Victor Rebengiuc, one of Romania’s most recognizable theater stars, announced that he is now performing his last role, ending over six decades spent in the limelight.

The legendary actor currently stars in “The Father,” a play directed by Cristi Juncu which will premiere this weekend. In 2014, “The Father” received the Moliere prize for best play, and it was nominated for the 2016 Tony and Laurence Olivier awards. It was translated into Romanian by Carmen Iernilă and adapted for the theater by Raluca Aprodu, the star of Ruxx.

Victor Rebengiuc’s career spans over 65 years. He will soon turn 90 and said that it has become increasingly hard to act.

“My body won’t allow me, it takes a toll on my health, it’s hard,” said Rebengiuc, quoted by G4Media. “I fought very hard during rehearsals so I can play this part. I hope I’ll be able to do it in front of the audience as many times as I can, but I won’t take on another role. That’s it! It’s the last part I’ll ever play,” he added.

In “The Father,” Rebengiuc plays an aging father who is looking for sense in a world that is increasingly hard to perceive.

Victor Rebengiuc has been a member of the Bulandra Theater in Bucharest since 1957 and has performed over 200 roles on its stage. He has also performed in many Romanian movies, starting with the leading role in Liviu Ciulei's The Forest of the Hanged (1965, based on a novel by Liviu Rebreanu) and having a memorable performance in Stere Gulea's Moromeții (1987, based on Marin Preda’s novel).

This year, Rebengiuc received a Career Achievement Gopo Award after having won two Best Actor awards and one Best Supporting Actor Award.

The movie Morometii (The Moromete Family) was recently released on YouTube in HD format with English subtitles.

radu@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Inquam Photos / George Calin)