Toma Caragiu (Romanian pronunciation: [ˈtoma karaˈdʒi.u]; 21 August 1925 – 4 March 1977) was a Romanian theatre, television and film actor.[1]

Toma Caragiu
Born(1925-08-21)21 August 1925
Died4 March 1977(1977-03-04) (aged 51)
NationalityRomanian
OccupationActor
RelativesMatilda Caragiu Marioțeanu (sister)
Geta Caragiu [ro] (sister)

He was born in an Aromanian family from the village of Chroupista (since 1926 renamed Argos Orestiko) in the region of Macedonia in Greece on 21 August 1925. Toma Caragiu was one of the best-known Romanian actors, with a rich activity in both film and theatre. He liked to play comic characters, but he excelled also in drama, one of his reference films being "Actorul și Sălbaticii". He played alongside great actors such as Ștefan Bănică, Octavian Cotescu, Anda Călugăreanu etc.

Toma Caragiu is most famous for his monologues. In these short stories, he managed to put together stories that combined sarcasm, satire and black humor. His monologues were subtle and dealt with a variety of topics, starting with politics and ending up with mythical concepts. In each and every monologue he added a personal touch to the script, thus creating a warm and humorous atmosphere.

He died in Bucharest, during the earthquake of 4 March 1977. He is buried at Bellu Cemetery. His first wife was the actress Maria Bondar and the second one was Elena Bichman.

Caragiu had two sisters, linguist Matilda Caragiu Marioțeanu and sculptor Geta Caragiu [ro].[2]

Partial filmography

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References

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  1. ^ Iana, Ciprian (4 March 2019). "Averea lui Toma Caragiu, găsită în cărțile din biblioteca lui! Marele actor a murit la cutremurul din 4 martie 1977" [Toma Caragiu's fortune, found in the books in his library! The great actor died in the earthquake of March 4, 1977]. Libertatea (in Romanian). Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  2. ^ Lecea, Doina (11 March 2019). Badea, Anda (ed.). "O PERSONALITATE PE ZI: Lingvistul Matilda Caragiu Marioțeanu, Academia Româna" (in Romanian). Agerpres.
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