The 10 most talented Brazilian movie actors
These ten wonderful Brazilian actors have done some amazing work through the years and at the top, number one is the beautiful, alluring and talented Sonia Braga - she is a joy to see, according to Judith Crist - and all of us!
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Sônia Braga was born June 8, 1950, in Maringá, Paraná State, Brazil, to a seamstress mother and a realtor father. She starred in the film adaptation of Jorge Amado's Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands (1976), in the central role of Dona Flor. She earned American recognition and a Golden Globe nomination for performance in Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985), and was nominated for a second Golden Globe for her performance in Moon Over Parador (1988), where she played the part of Madonna Mendez.The wonderful Sonia Braga is a three-time Golden Globe nominee, an Emmy nominee and a Bafta nominee, and winner of two Gramado Film Festival awards and a Lone Star Film &Television Award. When she was just 18, she hit it big on the stage in "Hair" and in the big screen as the leading lady of the delightful musical comedy "A Moreninha", directed by Glauco Mirko Laurelli. A few years later, she starred the hit comedy Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands, which was nominated for a Golden Globe - best foreign film) and for which she was nominated for a Bafta - it made her an international star instantly. This classic, delightful comedy was the perfect vehicle for Sonia to win our hearts with her beauty, charm and talent. No wonder People magazine said "she is bewitchingly beautiful as the young widow" and New York Post considered her a "joy to watch as sensual Dona Flor". In Great Britain the alluring Sonia was nominated for a BAFTA for that brilliant work. The movie remained the number one box office hit in Brazil for thirty-five years, and now is number two. Her impressive performance in the follow-up "Lady on the Bus", based on a short story by Nelson Rodrigues was another huge success and remains the third biggest hit in the country. In the 80's, Newsweek praised Sonia's amazing, breathtaking performance in Arnaldo Jabor's I Love You, which was another big hit in Brazil and opened in selected theaters in the US. She cemented her stardom overseas through the acclaimed Kiss of the Spider Woman, which gave her a Golden Globe nomination and was nominated for four Academy Awards, including best picture (William Hurt was best actor). Because of her extraordinary success, Sonia Braga was invited to be an Oscar presenter in 1986 - looking stunning beside Michael Douglas on the big night and eventually became an Academy member. Since then she has worked with such great directors as Robert Redford and Clint Eastwood, both of whom directed her in The Milagro Beanfield War (Oscar for best score) and The Rookie (with Charlie Sheen) respectively. Miss Braga was a delight in Paul Mazursky's hilarious Moon Over Parador, with Richard Dreyfuss and Raul Julia (a friend with whom she also worked in The Burning Season and Kiss of the Spider Woman). In 1997 she founded the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts with Jimmy Smits and Esai Morales. The beloved star had another great performance in the art-house drama Two Deaths, opposite the renowned British actor Michael Gambon ( of Harry Potter fame). Her career on television has also been remarkable.After playing a school teacher in the successful Brazilian version of Sesame Street, she became a legend on Brazilian tv with two soap operas that are considered landmarks in her country: Jorge Amado's Gabriela - which made her a household name in Brazil - and Dancin' Days, on Globo Network. Sonia was cast as Gabriela once again opposite Marcello Mastroiani in the film version of the successful soap, and later was the star of "Tieta of Agreste". Those two movies, along with ''Dona Flor'', were based on Jorge Amado's bestsellers and established Sonia as the perfect personification of his heroines. The incredibly talented actress also made it big on American tv with memorable performances in The Cosby Show, Streets of Laredo (with James Garner), Ghost Whisperer, Sex and the City and Brothers & Sisters, among many others. In 2005 she was one of People en Español's 50 Most Beautiful. She went on shining in movies as well: Ethan Hawke's The Hottest State (with Michelle Williams), Bordertown (with Jennifer Lopez and Antonio Banderas), An Invisible Sign (with Jessica Alba) and Andrucha Waddington's Lope. She was back to the Brazilian tv screen in "As Cariocas" and "Tapas & Beijos", looking gorgeous and showing her flair for comedy. The Brazilian bombshell's new movies are two lovely romantic comedies, "The Wine of Summer", with Marcia Gay Harden (watch the trailer on youtube) and " Meddling Mom", which premiered on Hallmark Channel last February with great reviews and became Hallkmark's 2nd most watched movie in its history. Her last Brazilian movie, 2012's ''Invisible World', was shown in the São Paulo Film Festival and marks her third collaboration with Dona Flor's leading man, chum José Wilker. Currently she is shooting "The Ordained' in NYC, with Sam Neil and Audra McDonald. The sultry, beautiful and gifted Sonia Braga is "a joy to watch... she is irresistible! "- according to Judith Crist (New York Post) and "the most life-enhancing movie star in the world "- according to Jack Kroll (Newsweek). We all agree.- Actress
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Arlette Pinheiro Esteves da Silva was born on 16th October 1929 in Rio de Janeiro. She adopted the name "Fernanda" because she thought it sounded good. "Montenegro" came after her family doctor.
In late 40s she was translating and adapting famous theater plays to radio. She begun her artistic life in the theater with the play "Alegres Canções nas Montanhas" in 1950. Among her mates was Fernando Torres, who would soon become her husband. Next she use the married name Arlette Pinheiro Monteiro Torres. In the next years she worked with other great actors like Sérgio Britto, Cacilda Becker, Nathália Timberg, Cláudio Corrêa e Castro and Ítalo Rossi.
In the early 60s she moved to São Paulo where she worked on many theater plays and also stared working on television. Her first soap operas was "Pouco Amor Não é Amor". In 1964 she started working for cinema as well. Her first film was "A Falecida". In 1965 her daughter Fernanda Torres was born. She later also became a famous actress.
As time went by, more and more successful soap operas and plays came up and she received many prizes. She was later called "The First Lady of Brazilian Theater". In cinema, after some not very famous films, she worked on "Eles Não Usam Black-Tie" (1981), largely applauded by the critics.
Her success on television and theater continued, but her cinema career, although it never stopped, was largely unnoticed until 1997, when "O Que é Isso, Companheiro?", a nominee for the Oscar of Best Film in a Foreign Language, was released. In 1998 "Central do Brasil" enchanted the world. This film, another nominee for the Oscar, was the highest moment of Fernanda Montengro's cinema career, once she was a nominee for Best Actress. The Oscar was not given to her, but the actress got the Berlin prize. In 1999 she had another great achievement on TV, "O Auto da Compadecida", later cut to a film format and released in the movie theaters.She was nominated for an Academy Award as best actress for her great performance in Central Station, nominated as best foreign film.- Actor
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Rodrigo Santoro is a world-renown actor who starred alongside Academy Award Winner Anthony Hopkins, Evan Rachel Wood, and Jeffrey Wright in the hit HBO series "Westworld," created by Jonah Nolan and produced by J.J. Abrams. Rodrigo played the male lead in the Hulu series "Reprisal" for producer Warren Littlefield. Subsequently, he appeared in the feature "Project Power" for Netflix in mid-August 2020, opposite Jamie Foxx and Joseph Gordon Levitt. He also appeared in the Netflix foreign language film "Seven Slaves" for director Alex Moratto. In 2018, he appeared at Sundance for a film he starred in and produced to critical acclaim, titled "Un Traductor." His list of credits includes a lead role opposite Benicio Del Toro in Steven Soderbergh's "Che," "Love Actually," "Focus" opposite Will Smith and Margot Robbie, "300: Rise of an Empire" opposite Eva Green, "Rio 2," "The Last Stand" opposite Forrest Whitaker, "What to Expect When You're Expecting" opposite Cameron Diaz and Jennifer Lopez, "Hemingway and Gelhorn" for HBO opposite Nicole Kidman, "The 33" opposite Juliette Binoche, "Jane got a Gun" opposite Natalie Portman, and the Brazilian film "Heleno," chronicling the true-life story of the most notorious and successful Brazilian soccer player, Heleno de Frietas.
Rodrigo received the Ischia award for International Contribution at the 2008 Ischia Global Film Festival in Italy. He has also won a total of eight Best Actor awards, including the first-ever award for Best Actor from the Brazilian Academy of Arts and Film for his portrayal of a young man forced into a mental institution by his parents in "Brainstorm," by director Lais Bodansky.Such a talented actor - 300, I Love You to Death, Phillip Morris, Rio. He has worked in many movies, both in Brazil and the US: one of our favorite Christmas movies, "Actually, Love'', ''Heleno", "Hemingway'' -with Nicole Kidman and the new Arnold Swarzenegger movie.- Actor
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One of the most respected Brazilian thespians of all time, Leonardo Villar has a distinguished career in theatre, cinema and television. He was born on 25 July, 1924 in Piracicaba, São Paulo. His career initiated in the 1950's with several works in theatre and one special series for TV. But it was as the simple man Zé do Burro in The Given Word (1962) that his career turned around. His film debut and a leading role in one of the most important classics of Brazilian cinema, the only film to ever receive the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and the very first film from Brazil to receive an Oscar nomination in the Best Foreign Film Language category. Then, he played the title roles in Lampiao, King of the Badlands (1964) and The Hour and Turn of Augusto Matraga (1965), winning a Best Actor award at the Brazilia Festival of Brazilian Cinema. Alternating between films and TV series, Villar's career highlights were "Barriga de Aluguel" (1990), "Desejo" (1990), "Os Ossos do Barão" (1996), Ação Contra Amigos (1998), the memorable Paschoal in "Laços de Família" (2000), and most recently Chega de Saudade (2007).
Villar died on 3 July, 2020, a few weeks before his 97th birthday.Leonardo Villar is a great Brazilian actor who starred the Cannes Festival's Palm D'Or "O Pagador de Promessas" and "A Hora e a Vez de Augusto Matraga" in the 60's.- Actor
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Moura was born in Salvador, a city located in Northeast Region of Brazil, but grew up in the small town of Rodelas, Bahia. His mother, Alderiva, was a housewife, and his father, José Moura, was a Sergeant in the Brazilian Air Force. At the age of 13, he moved with his family to Salvador, Bahia.
Besides his acting career, Moura is a lyricist and the vocalist of a band named Sua Mãe ("Your Mum"). In 2012, he guest performed as lead vocalist for some Legião Urbana tribute shows, featuring surviving members Marcelo Bonfá and Dado Villa-Lobos.An excelent actor who made it big with Tropa de Elite - ''Elite Squad", a huge hit in Brazil and best film at the Berlin Festival. He will be in "Elysium'', with Matt Damon and Jodie Foster.- Actress
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- Soundtrack
Marília Pêra was born on 22 January 1943 in Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She was an actress and producer, known for Pixote (1980), Central Station (1998) and Urban Snap-Shots (2008). She was married to Bruno Faria, Nelson Motta, Paulo Villaça, Agildo Ribeiro and Paulo Graça Mello. She died on 5 December 2015 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.Best actress for her great performance in Pixote (LA Critics), this gifted actress has also worked on Brazilian theatre and television In the late 90's Marília worked with the talented Sonia Braga in the amazing ''Tieta of Agreste''.- Actor
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Selton Mello is a Brazilian actor, director, and screenwriter.
Beginning his career in television during childhood, Mello is today one of Brazil's most prominent and critically acclaimed artists - with an extensive body of work in theater, cinema, and other creative fronts.
Mello played leading roles in To the Left of the Father, directed by Luiz Fernando Carvalho; Lisbela and the Prisoner, directed by Guel Arraes (more than 3.5 million tickets sold); A Dog's Will, directed by Guel Arraes (more than 2.5 million tickets sold); Drained, directed by Heitor Dhalia; My Name Ain't Johnny, directed by Mauro Lima (more than 2.5 million tickets sold); and Four Days in September, directed by Bruno Barreto and nominated for an Oscar in the category of Best Foreign Language Film in 1997.
For his work in To the Left of the Father, Mello won Best Actor at the Habana Film Festival in Cuba, the Brasília International Film Festival in Brazil, the Lleida Latin-American Film Festival in Spain, and the Lima Latin-American Film Festival in Peru. He took home the Cinema Brazil Grand Prize for both Lisbela and the Prisoner and My Name Ain't Johnny. The latter earned him Best Actor at the Miami International Film Festival. For Drained, Mello won Best Actor at the Rio International Film Festival, the Punta Del Este International Film Festival, and the Guadalajara Film Festival.
Mello began his career behind the camera as a director of music videos, documentaries, and TV shows.
In 2006, he directed his first short film, When the Time Falls, which was selected for competitive screenings at the Gramado Film Fest, Rio International Film Festival, São Paulo International Film Festival, and the Guadalajara Film Festival.
The feature-length December, applauded by critics in Brazil and around the world, marked Mello's directional debut for the big screen. This film won more than 20 awards at the Paulínia, Goiania, Curitiba, and other Brazilian film festivals.
Mello also received the Special Jury Prize in Imola, Italy; three awards at the Los Angeles Brazilian Film Festival; Best Director and Best Screenplay at the 7th Cine Cero Latitud Festival in Ecuador; and Best Cinematography at both the Lima Latin-American Film Festival in Peru and the XI Ibero-American Film Festival of Santa Cruz.
In 2011, Mello acted in and co-directed the TV series The Invisible Woman, based on the movie of the same name. The series won an International Emmy Award in 2012 for Best TV Comedy.
In 2012, he directed Sessão de Terapia, the Brazilian version of In Treatment (BeTipul ). The original Israeli TV drama, written by Hagai Levi, has aired in over 25 countries.
For his second feature film, The Clown, Mello worked as director, co-writer, and co-editor - and starred in the leading role. Released in October of 2011, the film achieved the milestone of 1.5 million viewers and earned high marks from critics - receiving over 40 awards in Brazil and worldwide, including Best Director in Paulínia, from the APCA (Paulista Association of Art Critics), and at the 38th SESC Film Fest, where it was awarded Best Film by judges and the viewing audience.
The Clown won the Cinema Brazil Grand Prize in 2012. It placed first in 12 categories - a record that has assured its place in history as one of the most successful Brazilian films ever made. In 2013, The Clown was chosen to represent Brazil in the selection of Best Foreign Language Film nominees for The Oscars.
In 2017, Mello released his third feature-length film, The Movie of My Life, based on A Distant Father by prize-winning Chilean novelist Antonio Skármeta, author of Il Postino. Starring Mello, alongside French actor Vincent Cassel, the film has received high marks from critics and viewing audiences and represented Brazil in the 2017 Rome Film Fest.
Mello currently stars in the Netflix series The Mechanism, created and directed by José Padilha, the creative mind behind Narcos and Elite Squad.Great actor and director whose movie ''The Clown'' was Brazilian critics favorite last year. He worked with the wonderful Sonia Braga in the Brazilian soap ''Força de um Desejo''.- Actor
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José Wilker de Almeida was born on 20th August 1947 in Juazeiro do Norte, Brazil. He worked as a speaker in a radio there but he later moved to Recife where he started worked in the theatre as a member of "Movimento de Cultura Popular (MPC)". The group not only brought culture to people but also reading, writing and political lessons. During the military repression, however, MPC was made illegal and Wilker moved to Rio de Janeiro, where he started working in cinema. His first film as "A Falecida", starred by Fernanda Montenegro.
In Rio Wilker kept on working in theatre. In 1968 he wrote his own play, "O Trágico Acidente que Destronou Teresa". His next move as a playwright was "A China é Azul", in 1972. In this year he starred "Os Inconfidentes", a movie by Joaquim Pedro de Andrade. Still in 1972 he worked on his first TV series, "O Bofe".
Between 1976 and 1985 he didn't work in theatre, but played important roles in cinema and TV. "Dona Flor e Seus Dois Maridos" (1976), based on Jorge Amado's novel, is a recordist on Brazilian cinema box office. "Xica da Silva" (1976), "Bye Bye Brasil (1979)", "Bonitinha Mas Ordinária" (based on Nelson Rodrigues' text, 1981), and "O Homem da Capa Preta" (1986) were blockbusters too. His works for TV were very successful too.
In 1989 he worked on two then famous films: "Doida Demais" and "Dias Melhores Virão". In 1992 he was on "Medicine Man", directed by John McTiernan and starred by Sean Connery. In the next five years Wilker worked almost exclusively for Tv. However, in 1996, a compilation of his reviews on cinema was released in a book, "Como Deixar um Relógio Emocionado". In 1997 he came back to the Seventh Art with "O Pequeno Dicionário Amoroso" and "A Guerra de Canudos", where he was the protagonist and producer.
Wilker carried on his acclaimed TV career but in 2000 he worked on Villa Lobos, Uma Vida de Paixões". In 2002 he was on "Dead in the Water" starred by Henry Thomas. He then had three films in a role: "O Homem do Ano" (2003) and "Maria, Mãe de Deus" (2003) and "Redentor" (2004). In 2003 he was elected president of Rio Filmes, a cinema company in Brazil.Great actor who has been the lovely Sonia Braga's leading man in three movies - The Couple, the megahit Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands and last year's ''Invisible World''.
