Family of Quebec’s Marge Simpson, Béatrice Picard, receives condolences in Longueuil

Actress Béatrice Picard died at the age of 96 on Dec. 9, 2025. The voice of Quebec's Marge Simpson had a legendary career spanning decades in multiple media forms. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press

The family of Quebec actress Béatrice Picard, one of the most vigorous builders of Quebec culture, will receive visits and condolences from the public on Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., at Maison Darche in Longueuil, on the south shore of Montreal.

Picard passed away peacefully in her sleep on Dec. 9 at the age of 96. The woman leaves behind an immense legacy after a 75-year career and around 350 highly diverse artistic productions.

Picard is survived by four sons and several grandchildren, not to mention the Quebec public.

An energetic actress with a very distinctive appearance and voice, she was known to older generations as “Madame Bellemare” or “Angélina,” and to younger generations as the gravelly voice of Marge Simpson.

An extremely versatile actress, open to all forms and genres, ranging from burlesque comedy to realistic theatre, Picard was a fixture on the Quebec cultural scene for more than 75 years.

In 2023, she was still part of the cast of Guy Édoin’s feature film “Frontières”, in which she made a brief appearance.

In 2016, the octogenarian starred in a short film directed by actress Marianne Farley with Sandrine Bisson. Marguerite won several awards at festivals around the world and earned the octogenarian actress the award for Best Female Performance at the 2018 Rendez-Vous Québec Cinéma gala Prends ça court!

Born in Montreal on July 3, 1929, Picard began her artistic career in 1947 on the radio.

In the early 1950s, thanks to the emergence of television, she gained widespread recognition playing Angélina, the lover of “Le Survenant,” in the television series based on the work of Germaine Guèvremont. In 1958, she was named “Miss Radio Television”—the equivalent of today’s “Métrostar”.

Initially appearing in radio dramas, Picard quickly landed roles on television when the small screen made its debut in Quebec in 1952. She played Ramona Plouffe in Le Petit Monde du père Gédéon, Rosette Desgagnés in Rue de l’Anse and Alice, Olivier Guimond’s wife in Cré Basile.

Many also remember Madame Bellemare, mother of undertaker Oscar Bellemare (Jean-Louis Millette), in Symphorien. The small screen continued to reserve a special place for her in the 1970s, whether in Le Paradis terrestre, Les Berger, Les Forges de Saint-Maurice, Grand-papa or Les Brillant.

She later appeared in an episode of “L’Amour avec un grand A,” which earned her a Gemini Award nomination, in “Sous un ciel variable,” “Virginie,” “Un gars, une fille” (as the mother-in-law) and, more recently, “Les Jeunes Loups.”

In theatre, she appeared in several productions of Michel Tremblay’s “Bonjour, là, bonjour,” among others. She also appeared in the same author’s “Belles-Soeurs,” staged by Denise Filiatrault in 1993, as well as “L’État des lieux,” directed by André Brassard.

Picard has also appeared in films, notably L’Initiation (1970), Taureau (1973), Il était une fois dans l’est (1974), based on the world of Tremblay, Le Sourd dans la ville (1987), Le Nèg" (2002), Idole instantanée (2005) and Dans les villes (2006). In 2007, she landed her first major role on the big screen, playing an extravagant old lady, Ma tante Aline, who is threatened with being “placed” in a nursing home.

Also very active in the art of dubbing, she lent her voice from 1990 to 2023 to Marge Simpson in the Quebec adaptation of the popular American cartoon. She also lent her voice to Marge for the film version of The Simpsons, released in the summer of 2007.

Previously, she was the voice of Délima Caillou, the Quebec Wilma Flintstone, in The Flintstones.

Appointed an Officer of the National Order of Quebec in 2012 and a Member of the Order of Canada in 1988, Picard was also involved in cultural and social organizations such as Les Petits Frères.

In lieu of flowers, donations made in her name to the Fondation des Petits Frères would be greatly appreciated by the family, according to the obituary.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Dec. 21, 2025.