Mihai Roman

Amza Pellea
He was born in Băilești, Oltenia, and attended the Carol I High
School in Craiova. He later played at the Craiova Theatre, then at the Small
Theatre, the Nottara Theatre, the Comedy Theatre, and the National
Theatre in Bucharest, and also was a professor at the Academy of Theatre and
Film in Bucharest.
Pellea played numerous comic and serious roles. In cinema he was most
noted for his roles portraying historical leaders. His earliest leading roles were
as Romanian national heroes, beginning with Decebalus in Dacii (1967)
and Columna (1968). He also portrayed Michael the Brave in Mihai
Viteazul (1971).
His most famous comic role was as "Nea Mărin" (Uncle Marin), a character
representing the archetypal Oltenian peasant. Mărin first appeared in TV
comedy sketches. The character graduated to the cinema in Nea Mărin
miliardar (Uncle Marin, the Billionaire), in which Pellea played the dual role of
the naive Marin and the American billionaire he is mistaken for. Nea Mărin
miliardar is ranked 1 in the top most viewed Romanian films of all time.[1]
He played other historical figures such as Vladică Hariton in Tudor din
Vladimiri and Voivode Basarab in Croitorii cei mari din Valahia. He also
appeared in Răscoala and Haiducii. In 1977 he won the award for Best Actor
at the 10th Moscow International Film Festival for his role in The Doom.[2]

Amza Pellea's tomb at Bellu Cemetery

He died of cancer in 1983 and is buried at Bellu Cemetery in Bucharest.

In a 2006 poll conducted by Romanian Television to identify the "100 greatest
Romanians of all time", Pellea came in 58th