time in the East (1974), Denys Arcand's Gina (1975), Claude Fournier's Far from You Sweetheart (1976), Fantastica (1980), and Carle's The Plouffe Family (1981), where she portrayed the troubled Cécile.
After Les Plouffe, she shifted focus to writing and directing for theatre and summer comedy before venturing into film directing with It's Your Turn, Laura Cadieux (1998), adapted from Tremblay's novel. Its success led to the sequel Laura Cadieux II (1999). She later produced Alice's Odyssey (2002), the TV miniseries Le Petit monde de Laura Cadieux (2003), and Bittersweet Memories (2004), a biopic of singer Alys Robi. As artistic director of Théâtre du Rideau Vert, she faced criticism in 2015 over a blackface portrayal of P.K. Subban.
