Early life A native of
Bucharest, Rebengiuc hails from a modest family. After his parents separated when he was three years old, he and his younger brother were raised by their maternal grandparents. He grew up on the city's outskirts, in the low-income quarters, and, as he remembers, his family frequently changed residence in order to afford the rent. They lived in
Dristor, then in
Chiajna,
Rahova,
Dealul Spirii, and ultimately northern Bucharest. Victor and his brother were subsequently granted a
pension. Among the artists who have shaped his work, Rebengiuc also includes the major
Soviet actors
Mikhail Zharov and
Ruben Simonov, whose performances in films he followed closely, and his older Romanian colleague
Radu Beligan. He says: "Back when I started I was acting with the amateurs, I was imitating Beligan. [...] Only when I was undergoing examination at the Institute, I was told, 'hey, you're imitating Beligan!' And then I realized it and try to get rid of this thing." returned to Bucharest, settling in the vicinity of the
Cișmigiu Gardens and starting work with Bulandra. Rebengiuc appeared in several of Penciulescu's
experimental productions:
Two for the Seesaw by
William Gibson,
Tango by
Sławomir Mrożek and
Richard II by
William Shakespeare. and was received with a standing ovation at the
Acapulco Film Festival in
Mexico. and indicated that the film's depiction of ethnic conflicts in
Austria-Hungary made it "absolutely fresh, undated", drawing a parallel between its script and the issues posed by the
Yugoslav wars. Philosopher and critic
Andrei Pleșu writes: "Victor Rebengiuc can act magnificently in any role, for he never acts in the role of 'the artist'. The only 'signal' of his specific involvement is, perhaps, the unmistakable crystal-like nature of his speech, the break-through diction, the natural attention toward the clarity of the vocal emission and the message. And this does not mean the usual affectation of the stage, the pedantic, artificial care for sound effects, for the virile imposture of the voice. It means the respect for the text, for the partner in dialog and for the language. Victor Rebengiuc's talent stems, most of all, from a certain cult for the truth [...] and a most rare ability for what is natural." Regarding the new spin on his character, he noted: "It was a Pampon, one of those who waste nights away, play cards, suffer out of love, is always jealous, is always cheated but does not ever realize it. It was a Pampon with a reduced intellect and tired, who only understands things with difficulty." The cooperation between the actor and director cemented their friendship: Rebengiuc calls Pintile "a great director", and states "I love him like a brother." The same year, he also collaborated with Piţa on
Faleze de nisip, based on a screenplay by
Bujor Nedelcovici. He starred as the surgeon Theodor Hristea, who, after some of his belongings are stolen, involves himself in the inquiry and directs the interrogation of a seemingly innocent man. The subtle criticism of authorities became a matter of scandal: just days after
Faleze de nisip premiered, Nicolae Ceauşescu spoke in front of
Romanian Communist Party officials in
Mangalia, singling it out from breaking with the ideological requirements; as a result, it was banned from cinemas. In 1986, Rebengiuc was the central figure in
Moromeţii, an adaption of
Marin Preda's
1955 book, directed by
Stere Gulea. His critically acclaimed performance saw Rebengiuc being identified by the public with his character, the
patriarchal and rigid peasant Ilie Moromete. In December 1989, Rebengiuc was a participant in the
Romanian Revolution, which managed to topple the Ceauşescu regime and end Communist Party's rule. He joined the crowd of revolutionaries heading into the
Romanian Television building, and voiced
anti-communist messages in front of live cameras.
1990s and early 2000s After the end of communism, Rebengiuc continued to act in cinema productions. In 1992, he starred as the Village Mayor in Pintilie's award-winning
Balanţa, a role he considered "small, but consistent." In 1997, he was in Piţa's
The Man of the Day, which was based on a screenplay by
Radu F. Alexandru, and, in 1999, starred alongside
Hungarian and Romanian actors in
Gábor Tompa's
Chinese Defense. Rebengiuc also starred as Grigore Cafanu in Pintilie's 1998 film
Last Stop Paradise (awarded the Special Grand Jury Prize at the
Venice Film Festival). He was also sporadically present on the stage with Bulandra, and stated that he was not interested in starring in works of
experimental theater, indicating that it did not suit his taste. The same year, he again collaborated with Pintilie, starring opposite
Răzvan Vasilescu and
Niki and Flo, impersonating Colonel Niki Ardelean. His character, whom Rebengiuc himself describes as "a modest man, but one who knows his own value", is exasperated by Flo's continuous intrusion into his life, and eventually turns to murder. Rebengiuc starred in another of Pintilie's productions,
Tertium non datur (based on a story by
Vasile Voiculescu), playing The General. Rebengiuc also resumed his work in television productions, appearing in the short series
La Urgenţă (aired by TVR 1 in 2006–2007), and in several episodes of
Pro TV's
Cu un pas înainte. In 2007, entitled to an age pension provided he retires, the actor stated: "I am valid and I still act... When I shall no longer act, I will place myself at a street corner, perchance someone will recognize me and hand me a pretzel or something." In early 2008, he was
Willy Loman in the Bulandra production of
Death of a Salesman (directed by
Felix Alexa). He appeared again alongside Mihuţ, who played Linda, in what was announced as his comeback to the world of theater. Also in 2007–2008, Rebengiuc was cast in two films:
După EA and
Silent Wedding, the debut production of his friend and colleague
Horaţiu Mălăele. He also released an
audiobook version of
Leo Tolstoy's
The Death of Ivan Ilyich. In February, just before the actor turned 75, journalists Simona Chiţan and Mihaela Michailov published
De-a dreptul Victor Rebengiuc ("Victor Rebengiuc for Sure"), a book they dedicated to his acting career, edited by
Humanitas. The same year, Rebengiuc appeared in
Călin Netzer's film
Medalia de onoare, and his interpretation as an unwitting war hero was awarded prizes at the
Torino Film Festival and the
International Thessaloniki Film Festival. The role earned him another Best Male Actor Award at the Transilvania Film Festival, 2010 edition, where he was a guest of honor. He also embarked on a collaboration with the
National Theatre Bucharest (TNB), as Joe Keller in Arthur Miller's
All My Sons—under Caramitru's direction. Theater critic Silvia Dumitrache, who called the show "lively and dynamic, tense and troubling", highlights the fact that Rebengiuc created a "rather positive" portrayal of a negative role, serving to cast "an even more tragic light over the play." Critic Dan Boicea, who noted that the production relied on Rebengiuc's monologues, also argued: "Rebengiuc does not in any way exaggerate, he is passionate through his gentleness, he is firm in the manner through which he spares his energy [...]. He does not erupt at the moment of
climax, although he could have well fallen into this sin." ==Politics==