Alice Braga Moraes (; born 15 April 1983) is a Brazilian actress and producer. She has appeared in several Brazilian films, starring as Angélica in the acclaimed '' City of God'' (2002), Karinna in ''

Lower City ''Lower City'' ( pt, Cidade Baixa) is a 2005 Brazilian drama film directed by Sérgio Machado. It was released in Brazil and to international film festivals in 2005, including being screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2005 Cannes ...

'' (2005), and Dolores in '' Only God Knows'' (2006). Braga came to international prominence after appearing opposite

Will Smith Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968), also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor and rapper. He began his acting career starring as a fictionalized version of himself on the NBC sitcom '' The Fresh ...

in '' I Am Legend'' (2007), and has since become a familiar face in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

, having appeared in films such as '' Predators'' (2010), '' The Rite'' (2011), ''

Elysium Elysium (, ), otherwise known as the Elysian Fields ( grc, Ἠλύσιον πεδίον, ''Ēlýsion pedíon'') or Elysian Plains, is a conception of the afterlife that developed over time and was maintained by some Greek religious and philos ...

'' (2013), ''

The Shack A shack is a type of small house, usually in a state of disrepair. Shack or The Shack may also refer to: Places * The Shack (Williamsport, Ohio), a Registered Historic Place in Pickaway County, Ohio, United States * The Shack Neighborhood Hou ...

'' (2017), ''

Soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest att ...

'' (2020), and '' The Suicide Squad'' (2021). She portrayed the starring role of Teresa Mendoza in the crime drama-thriller television series '' Queen of the South'' (2016–2021).

Early life

Alice Braga Moraes was born in

São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for ' Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaW ...

and raised in a Catholic family. She speaks fluent English, Portuguese, and Spanish. Her exposure to acting came at an early age; both her mother Ana Braga and aunt

Sônia Braga Sônia Maria Campos Braga (; born 8 June 1950) is a Brazilian actress. She is known in the English-speaking world for her Golden Globe Award–nominated performances in '' Kiss of the Spider Woman'' (1985) and '' Moon over Parador'' (1988). She ...

are actresses, and Braga often accompanied them to film sets. She began her career by appearing in school plays and commercials. Her first commercial was for yogurt when she was 8 years old. As a teenager, she began pursuing roles in television and films.

Career

Braga made her acting debut in the Portuguese-language short film ''Trampolim'' (1998) and then returned to her schooling. Her breakthrough came when she was cast as Angélica in the critically acclaimed crime film '' City of God'' (2002), for which she received a Best Supporting Actress nomination from the Cinema Brazil Grand Prize. Afterward, she attended university while appearing in a pair of well-regarded South American films: ''

'' (2005) and '' Only God Knows'' (2006). She also appeared in the popular Brazilian television program ''Carandiru, Outras Historias'' (2005). Braga made her English-language debut with a starring role alongside Brendan Fraser,

Mos Def Yasiin Bey (; born Dante Terrell Smith, December 11, 1973), previously and more commonly known by his stage name Mos Def (), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. His hip hop career began in 1994, alongside his siblings in the s ...

, and Catalina Sandino Moreno in the crime thriller '' Journey to the End of Night'' (2006), which premiered at the 5th Annual Tribeca Film Festival. She received further recognition when was then cast opposite

in the blockbuster action thriller '' I Am Legend'' (2007). She subsequently had roles in the

David Mamet David Alan Mamet (; born November 30, 1947) is an American playwright, filmmaker, and author. He won a Pulitzer Prize and received Tony nominations for his plays ''Glengarry Glen Ross'' (1984) and '' Speed-the-Plow'' (1988). He first gained cri ...

-directed martial arts film ''

Redbelt ''Redbelt'' is a 2008 American martial arts film written and directed by David Mamet and starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tim Allen, Alice Braga, Randy Couture, Ricky Jay, Joe Mantegna, Emily Mortimer, David Paymer, Rebecca Pidgeon, and Rodri ...

'' (2008), alongside Chiwetel Ejiofor, the post-apocalyptic thriller ''

Blindness Visual impairment, also known as vision impairment, is a medical definition primarily measured based on an individual's better eye visual acuity; in the absence of treatment such as correctable eyewear, assistive devices, and medical treatment� ...

'' (2008), alongside

Julianne Moore Julie Anne Smith (born December 3, 1960), known professionally as Julianne Moore, is an American actress. Prolific in film since the early 1990s, she is particularly known for her portrayals of emotionally troubled women in independent films, ...

and

Mark Ruffalo Mark Alan Ruffalo (; born November 22, 1967) is an American actor and producer best known for playing Bruce Banner / Hulk since 2012 in the superhero franchise of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and in the television series '' She-Hulk: Attorne ...

, and the crime drama '' Crossing Over'' (2009), alongside

Harrison Ford Harrison Ford (born July 13, 1942) is an American actor. His films have grossed more than $5.4billion in North America and more than $9.3billion worldwide, making him the seventh-highest-grossing actor in North America. He is the recipient o ...

, Ray Liotta, and

Ashley Judd Ashley Judd (born Ashley Tyler Ciminella; April 19, 1968) is an American actress. She grew up in a family of performing artists: she is the daughter of the late country music singer Naomi Judd and the half-sister of country music singer Wynonna ...

Alice Braga at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival

Braga portrayed Beth in the science fiction film '' Repo Men'' (2010). She starred as Isabelle in Nimród Antal's science fiction action film '' Predators'' (2010), which was shot and produced by Troublemaker Studios and

Robert Rodriguez Robert Anthony Rodriguez (; born June 20, 1968) is an American filmmaker, composer, and visual effects supervisor. He shoots, edits, produces, and scores many of his films in Mexico and in his home state of Texas. Rodriguez directed the 1992 ac ...

. Braga appeared as Frey Santiago in Neill Blomkamp's science fiction action film ''

'' (2013), co-starring

Matt Damon Matthew Paige Damon (; born October 8, 1970) is an American actor, film producer, and screenwriter. Ranked among ''Forbes'' most bankable stars, the films in which he has appeared have collectively earned over $3.88 billion at the North Ameri ...

and

Jodie Foster Alicia Christian "Jodie" Foster (born November 19, 1962) is an American actress and filmmaker. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, three British Academy Film Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and the hono ...

. In 2014, she starred as Vania in the Brazilian jungle film ''

The Ardor ''The Ardor'' (original title: ''El Ardor'') is a 2014 American Western film, written and directed by Pablo Fendrik. It stars Gael García Bernal as a lone shaman who rescues a kidnapped woman from mercenaries who kill her farmer father and take ...

'', as Olivia in the Argentine romance drama '' Latitudes'', and as Alice Taylor in

Kriv Stenders Kriv Stenders is an Australian writer, producer and director best known for the film '' Red Dog'' and the thriller film ''Kill Me Three Times''. He started off directing music videos for many famous Australian bands, including Go Betweens, M ...

' action-thriller '' Kill Me Three Times''. In 2016, Braga starred as Marisol Kingston in the western drama '' The Duel'', alongside Liam Hemsworth and

Woody Harrelson Woodrow Tracy Harrelson (born July 23, 1961) is an American actor and playwright. He is the recipient of various accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards, in addition to nominations for three Academy Award ...

. In 2017, she starred as Sophia in the Christian drama ''

'', alongside Octavia Spencer and Sam Worthington, based on the novel of the same name. From 2016 to 2021, Braga starred in the crime drama series '' Queen of the South'', produced for

USA Network USA Network (simply USA) is an American basic cable television channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. It was originally launched in 1977 as Madi ...

, an adaptation of

Arturo Perez-Reverte Arturo is a Spanish and Italian variant of the name Arthur. People *Arturo Álvarez (footballer, born 1985), American-born Salvadoran footballer * Arturo Álvarez (footballer, born 1959), Mexican footballer *Arthuro Henrique Bernhardt (b. 1982), Br ...

's best-selling novel '' La Reina del Sur''. The series marked Braga's first lead American television role. She previously had small supporting roles in a non-English television series. Braga starred as

Cecilia Reyes Dr. Cecilia Reyes is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Scott Lobdell and Carlos Pacheco, the character first appeared in ''X-Men'' (vol. 2) #65 (June 1997). She belongs to the subspeci ...

in the superhero horror film '' The New Mutants'', which was released in 2020. She starred as Maggie Teixeira in the HBO drama miniseries '' We Are Who We Are'', which was written and directed by filmmaker Luca Guadagnino. Braga appeared in the superhero action film '' The Suicide Squad'', which was released in August 2021.

Personal life

In January 2020, Braga revealed she has been in a three-year relationship with actress

Bianca Comparato Bianca de Souza Mendes Comparato (born 19 November 1985) is a Brazilian actress and film director. She has starred in '' Como Esquecer'' in 2010, as well as ''A Menina sem Qualidades'' and '' Somos tão Jovens'', both in 2013, the latter for whi ...

. Braga maintains residences in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, and

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * * * * *
Interview with Alice Braga, star of 'Lower City'
by Peter Fraser, Close-Up Film (archived 2007) {{DEFAULTSORT:Braga, Alice 1983 births Living people 20th-century Brazilian actresses 21st-century Brazilian actresses 21st-century LGBT people Actresses from São Paulo Brazilian Christians Brazilian expatriate actresses in the United States Brazilian film actresses LGBT actors from Brazil LGBT actresses LGBT Christians LGBT producers