A popular actress, who knew how to navigate from Pedro Almodovar to the series Clem, and always a hit! Victoria Abril, with her warm voice, her Spanish accent and her big smile, has been one of the most popular actresses since her arrival in France more than 40 years ago, in the early 80s. But she has kept a few little secrets to its French-speaking public and in particular… its real name!
Indeed, she changed her last name early in her career, going from Meridas Rojas to Abril. Her first name, Victoria, remained the same. A decision not easy to make for a young girl of sixteen, who had just landed her first role. However, as she tells the magazine Point of viewhis mother played a big role, advising him to change his name “in case [elle] don’t be a good actress“!
“A nurse by training, she knew this job because she had been a light double. […] In this Spain emerging from 40 years of Francoism, an actress was considered a prostitute. Things have changed a bit but not as much as one would like“, she regrets. The young girl she was then decides to change her name and grabs the calendar.
“I first looked for the saint of the day. Then as we were in April… I chose to call myself Victoria Abril!“. A change of identity that allowed her to have a great career on both sides of the Pyrenees, she who came to France “by love. ‘La Lune dans le gaver’, with Gérard Depardieu made me famous here and ‘Gazon Maudit’ by Josiane Balasko gave me a certain popularity“.
She who “has been paying taxes for 45 years” in France is therefore very happy on our side of the Pyrenees. After having chained the roles in the cinema, she held for ten years the role of Caro, the mother of Clem in the eponymous series. For several episodes, she also appeared recently in the series tomorrow belongs to usa role in homage to that held in one of his cult films, High heels, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.
Right now she’s on stage in the play funny kindin which she plays a trans woman and co-stars with Lionel Astier, whom she had “seen in Kaamelott“. And repeats it with ardor: “I will not change to please!“.