Néfertari Bélizaire

Néfertari Bélizaire (1962–2017) was a Haitian-born Canadian actor.{{cite news |title=Néfertari Bélizaire de «Watatatow» n’est plus |url=http://www.tvanouvelles.ca/2017/02/23/nefertari-belizaire-de-watatatow-nest-plus |access-date=10 August 2023 |work=TVA Nouvelles |date=23 February 2017}}

Early life

Born in Haiti on 9 August 1962, Bélizaire spent her early childhood in New York, where she lived until the age of seven. She returned briefly to Haiti before immigrating to Quebec, Canada, where she lived in Thetford Mines, Lévis and Quebec City, before studying acting at the CEGEP theatre school in Saint-Hyacinthe.

Career

Upon graduation, she was quickly cast into significant roles in several productions including Andromaque, Les Sorcières de Salem, Iphigenia, Le chapeau de plomb, The Merchant of Venice and, in 2014, Les Innocentes. She has performed at the La Nouvelle Compagnie Théâtrale, the Théâtre Jean-Duceppe, the Théâtre du Nouveau Monde and the Théâtre du Rideau Vert, among others. She also performed on television in L'Héritage, Watatatow and in La Galère. She was nominated at the 1995–1996 Soirée des Masques for best performance in a supporting role in the play Le Chapeau de plomb.

On 2 June 1986, on the occasion of the visit to Montreal of Desmond Tutu, the South African archbishop, Bélizaire starred in a performance staged in his honour. She appeared on the stage of the Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier of Place des Arts in the leading role of an original work by Maryse Pelletier entitled Blanc Noir sur Noir, directed by Alain Fournier, with music by Robert Léger and Michel Rivard, and also featuring Eudore Belzile, Fayolle Jean, Robert Marien and Patrice Robergeau.{{cite news |title=Mrg Tutu à Montréal, clou de la semaine anti-apartheid |url=http://collections.banq.qc.ca/lapresse/src/cahiers/1986/06/02/01/82812_1986060201.pdf |work=La Presse |date=2 June 1986}} It was for this show that the song "C'est un mur" was created and performed by Michel Rivard.

In 2014 she published a memoir, entitled Cru, in which she revealed that she'd been sexually abused by her uncle as a child.{{cite web |title=Bélizaire, Néfertari |url=https://www.canadiantheatre.com/dict.pl?term=B%E9lizaire%2C%20N%E9fertari |website=Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia |access-date=10 August 2023}}{{cite news |last1=Moisan |first1=Mylène |title=«Je suis devenue une adulte de deux ans et demi» |url=https://www.lesoleil.com/2016/11/02/je-suis-devenue-une-adulte-de-deux-ans-et-demi-a93b6aecb99c5ee8c94ed155ceb78337/ |work=Le Soleil |date=2 November 2016 |language=fr}} Bélizaire worked to raise awareness of violence against women and children in Quebec, and of youth suicide prevention.