{{Short description|Portuguese actress (1950–2018)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox person | name = Guida Maria | image = GuidaMariaImg.jpg | birth_date = {{birth date|1950|1|23|df=y}} | birth_place = Campo de Ourique, Lisbon, Portugal | death_date = {{death date and age|2018|1|2|1950|1|23|df=y}} | death_place = Lisbon, Portugal | spouse = {{marriage|Mike Sergeant|1969|1972|reason=divorced}} | children = 2, including Julie Sergeant | alma_mater = American Academy of Dramatic Arts | occupation = Actress | years_active = 1957–2016 }}
'''Guida Maria''' (23 January 1950 – 2 January 2018) was a Portuguese actress.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news|url=https://www.dn.pt/artes/interior/morreu-a-atriz-guida-maria-9019366.html|title=Óbito – Morreu a atriz Guida Maria|publisher=Global Media Group|date=2 January 2018|work=DN|access-date=5 January 2018|language=pt-PT}}</ref> Her career spanned 60 years and included appearances on stage, in film and on television.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://caras.sapo.pt/famosos/2018-01-03-Emocao-e-lagrimas-no-velorio-de-Guida-Maria|title=Emoção e lágrimas no velório de Guida Maria|work=Caras|access-date=5 January 2018}}</ref>
==Early life== Maria was born in 1950 in Campo de Ourique, Lisbon. Her father, Luis Cerqueira, was an actor and encouraged his daughter to audition for stage roles.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=https://www.dn.pt/artes/interior/guida-maria-terminou-o-monologo-da-atriz-e-mulher-desassombrada-9020653.html|title=Guida Maria. Terminou o monólogo da atriz e mulher desassombrada|publisher=Global Media Group|website=DN.pt|date=3 January 2018 |language=pt|access-date=5 January 2018}}</ref> When Maria was seven she appeared in the play ''Fire of Vista,'' and when she was 12 she played Helen Keller in ''The Miracle Worker;'' the production toured Portugal for over a year and was considered a huge success''.''<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=http://observador.pt/2018/01/02/tres-fracassos-varios-sucessos-e-uma-gravidez-aos-17-anos-cinco-episodios-da-vida-de-guida-maria|title=Três fracassos, vários sucessos e uma gravidez aos 17 anos. Cinco episódios da vida de Guida Maria|last=Branco|first=Carolina|website=Observador|language=pt-PT|access-date=5 January 2018}}</ref>
==Career==
===Theatre=== Over her career, Maria appeared in more than 40 plays.<ref name=":4"/> From 1978-98, she was a member of the cast of the National Theater Dona Maria II.<ref name=":1"/> In 1980, at the age of 30, she was awarded a scholarship to study theatre at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, and took a 2-year leave of absence from her position.<ref name=":3"/><ref name=":2"/>
On leaving the National Theater in 1998, Maria found herself without regular work and decided to invest in plays herself.<ref name=":3"/> Maria purchased the rights to a play by Eve Ensler, ''The Vagina Monologues'' and had it translated into Portuguese. She secured a director, Celso Cleto, a venue, the Estoril Casino, and debuted in the play in October 2000.<ref name=":1"/><ref name=":2"/> It ran for a number of months and attracted thousands in audiences. She also starred in the play in two further seasons – at the ''Teatro Villaret'' in 2002, and at the Casino de Lisboa in 2009.<ref name=":2"/>
In 2001, she co-starred in a play ''Andy and Melissa,'' which was later cancelled due to poor attendances.<ref name=":2"/> In 2004, she played the lead in ''Zelda'', based on the life of Zelda Fitzgerald, a play which she had also purchased the rights to herself. In 2015 she appeared in the play ''Sex? Yes, but with orgasm'', which centred on the limitations of sexuality, followed by the play ''The Malicious Tobacco.''<ref name=":1"/>
===Film=== In 1973, Maria starred in the film ''The Vows'', which was screened at the Cannes Film Festival. She also appeared in ''The Wisdom Principle'' (1975), ''The Seven Headed Head'' (1978) and ''The Emissaries of Khalom'' (1988), all of which were directed by António de Macedo. Other films included ''The Baron of Altamira'' (1986) and ''Serenity'' (1987).<ref name=":1"/>
===Television=== Maria appeared in a number of television films, series and miniseries, including ''A Única Mulher'' (''The Only Woman'') and the Brazilian series ''O Bem-Amado''.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.novagente.pt/guida-maria-e-julie-sargeant-mae-e-filha-unidas-pela-arte|title=Guida Maria e Julie Sargeant – Mãe e filha unidas pela arte|last=GENTE|first=Revista NOVA|work=Revista Nova Gente|access-date=5 January 2018|language=pt}}</ref>
===Publications=== In 2009 Maria published her autobiography, ''Guida Maria – Uma Vida.''<ref name=":1"/>
==Personal life== Maria had two children: Pedro Daniel, born when she was 17 years old, and Julie Sergeant, born when she was 20. In 1969, Maria married a Scottish musician, Mike Sergeant; they divorced in 1972.<ref name=":2"/>
==Death== In December 2017 Maria was admitted to São Francisco Xavier Hospital in Lisbon.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.publico.pt/2018/01/02/culturaipsilon/noticia/morreu-a-atriz-guida-maria-1797838|title=Teatro. Guida Maria (1950-2018), uma actriz combativa e ousada|last=Frota|first=Gonçalo|work=PÚBLICO|access-date=5 January 2018|language=pt}}</ref> She died there on 2 January 2018 aged 67, of pancreatic cancer.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://lifestyle.sapo.pt/fama/entrevistas/artigos/guida-maria-quando-soube-que-ia-ser-avo-apanhei-um-depressao?pagina=2|title=Guida Maria: "Quando soube que ia ser avó, apanhei uma depressão"|work=SAPO Lifestyle|access-date=5 January 2018|language=pt-pt}}</ref><ref name=":3" /> ==References== {{reflist|30em}}
==External links== *{{IMDb name|0546979}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maria, Guida}} Category:1950 births Category:2018 deaths Category:Portuguese film actresses Category:Portuguese stage actresses Category:Portuguese television actresses Category:American Academy of Dramatic Arts alumni Category:Actresses from Lisbon Category:20th-century Portuguese actresses Category:21st-century Portuguese women writers Category:21st-century Portuguese writers Category:Deaths from pancreatic cancer in Portugal
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