Sophie Faucher, acclaimed Quebec actor, dies at 68

Sophie Faucher, acclaimed Quebec actor, dies at 68

Performer known for theatre, television and film career spanning more than 5 decades

Sophie Faucher, a towering figure in Quebec theatre, television and film, died Tuesday at the age of 68.

"A great actor of many talents, she left a lasting impression on our collective imagination,” wrote Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette on X, citing Faucher's roles in the television series Le coeur a ses raisons and Indéfendable, as well as her portrayal of Frida Kahlo in the play La Casa Azul.

"As a theatre lover, I can only underscore her contribution to this art form, of which she was one of its great ambassadors."

Faucher built a career spanning more than 50 years, but in early April, producers of the stage comedy Le duplex announced that she was withdrawing from the production for health reasons. The play is scheduled to tour Quebec next summer.

"Sophie Faucher left a profound mark on the cultural landscape in many different ways," Agence Eugénie Gaillard said Tuesday in a statement announcing the actor's death.

Faucher made her stage debut at the age of eight in L'Oiseau bleu, alongside Marc Labrèche.

A graduate of Montreal's Conservatoire d'art dramatique in 1978, she began her television career in Les fils de la liberté in the early 1980s.

Faucher later appeared in shows such as Un signe de feu, Montréal P.Q., 4 et demi, Virginie, Tohu-Bohu and, more recently, Le monde de Gabrielle Roy.

She has a number of film credits, including Ding et Dong, Laurence Anyways and Pays.

Faucher also dubbed dozens of films, lending her voice to American actors including Queen Latifah, Julie Christie and Viola Davis. She was also the narrator of the French-language version of the animated series Caillou.

Her mother, Françoise Faucher, is an actor from France. Her late father was stage director and filmmaker Jean Faucher. Her brother is former sports journalist François Faucher.

Like her father, Faucher worked at Radio-Canada. She co-hosted the ICI TÉLÉ program Les lionnes.

Shy in her youth, Faucher said acting had helped her overcome her unease.

"It's an extraordinary form of therapy. By immersing ourselves in the lives of others, we reveal ourselves to ourselves," she said in 2019.

She was also a playwright. In 2001, Faucher wrote the play La Casa Azul, directed by Robert Lepage and presented in several countries. In 2012, she created Frida Kahlo – Correspondance.

Faucher was also a writer. She wrote four children's books about Frida Kahlo. In 2023, she co-wrote the Télé-Québec animated series Frida, c'est moi and the film Hola Frida, which was released last year.

In 2023, Faucher portrayed Greek soprano Maria Callas in Une voix pour être aimée: Maria Callas, a production she also co-wrote.

A 'dear friend' and 'masterful artist'

On X, Parti Québécois member Catherine Gentilcore described Faucher as "one of Quebec culture's strong and instantly recognizable personalities."

Charles Milliard, leader of the Quebec Liberal Party, said, "She left her mark on Quebec's artistic scene for several decades."

Le Diamant, the Quebec City theatre co-founded by Lepage, said on Facebook that it had lost "a dear friend, an ally, a precious gem."

Author, director and columnist Stéphane Laporte also shared a lengthy message on Facebook, saying Faucher made life “more beautiful for so many people."

Producer Martin Leclerc, founder of Productions Martin Leclerc, issued a statement, describing Faucher as a "masterful artist" and a "great painter of emotions."

"She gave voice to wounds, shape to triumphs and an unforgettable presence to these deeply scarred women,” he wrote. “Like them, she lived for art. Like them, she transcended her own story by offering audiences a measure of absolute truth.”

Written by Isaac Olson, with files from Radio-Canada