Photo: NorthForestBear / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Public records list Marpessa Dawn as a singer, television actor and film actor. Marpessa Dawn was born in Redstone Township, Pennsylvania, United States on January 3, 1934. Death is recorded on August 25, 2008, at the age of 74.
My Take
Marpessa Dawn is proof that a single role can grant immortality. A Pennsylvania-born American-French actress, singer, and dancer, she is forever remembered as the heroine of Marcel Camus's Black Orpheus from 1959, a film that won both Cannes and the Academy Award. What moves me is how completely she embodied a myth set against Rio's carnival, bringing warmth and grace to a story of love and fate. She passed in 2008, yet on screen she stays luminous and young. I think of her as an artist who earned a permanent place in cinema with essentially one unforgettable performance.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Marpessa Dawn
- Name (Japanese)
- マルペッサ・ドーン
- Reading
- まるぺっさ・どーん
- Born
- January 3, 1934 – August 25, 2008
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Capricorn / Dog
- Origin
- Redstone Township, Pennsylvania, United States
- Occupation
- actor / singer / television actor / film actor
2. Links
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marpessa%20Dawn
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q535841
3. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Marpessa Dawn born?
Born January 3, 1934.
When did Marpessa Dawn die?
Died August 25, 2008, aged 74.
Where was Marpessa Dawn from?
Marpessa Dawn was from Redstone Township, Pennsylvania, United States.
What did Marpessa Dawn do?
Marpessa Dawn worked as actor, singer, television actor, film actor.
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