Marília Soares Pêra (22 January 1943 – 5 December 2015) was a Brazilian actress, singer, and stage director. Hailed as "one of the decade's 980sten best actresses" by

Pauline Kael Pauline Kael (; June 19, 1919 – September 3, 2001) was an American film critic who wrote for ''The New Yorker'' magazine from 1968 to 1991. Known for her "witty, biting, highly opinionated and sharply focused" reviews, Kael's opinions oft ...

, Pêra won the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress in 1982 for her role in

Hector Babenco In Greek mythology, Hector (; grc, Ἕκτωρ, Hektōr, label=none, ) is a character in Homer's Iliad. He was a Trojan prince and the greatest warrior for Troy during the Trojan War. Hector led the Trojans and their allies in the defense o ...

's acclaimed ''

Pixote ''Pixote: a Lei do Mais Fraco'' (, lit. "Pixote (small child): The Law of the Weakest") is a 1980 Brazilian crime drama film directed by Héctor Babenco. The screenplay was written by Babenco and Jorge Durán, based on the book ''A Infância dos ...

'', and received Best Actress awards at the

Gramado Film Festival The Gramado Film Festival ( pt, Festival de Gramado) is an international film festival held annually in the Brazilian city of Gramado, Rio Grande do Sul, since 1973. In 1992, the festival began to award Latin American films produced outside of Br ...

(Triple Award Winner) and at the Cartagena Film Festival for

Carlos Diegues Carlos Diegues, also known as Cacá Diegues (born May 19, 1940), is a Brazilian film director. He was born in Maceió, Alagoas, and is best known as a member of the Cinema Novo Cinema Novo (), "New Cinema" in English, is a genre and movement o ...

' '' Better Days Ahead''. Other films include ''Bar Esperança'', ''Angels of the Night'', and Diegues' ''

Tieta do Agreste ''Tieta'' (Portuguese: ''Tieta do Agreste'', lit. "''Tieta from Agreste''") is a novel written by the Brazilian author Jorge Amado, published on August 17, 1977. Set in the 1970s, it narrates the return of Tieta to the remote village of Santana ...

''.

Biography

Marília Soares Pêra (Marilia Pera da Graça Mello, after she married), was born on January 22, 1943, in the neighborhood of Rio Comprido, in

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...

. From 14 to 21 years, works as a dancer in musicals and revue as ''Minha Querida Lady'' (1962), starring

Bibi Ferreira Abigail Izquierdo Ferreira (1 June 1922 – 13 February 2019), known as Bibi Ferreira, was a Brazilian actress, singer, and director. In a career spanning more than 75 years, Ferreira directed and performed in numerous theatrical productions and ...

, and ''O Teu Cabelo Não Nega'' (1963) biography of

Lamartine Babo Lamartine Babo (10 January 1904 — 16 June 1963) was one of the most important popular composers of Brazil. Babo composed several of satirical sambas, ''marchinhas'' and other songs; he is especially remembered for composing anthems for all the ...

, as

Carmen Miranda Carmen Miranda, (; born Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha, 9 February 1909 – 5 August 1955) was a Portuguese-born Brazilian samba singer, dancer, Broadway actress and film star who was active from the late 1920s onwards. Nicknamed "The Br ...

- role that would repeat a few times in her career. Her father Manoel Pear enrolled her in a classical ballet school and took her to the television, to dance. Perâ participated in programs such as ''Espetáculos Tonelux'', ''Grande Teatro Tupi'', ''Grande Teatro da Imperatriz das Sedas'', ''Teatrinho Troll'' and ''Câmera Um''. In 1959, she left school to marry the actor Paulo Graça Mello. At 18, in 1961, she toured Brazil and

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of th ...

with the play Henry Pongetti's ''Society em Baby-Doll''. A year later, starred in the musical ''Como Vencer na Vida sem Fazer Força'' alongside Procópio Ferreira, Moacyr Franco and

Berta Loran Basza Ajs (born 23 March 1926), known professionally as Berta Loran, is a Polish Brazilian actress.

Career in television

In 1965, Pêra was hired by director Abdon Torres to join the cast that would usher in the

Rede Globo TV Globo (, "Globe TV", or simply Globo), formerly known as Rede Globo, is a Brazilian free-to-air television network, launched by media proprietor Roberto Marinho on 26 April 1965. It is owned by media conglomerate Grupo Globo. The TV stati ...

, and starred in the

telenovela A telenovela is a type of a television serial drama or soap opera produced primarily in Latin America. The word combines ''tele'' (for "television") and ''novela'' (meaning "novel"). Similar drama genres around the world include '' teleserye'' ...

s '' Rosinha do Sobrado'' and '' Padre Tião'', both written by Moses Weltman. Also acted in '' A Moreninha'', an adaptation of novel's

Joaquim Manuel de Macedo Joaquim Manuel de Macedo (June 24, 1820 – May 11, 1882) was a Brazilian novelist, doctor, teacher, poet, playwright and journalist, famous for the romance '' A Moreninha''. He is the patron of the 20th chair of the Brazilian Academy of Letters ...

written by Graça Mello, who was director of the station. Pêra also participated in the cast of ''

Beto Rockfeller ''Beto Rockfeller'' is a Brazilian telenovela produced by TV Tupi and aired from November 4, 1968, to November 30, 1969. It was created by Cassiano Gabus Mendes, written by Bráulio Pedroso and directed by Lima Duarte and Walter Avancini. Plot B ...

'' (1968), written by Bráulio Pedroso, on

TV Tupi Rede Tupi (; in English, Tupi Network) was a Brazilian television network free-to-air. Its parent broadcaster, located in the city of São Paulo, was the first TV station to operate in the country, being inaugurated on 18 September 1950 by journ ...

, the soap opera is considered a landmark of Brazilian television, for his modern language and urban ambiance. Pêra was invited by director Daniel Filho to return to the Globo in 1971, to interpret Shirley Sexy in ''

O Cafona ''O Cafona'' is a 1971 Brazilian telenovela A telenovela is a type of a television serial drama or soap opera produced primarily in Latin America. The word combines ''tele'' (for "television") and ''novela'' (meaning "novel"). Similar Drama (fi ...

'', character that gave him great popularity. Soon after, she played the taxi driver Noeli in '' Bandeira 2'', written by

Dias Gomes Alfredo de Freitas Dias Gomes () (19 October 1922 – 18 May 1999) was a Brazilian playwright. He was born on October 19, 1922 in Salvador, Bahia. He started writing plays at age 15 and later wrote soap operas. He wrote the first ever colore ...

. The following year, she it was Serafina Rosa Petrone in ''

Uma Rosa com Amor Uma Rosa com Amor is a Brazilian telenovela that was produced by SBT and broadcast from 1 March 2010 to 16 August 2010 in 145 chapters. It was written and adapted by James Santiago, inspired in the Vicente Sesso's work of same title, in collabora ...

''s Vicente Sesso, opposite Paul Goulart. Then she played the main character of the novel '' Supermanoela'' (1974), written by Walther Negrão. In 1982, Pear played the character Alice in '' Quem Ama não Mata'', written by Euclydes Marinho. The miniseries caused strong impact because of the realistic direction of Daniel Filho, and interpretations of the actress and

Cláudio Marzo Claudio is an Italian and Spanish first name. In Portuguese it is accented Cláudio. In Catalan and Occitan it is Claudi, while in Romanian it is Claudiu. Origin and history Claudius was the name of an eminent Roman gens, the most important me ...

, and the approach of a controversial issue, the crime of passion. After 13 years, Pear returned to work in telenovelas on

TV Globo TV Globo (, "Globe TV", or simply Globo), formerly known as Rede Globo, is a Brazilian free-to-air Television broadcasting, television network, launched by media proprietor Roberto Marinho on 26 April 1965. It is owned by media conglomerate Gr ...

, as Rafaela Alvaray in '' Brega & Chique'', soap opera displayed in 1987, written by Cassiano Gabus Mendes. In the miniseries '' O Primo Basílio'' (1988), an adaptation of

Gilberto Braga Gilberto Tumscitz Braga (November 1, 1945 – October 26, 2021) was a Brazilian screenwriter. Biography Braga was born in Rio de Janeiro, on November 1, 1945. He studied at the Instituto de Educação and the Colégio Pedro II. He studied at t ...

and Leonor Brassères of

Eça de Queiroz José Maria de Eça de Queiroz (; 25 November 1845 – 16 August 1900) is generally considered to have been the greatest Portuguese writer in the realist style. Zola considered him to be far greater than Flaubert. In the London ''Observer'', ...

's novel, Pêra played the villain Juliana, another remarkable character. Pêra worked on two

s by Ricardo Linhares: ''

Lua Cheia de Amor Lua or LUA may refer to: Science and technology * Lua (programming language) * Latvia University of Agriculture * Last universal ancestor, in evolution Ethnicity and language * Lua people, of Laos * Lawa people, of Thailand sometimes referred ...

'' (1991), co-written by Ana Maria Moretzsohn and Maria Carmen Barbosa, and ''

Meu Bem Querer ''Meu Bem Querer'' (''My Wishing Well'') is a Brazilian telenovela produced and aired by TV Globo TV Globo (, "Globe TV", or simply Globo), formerly known as Rede Globo, is a Brazilian free-to-air television network, launched by media propr ...

'' (1998). In

Band Band or BAND may refer to: Places *Bánd, a village in Hungary *Band, Iran, a village in Urmia County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran * Band, Mureș, a commune in Romania *Band-e Majid Khan, a village in Bukan County, West Azerbaijan Province, I ...

, starred in '' O Campeão'' (1982), another novel Linhares, and the headline in '' Mandacaru'' (1997), written by Carlos Alberto Ratton. In 2001, Pêra participated of the cast in the miniseries ''

Os Maias ''Os Maias: Episódios da Vida Romântica'' ("The Maias: Episodes of Romantic Life") is a realist novel by Portuguese author Eça de Queiroz. ''Maia'' is the name of the fictional family the novel is about. As early as 1878, while serving in t ...

'', an adaptation

's novel. The actress was part of casts of the telenovelas ''

Começar de Novo ''Começar de Novo'' is a Brazilian telenovela produced by TV Globo and aired between 30 August 2004 and 16 April 2005. It stars Marcos Paulo, Natália do Vale, Eva Wilma Eva Wilma Riefle Buckup Zarattini (; 14 December 1933 – 15 May 2021) ...

'' in 2004; ''

Cobras & Lagartos ''Cobras & Lagartos'' (English title: ''Snakes & Lizards'') is a Brazilian telenovela that was produced and aired by TV Globo from 24 April to 18 November 2006, totaling 179 episodes. The show featured Mariana Ximenes, Daniel de Oliveira as ma ...

'', in 2006; ''

Duas Caras ''Duas Caras'' (English: ''Two Faces'') is a Brazilian telenovela produced and broadcast by Globo from 1 October 2007 to 31 May 2008, replacing ''Paraíso Tropical'' and followed by ''A Favorita''. It is created by Aguinaldo Silva and directed ...

'' in 2007. Her last work at the broadcaster was the TV show '' Pé na Cova''

ne foot in the grave, in an unofficial translation NE, Ne or ne may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Neutral Evil, an alignment in the American role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons'' * New Edition, an American vocal group * Nicomachean Ethics, a collection of ten books by Greek philosopher Ar ...

aired since 2013.

Film career

Internationally, Marília Pêra is best known for her performance in '' Pixote: A Lei do Mais Fraco'' (1980), where she portrayed the character Sueli. In 1982 she became the first

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sou ...

n ever honored in North America with a Best Actress Prize awarded by the

National Society of Film Critics Awards The National Society of Film Critics (NSFC) is an American film critic organization. The organization is known for its highbrow tastes, and its annual awards are one of the most prestigious film critics awards in the United States. In January 2014, ...

. The film itself was nominated for the Best Foreign Film Golden Globe, but lost to that year's eventual

Best Picture Oscar The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film and is the only category ...

winner,

Hugh Hudson Hugh Hudson (born 25 August 1936) is an English film director. He was among a generation of British directors who would begin their career making documentaries and television commercials before going on to have success in films. He directed the ...

's ''

Chariots of Fire ''Chariots of Fire'' is a 1981 British historical sports drama film directed by Hugh Hudson, written by Colin Welland and produced by David Puttnam. It is based on the true story of two British athletes in the 1924 Olympics: Eric Liddell ...

''. Vincent Canby wrote for ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' in relation to the film: ''“The performances are almost too good to be true, but Mr. Da Silva and Miss Pera are splendid.”'' A former street kid, Fernando Ramos da Silva returned to the streets a few years after Pixote was released. He was killed by police – following an alleged shootout – at age 19 on Aug. 25, 1987. Highlights of her movie career include Hugo Carvana's '' Bar Esperança'' (1983), in a comic performance as a temperamental soap opera star. Other films include: ''

Central do Brasil Central do Brasil () is a major train station in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro. It is the last stop of Rio's railway network, as well as a hub for connection with the city subway and a bus station. Central do Brasil was also a preemine ...

'' (1998) and '' Jogo de Cena'' (2007). Her last film work was in '' Polaroides Urbanas'' in 2008.

Death

Pêra died at her apartment in Rio de Janeiro from

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from transformed, mali ...

at the age of 72.Morre a atriz Marília Pêra, aos 72 anos

Awards

Filmography

Movies

*1968: '' O Homem Que Comprou o Mundo'' .... Rosinha *1970: '' O Donzelo'' *1970: '' É Simonal'' *1975: ''

O Rei da Noite O, or o, is the fifteenth letter and the fourth vowel letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''o'' (pronounced ), pl ...

'' .... Pupe *1975: '' Ana, a Libertina'' *1978: '' O Grande Desbum...'' *1981: '' Pixote: A Lei do Mais Fraco'' .... Sueli *1983: '' Bar Esperança'' .... Ana *1984: ''

Mixed Blood The term mixed-blood in the United States and Canada has historically been described as people of multiracial backgrounds, in particular mixed European and Native American ancestry. Today, the term is often seen as pejorative. Northern Woodla ...

'' .... Rita La Punta *1984: '' Plunct, Plact, Zuuum II'' (TV Movie) .... Fabiano's mother *1987: ''

Anjos da Noite ''Night Angels'' (Brazilian title: ''Anjos da Noite'') is a 1987 Brazilian drama movie, directed by Wilson Barros. Cast * Zezé Motta as Malu * Antônio Fagundes as Jorge Tadeu * Marco Nanini as Guto * Chiquinho Brandão as Lola / Mauro * A ...

'' .... Marta Brum *1990: ''

Dias Melhores Virão ''Better Days Ahead'' ( pt, Dias Melhores Virão) is a 1989 Brazilian comedy-drama film directed by Carlos Diegues. Plot The staff of a dubbing studio celebrates the announcement of a Brazilian dubbing of an acclaimed show called ''The Mary Shad ...

'' .... Maryalva 'Mary' Matos *1995: '' Jenipapo'' .... Renata *1996: ''

'' .... Perpétua *1998: ''

'' .... Irene *1998: '' O Viajante'' .... Ana Lara *2001: ''Amélia'' .... Amélia *2002: '' Seja o Que Deus Quiser'' .... Dona Fernanda *2003: '' Garrincha - Estrela Solitária'' .... Vanderléia *2006: '' Acredite, um Espírito Baixou em Mim'' .... D. Graça *2006: '' Living the Dream'' .... Vanessa *2006: '' Vestido de Noiva'' .... Madame Clessy *2008: '' Polaróides Urbanas'' .... Magda / Magali *2008: '' Nossa Vida Não Cabe Num Opala'' .... Mãe de Monk, Lupa, Slide e Magali *2008: '' Xuxa e as Noviças'' (TV Movie) .... Irmã Gardênia *2009: '' Embarque Imediato'' .... Justina / Gilda *2016: ''Tô Ryca!'' .... Madame Claude (final film role)

Telenovelas

*1965: '' Rosinha do Sobrado'' .... Rosinha *1965: '' A Moreninha'' .... Carolina *1965: '' Padre Tião'' *1966: '' Um Rosto de Mulher'' *1968: ''

'' .... Manoela *1968: '' O Homem Que Comprou o Mundo'' .... Rosinha *1969-1970: '' Super Plá'' .... Joana Martini *1971: ''

'' .... Shirley Sexy *1971-1972: '' Bandeira 2'' .... Noeli *1972-1973: ''

Uma Rosa Com Amor Uma Rosa com Amor is a Brazilian telenovela that was produced by SBT and broadcast from 1 March 2010 to 16 August 2010 in 145 chapters. It was written and adapted by James Santiago, inspired in the Vicente Sesso's work of same title, in collabora ...

'' .... Serafina Rosa Petrone *1974: '' Supermanoela'' .... Manoela *1975: ''

'' .... Pupe *1976: '' Planeta dos Homens'' *1987: '' Brega & Chique'' .... Rafaela Alvaray *1989: '' Top Model'' .... Maryalva 'Mary' Matos *1990-1991: ''

'' .... Genuína 'Genu' Miranda *1996: '' O Campeão'' .... Elizabeth Caldeira *1997: '' Mandacaru'' .... Isadora *1998-1999: '' Meu Bem-Querer'' .... Custódia Alves Serrão *2000: ''

Brava Gente Brava or La Brava may refer to: Geography *Brava, Cape Verde, a volcanic island *Brava, Costa Rica, an island of Costa Rica (Isla Brava) *Costa Brava, a coastal area Mediterranean of northeast Spain *Barawa, a town in Somalia commonly known as '' ...

'' .... Amélia *2004-2005: ''

'' .... Janis Doidona *2006: ''

'' .... Milu Montini *2007-2008: ''

'' .... Gioconda *2011-2012: '' Aquele Beijo'' .... Maruschka Lemos de Sá

Series and Mini-Series

*1982: '' Quem Ama Não Mata'' .... Alice *1988: '' O Primo Basílio'' .... Juliana Couceiro Tavira *1994: '' Incidente em Antares'' .... Erotildes *2001: ''

'' .... Maria Monforte *2006: '' JK'' .... Sara Kubitschek *2007: ''

Toma Lá, Dá Cá ''Toma Lá, Dá Cá'' (English: ''Give-and-Take'') is a Brazilian television sitcom created by Maria Carmem Barbosa and Miguel Falabella, which aired on Rede Globo from August 7, 2007, to December 22, 2009, over three seasons. It started as a year ...

'' .... Ivone *2008: ''

Casos e Acasos Casos e Acasos is a series of Brazilian TV Globo Network, written by Daniel Adjafre and Marcius Melhem, the general direction of Carlos Milan core of Marcos Schechtman (until the 15th episode) and Jayme Monjardim (from the 16th episode). First a ...

'' .... Sônia *2010: '' A Vida Alheia'' .... Catarina Faissol *2012: ''

Louco Por Elas ''Louco por Elas'' (English: ''Crazy About Them'') is a Brazilian television sitcom that premiered on Rede Globo on March 13, 2012. It stars Eduardo Moscovis, Deborah Secco, Glória Menezes, Laura Barreto, and Luisa Arraes. The second season aired ...

'' .... Madame Vivi *2013–2016: '' Pé na Cova'' .... Darlene

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Pera, Marilia 1943 births 2015 deaths Brazilian film actresses Brazilian stage actresses Brazilian telenovela actresses Brazilian people of Italian descent Brazilian people of Portuguese descent Actresses from Rio de Janeiro (city) Deaths from lung cancer Deaths from cancer in Rio de Janeiro (state) 20th-century Brazilian actresses 21st-century Brazilian actresses