The 35th night of Molières will forever remain special for Cristiana Reali and her ex-husband Francis Huster. Nominated for the seventh time, the woman who plays the striking Blanche Dubois in “A Tramway Named Desire” at Bouffes Parisiens won the actress statuette in a private theater show. A distinction which made the father of his two daughters very proud, who for his part received an honorary Molière.
Cristiana Reali received the Molière de la Comédienne in a private theater show for “A tramway named desire” during the 35th Nuit des Molières broadcast on France 2. © France 2
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Cristiana Reali has never made a big deal out of Molières but the great ceremony of theater and live shows has often made her believe in consecration without it ever materializing. The actress has been nominated six times in the past: in 1999 for Duet for solo violinin 2005 for La Locandierain 2008 for Good Canaryin 2017 for Momin 2019 for The Glass Menagerie and in 2022 for Simone Veil – The struggles of a brazen woman. We had to wait until 2024, and therefore her seventh nomination, for Cristiana Reali to win her first golden statuette. Wasn’t it ultimately the perfect year for the role of Blanche Dubois that she plays in A Streetcar Named Desire at Bouffes Parisiens (written by Tennessee Williams and directed by Pauline Susini) fits it like a glove.
This year, the mother of Tuscany and Elisa was nominated against Emmanuelle Bercot for After rehearsal/personaAriane Ascaride in Gisèle Halimi, a fierce freedom and Noémie Lvovsky, in Video club in the Molière category of the Comedienne in a private theater show. Absent due to filming, Cristiana Reali was able to count on Pauline Susini to collect her Molière at the Folies Bergères where the big ceremony hosted by Caroline Vigneaux and broadcast live on France 2 took place.
Cristiana Reali absent, she recorded a video message in the shoes of Blanche Dubois
Before being present, the Franco-Brazilian actress had recorded a video message. This was filmed on the Parisian Bouffes stage, Cristiana Reali dressed as Blanche Dubois. As tradition dictates, it is forbidden to thank in the theater but the one who gives the answer to Alysson Paradis in A Streetcar Named Desire found the solution, saying it in his native language, Brazilian. “Obrigado” launched Cristiana Reali.
A video which was scrutinized by the Folies Bergères public and one spectator in particular. Francis Huster, who had a love affair with Cristiana Reali, was a proud man. Despite their separation in 2008, the two actors have retained immense admiration for each other. Francis Huster immortalized this very special moment for his two daughters by filming the video she had shot with his phone. A moment captured furtively by France Télévisions cameras…
Following her victory, Cristiana Reali posted a message on Instagram. “It’s been 3 years since I ‘shared my life’ with this magnificent being! I apologize to her husband @guillaume_mazeau her 5 year old son Antoine my best friend, her sister @juliettesusini her mother @lapoune whom I kiss. I just learned that I got a Molière for #letramwaynommédésir for the role of Blanche Dubois. This difficult, busy, sometimes funny, intense and dramatic role. But extraordinary for an actress. I owe this Molière to him because it is not a role that can be constructed alone“, she first wrote in the caption of several photos of her with Pauline Susini.
“There are a lot of people in Blanche’s head, in her solitude. There is the director @paulinesusini assisted by @gretel_delattre. But this evening I wanted to honor him in particular. Honor to him, his immense talent, his humor, his sensitivity. Congratulations for this piece and thank you for Blanche. Blanche also thanks her from the bottom of her heart. @cristianareali kisses her tenderly and impatiently waits for her to return her statuette“, she continued.
A Streetcar Named Desire plays until May 25 at Parisian Bouffes…
Francis Huster received a standing ovation at the 35th Nuit des Molières
Receiving an honorary Molière, Francis Huster praised “the real heroines“plays by Molière, his female characters, in a tirade which earned him a standing ovation. And to quote “Agnès, Elvire, Armande, Célimène, Toinette, Nicole, Dorine“who dared”denounce and triumph over these cowards, Tartuffe rapist, hypocrite Orgon, Arpagon avaricious pervert, Jourdain obsessed with money and sex, Arnolphe predator pedophile, Argan deranged and even Dom Juan killer without remorse“.
On the rewards side, the coin 4,211 km by Aïla Navidi, which recounts the exile of an Iranian family and their fight for freedom, was recognized twice (best private theater show and Molière for female revelation). The opportunity for director and actress Olivia Pavlou Graham to call for the release of Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi sentenced to death in his country.
Dead Poets Society inspired, thirty-five years later, by the film with Robin Williams as a non-conformist professor, received two awards (best direction and male revelation for Ethan Oliel).
Vincent Dedienne received the Molière for best actor in a private theater show for An Italian straw hat. On the public theater side, it’s Micha Lescot (Richard II), who won the prize.
The comedian Sophia Aram, who received the Molière for humor, had, shortly before, mentioned the conflict in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas. “If we are all calling for a ceasefire here, how can we be in solidarity with the thousands of civilian deaths in Gaza without also being in solidarity with the Israeli victims?“, she said.
The Molière of the actress in a public theater performance went to Vanessa Cailhol (Zucchiniwho was nominated seven times).
Spamalotby Eric Idle, directed by Pierre-François Martin-Laval, Théâtre de Paris received the Molière for musical performance.
