Mari Törőcsik died at the age of eighty-five

The three-time Kossuth Prize-winning actress, who has been honored with several professional accolades and was active until 2017, was hospitalized a month ago.

Mari Törőcsik and Imre Soós in the famous scene of the film Carousel - Photo: Cannes Film Festival — Mari Törőcsik and Imre Soós in the famous scene of the film Carousel – Photo: Cannes Film Festival

Mari Törőcsik, a three-time Kossuth Prize winner and two-time Mari Jászai and Béla Balázs Prize-recipient actress, died at dawn on Friday at age 85, the National Theater reported on Friday. According to the announcement, Mari Törőcsik died after a long illness.

The artist, who has also received awards for Meritorious Artist, Outstanding Artist, Actor of the Nation and Artist of the Nation during her long career of more than sixty years, has been in hospital a lot in recent years. She was last hospitalized a month ago due to a fever.

Mari Törőcsik‘s career began in her early twenties in 1955 with the lead role of “Carousel” directed by Zoltán Fábri.

The film was screened in Cannes in 1956 and was immediately nominated for the Palme d’Or.

Thanks to the premiere in Cannes, foreign magazines have already written about her first film lead role. “Figaro emphasizes that Mari Töröcsik plays her role with the finest sense,” the Hungarian Magyar Nemzet wrote on April 27, 1956.

“I often realize I’m getting special attention for who I was. So for my past. The Carousel is shown once a year on TV, reminding people of me as if I hadn’t done anything else”– said Mari Törőcsik in an interview.

Ildikó Tóth and Mari Törőcsik in one of the scenes in the film Aurora Borealis - Northern Lights - Photo: Vertigo Media — Ildikó Tóth and Mari Törőcsik in one of the scenes in the film Aurora Borealis – Northern Lights – Photo: Vertigo Media

While her impression was that people only rembered her for Caroussel, in reality she is credited in more than 170 period films, TV movies, series and short films.

She plays Mária in Aurora Borealis: Northern Light (2017), Emmi in Swing (2014), which can be seen at this moment on Netflix, Nonna Clara in La valle delle ombre (2009) and Nunu in Eszter hagyatéka (2008). Many of her performances are available on Filmio, the first Hungarian National streaming service.

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By Wednesday midnight on the streaming platform of the National Film Institute, FILMIO, three films can be viewed for free with the unforgettable Mari Törőcsik: