Biography
Horațiu-Valentin Mălăele (born August 1, 1952) is a Romanian actor, cartoonist, writer, and theater and film director, frequently linked to the Romanian New Wave in his directing work.
Born in Târgu-Jiu in 1952, he held his first public art exhibition in his final year of secondary school, the beginning of more than 30 exhibitions by 2016.
Mălăele graduated from the Institute of Theater and Cinema in Bucharest in 1975 and began his professional acting career at the National Theater of Romania in Piatra Neamț. He later returned to Bucharest, becoming a notable actor at major theaters such as Nottara, Odeon, and Bulandra. Transitioning to directing, he staged plays including Theodor Mazilu’s O sărbătoare princiară ("A Princely Feast," 1982 at Nottara Theatre), Georges Feydeau’s A Flea in Her Ear (1993 at Nottara Theatre), and Paul Ioachim’s Carlo contra Carlo ("Carlo against Carlo," 1994 at Odeon Theatre), which earned him the Romanian Comedy Festival Prize that year. He has directed over a dozen other theatrical productions since.
His film acting debut came in 1974 with roles in Păcală ("Caution") and Muntele Ascuns ("The Hidden Mountain"). He has appeared in more than twenty other films since. As a director, his works include Palaria ("The Hat," 2004, TV movie), Nunta mută ("Silent Wedding," 2008), and Funeralii fericite ("Happy Funerals," 2013).
Mălăele is also an author, having published two books: the autobiography Horaţiu despre Mălăele ("Horatiu about Malaele," ISBN 9731812172) and Wanderings, a collection of short episodes, aphorisms, and memories.
