Maria Pacôme (July 18, 1923 – December 1, 2018) was a distinguished French actress and playwright whose career spanned several decades, marked by remarkable contributions to theater and film.
Born in Paris to Maurice Pacôme and Germaine Hivonait, Maria faced early adversity, with her father deported to the Buchenwald concentration camp and her brother executed for his political beliefs. Her formative years were shaped by the need to protect her mother from her father's violent tendencies.
Her artistic journey began in 1941 when she enrolled at Le Cours Simon. There, she shared the stage with future luminaries like Michèle Morgan and Danièle Delorme. After marrying Maurice Ronet in 1950 and putting her career on hold until their divorce in 1956, she made a strong comeback in theater with her 1956 debut in Ugo Betti's *La Reine et les Insurgés*. She gained further acclaim in productions such as Claude Magnier's *Oscar* (1958) and *N'écoutez pas, mesdames!* by Sacha Guitry in 1962.
Transitioning to film, Pacôme's first major role was in *Voulez-vous danser avec moi?* (1959). She later garnered attention in popular films including *The Troops of St. Tropez* and *La Crise* (1992). An accomplished playwright, she penned seven plays, including *Apprends-moi Céline* and *L'Éloge de ma paresse*, and published her memoirs, *Maria sans Pacôme*, in 2007.
In her later years, she gained recognition on television, particularly in *Docteur Sylvestre* and *Les Secrets du volcan* (2006). Pacôme lent her voice to the character "Granny" in the animated film *Titeuf* (2011).
Maria Pacôme passed away on December 1,
