Ä emma Portelli (
née
The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...
Schembri in
Valletta
Valletta ( ; , ) is the capital city of Malta and one of its 68 Local councils of Malta, council areas. Located between the Grand Harbour to the east and Marsamxett Harbour to the west, its population as of 2021 was 5,157. As Malta’s capital ...
, 30 September 1932
– Valletta, 21 February 2008) was a
Maltese
Maltese may refer to:
* Someone or something of, from, or related to Malta
* Maltese alphabet
* Maltese cuisine
* Maltese culture
* Maltese language, the Semitic language spoken by Maltese people
* Maltese people, people from Malta or of Maltese ...
actress.
Life and career
Portelli's interest in drama started at a young age, when she would set up her own stage and produce her own plays to entertain other children.
Her professional career took off in 1957, when she joined the
Rediffusion
Rediffusion was a business that distributed radio and TV signals through wired relay networks. The business gave rise to a number of other companies, including Associated-Rediffusion, later known as Rediffusion London, the first ITV (TV network ...
show titled
''Radju'' ''Muskettieri'' together with fellow actors
Charles Clews and
Johnny Catania.
During the sixties she founded a production company together with her husband; the company, which was called The Bluebirds, produced and presented a children's programme.
In the late seventies, Portelli starred in the first Maltese language television series ''
F'Baħar Wieħed'' (1976).
On this show, she played a character named Ä oma, an outspoken, gossiping but good-natured woman.
In an interview, writer and co-star of ''F'Baħar Wieħed'', Lino Grech, once said that he wrote the part especially for her.
Portelli is also known for presenting a series of Maltese comedy shows titled ''
Fuq Tlieta Toqgħod il-Borma'' (1980).
Portelli also played major roles at the
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House (ROH) is a theatre in Covent Garden, central London. The building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. The ROH is the main home of The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet, and the Orch ...
in Valletta (now known as It-Teatru Rjal), including ''
Ä esù ta' Nazzarett'', ''
Is-Salib tal-Fidda'' and ''
It-Tieġ ta' Karmena Abdilla''.
After the death of her husband, Paul Portelli, on 29 January 2001, her health began to decline.
In spite of health issues, she took part in what would be her final production – a Maltese television series titled ''
Ta' Ħorrox Borrox''.
Awards
In the year 2000, Portelli was awarded the Medal for Service to the Republic (Midalja Ä ieħ ir-Repubblika) while in 2007 she was awarded the
Charles Arrigo Lifetime Achievement Award during the
Malta Television Awards.
Portelli died on 22 February 2008 at the age of 75, with the funeral service being held at St Joseph Parish Church in
Msida
Msida (, ) is a harbour town in the Eastern Region, Malta, Eastern Region of Malta with a population of 7,623 (2021).
Location
The town is located just west of Valletta on the northeast coast of Malta. The neighbouring towns of Msida are Ta' ...
on 24 February 2008.
She was buried in a private chapel at the
Santa Maria Addolorata Cemetery in
Paola
Paola is a female given name, the Italian form of the name Paula. In Greek it is Polina. Notable people with the name include:
People In arts and entertainment
* Paola Del Medico (born 1950), Swiss singer
*Paola e Chiara, pop music duo consist ...
, the largest burial ground in Malta.
Selected filmography
* ''Radju Muskettieri (1957)''
* ''F'Baħar Wieħed'' (1976)
* ''Fuq Tlieta Toqgħod il-Borma'' (1980)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Portelli, Gemma
1932 births
2008 deaths
20th-century Maltese women
Maltese actresses
People from Valletta