Discovered during her university studies by filmmaker Savel Stiopu, her breakthrough was the leading role in Liviu Ciulei's Danube's Waves/Valurile Dunării (1960). She was also the leading actress in Lucian Pintilie's Sunday at 6/Duminică la ora 6 (1966). She appeared in The Stranger /The Stranger by Mihai Iacob, Beyond the Bridge/Dincolo de pod by Mircea Veroiu, Luxury Hotel/Hotel de lux by Dan Piţa and Those Who Pay with their Lives/Cei care plătesc cu viaţa by Şerban Marinescu.

Petrescu appeared at the Bulandra theater in Bucharest and received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Romanian Association of Theater Artist, UNITER in 2002, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Transylvania Film Festival in 2010.