Jorj Voicu was one of the most talented Romanian actors, but he was not at all liked by the communists, who chose to hunt him for his whole life.
They made many files on him and did their best to put him in the shadows, trying to make him forgotten. No wonder, since we all know the modus operandi of comrades: “he who is not with me is against me.”
The beginnings of Jorj Voicu
Jorj Voicu was born in 1938, and from a young age he remains an orphan. “Radu and Voicu (8 years old and 6 years old respectively) were left fatherless in 1944. After this misfortune, Jeni (Eugenia) raised her boys alone, both finishing higher education, Voicu the theater and Radu the polytechnic. Their mother was an exceptional woman!”, recounted Maria Jorj, the actor’s sister-in-law.
Later, he graduated from the Institute of Theatrical and Cinematographic Art in Bucharest in 1961 and started his career the same year at the Bucharest Regional Theatre, then moved to the State Theater in Turda, later to the Barbu Delavrancea Theater in Bucharest, but also to the Giulesti from Bucharest, finally.
On the big screen, he debuted in 1966, with the film Zodia Fecioarei, then to play in Faust XX (1966), in the role of Mephisto, A film with a charming girl (1967), De trei ori Bucharest (1967), BD on the alert (1971), Păcală (1974), Fantastic comedy (1975), short film for television Un text cu bucluc (1976), Special edition (1978), Return to first love, Why do the bells toll, Mitica? (1981), Melodii la Costineşti (1982), Contest (1982), Duelists (1984) on television, Rămăşagul (1984), Galax, the doll man (1984), Amadeus, on TV (1984), Maria and Mirabella in Tranzistoria ( 1989)-voice, Escu (1990).
In the period ’65-’66, since he could not get along at all with the director Victorița Dinu, whom he accused of a dictatorial spirit, he resigned from the Giulești Theatre, the current Odeon.
Jorj Voicu, an actor pursued until the last moment of his life
Throughout his life, but especially in the last part of it, Jorj Voicu was often followed by the Securitate, on his trail all kinds of informants were active, even among those who declared that they were his friends.
“The source “Jana” reported on November 28, 1978 that Jorj Voicu together with George Bănică and Celea Șerban commented from negative positions, the political attitude of the party and our state in relation to the Meeting of the Consultative Political Council in November 1978″, it is shown in File no. 2211 – JAK, Bucharest Militia, 1978.
“In various circumstances, he comments on some laws and party decisions […] peddling news broadcast on “Europa Liberă” radio”, says another note from the same “Jana”.
So the Security officers decided it was time to “teach” the actor good manners, which happened on January 30, 1979.
“Based on the approval of the Unit’s Management, on 30.01.1979, the aforementioned was warned, which was carried out by col. Matei Vasile and lt. White Thrush. At the beginning of the discussions, Jorj Voicu did not want to admit that in certain circumstances, towards certain people, he made tendentious statements about the social-political regime in our country and the politics of our party and state.
It was shown to him that the role of the discussion is to clarify certain aspects related to the attitude of the aforementioned on various occasions in order to help him not to repeat or be led by others in such discussions in the future, and in the second part of the discussions, he admitted that sometimes, driven by personal troubles, he made statements of this nature”, the report states.
And things didn’t stop there, in the 1980s, the actor tried to leave the country, despite the fact that his health was hanging by a thread.
In the same period, a new file was opened against him, based on the information given by “Nic”, which stated that Jorj Voicu had cursed Nicolae Ceaușescu.
Jorj Voicu died in 1991, following a cardiac arrest, at the age of 52.
He was discovered a few days after his death, in the apartment he owned in Bucharest. Unfortunately, he did not get to enjoy a single moment of the freedom he wanted so ardently.
