Béatrice Picard, a beloved French-Canadian stage actress best known for voicing Marge Simpson on “The Simpsons” in the animated series’ Quebec French dub for 33 years, died Tuesday. She was 96 years old.
Picard’s family shared the news on Facebook through Montreal’s Duceppe Theatre, where she appeared in 41 productions.
“It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of our mother, Béatrice, which occurred this morning, Dec. 9, at the age of 96,” Picard’s family said on Facebook, translated from French to English. “Throughout her life, Béatrice has been able to combine her family life with her passion for the performing arts and the causes that were dear to her. It therefore seemed natural to us to share this news with her friends, her colleagues in the artistic field and, above all, with her audience, for whom she had a thought until the very end.”
The post was written by Picard’s children: François, Stéphane, Sylvain and Frédéric.
Picard was well-known for her performance as Marge Simpson, dubbing the role played in the original English by Julie Kavner. On top of voicing Marge in the first 34 seasons of “The Simpsons,” Picard also provided the French dub for “The Simpsons Movie” in 2007.
Early in her career, Picard appeared in “Le survenant,” one of the first French Canadian télé-roman series (equivalent to a soap opera). She played the role of Angelina Desmarais in the series. Other TV credits include comedies such as “Cré Basil” and “Symphorien.”
In 2017, Picard starred in the short film “Marguerite,” written and directed by Marianne Farley. The short follows an elderly woman who, after meeting a lesbian home care nurse, begins to confront her own feelings for another woman. It received an Academy Award nomination for Best Live Action Short Film.
On stage, she appeared in productions of “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” “Death of a Salesman” and many more.
