Amza Pellea

Who was Amza Pellea?

Amza Pellea was a Romanian actor.

He was born in Băilești, Oltenia, and attended the Carol I High School. He later played at the Craiova Theatre, then at the Small Theatre, Nottara Theatre, Comedy Theatre and the National Theatre Bucharest, being also a professor at the Academy of Theatre and Film in Bucharest.

Pellea played Nea Mărin, the comical character that portrays an archetypal Oltenian peasant. However, he was also noted for his historical characters, such as Vladică Hariton from Tudor din Vladimiri, Voivode Basarab from Croitorii cei mari din Valahia as well as playing in Tudor, Răscoala, Haiducii, Dacii, Columna and Mihai Viteazul. In 1977 he won the award for Best Actor at the 10th Moscow International Film Festival for his role in The Doom.

He is buried at Bellu Cemetery.

In a 2006 poll conducted by Romanian Television to identify the "greatest Romanians of all time", Pellea came in 60th.