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 The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of ...

–nominated performances in '' Kiss of the Spider Woman'' (1985) and ''

Moon over Parador ''Moon over Parador'' is a 1988 American romantic comedy film, starring Richard Dreyfuss, Raul Julia and Sônia Braga. It is a remake of the 1939 film '' The Magnificent Fraud'', based on the unpublished short story entitled "Caviar for His Ex ...

'' (1988). She also received a

BAFTA Award The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTA Film Awards is an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to film. The cer ...

nomination in 1981 for '' Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands'' (first released in 1976). For the 1994 television film '' The Burning Season'', she was nominated for an

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

and a third Golden Globe Award. Her other television and film credits include ''

The Cosby Show ''The Cosby Show'' is an American television sitcom co-created by and starring Bill Cosby, which aired Thursday nights for eight seasons on NBC between September 20, 1984, until April 30, 1992. The show focuses on an upper middle-class Africa ...

'' (1986), ''

Sex and the City ''Sex and the City'' is an American romantic comedy-drama television series created by Darren Star for HBO. An adaptation of Candace Bushnell's newspaper column and 1996 book anthology of the same name, the series premiered in the United Stat ...

'' (2001), '' American Family'' (2002), ''

Alias Alias may refer to: * Pseudonym * Pen name * Nickname Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Alias'' (2013 film), a 2013 Canadian documentary film * ''Alias'' (TV series), an American action thriller series 2001–2006 * ''Alias the J ...

'' (2005), ''

Aquarius Aquarius may refer to: Astrology * Aquarius (astrology), an astrological sign * Age of Aquarius, a time period in the cycle of astrological ages Astronomy * Aquarius (constellation) * Aquarius in Chinese astronomy Arts and entertainment ...

'' (2016), ''

Bacurau ''Bacurau'' () is a 2019 Brazilian-French weird western film written and directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles. It stars Sônia Braga, Udo Kier, Bárbara Colen, Thomas Aquino, Silvero Pereira, and Karine Teles. The film, a c ...

'' (2019), and ''

Fatima Fāṭima bint Muḥammad ( ar, فَاطِمَة ٱبْنَت مُحَمَّد}, 605/15–632 CE), commonly known as Fāṭima al-Zahrāʾ (), was the daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his wife Khadija. Fatima's husband was Ali, ...

'' (2020). In 2020, ''

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 ...

'' ranked her #24 in its list of the 25 Greatest Actors of the 21st Century.

Early life

Sônia Braga was born on June 8, 1950, daughter of Hélio Fernando Ferraz Braga and Maria Braga Jaci Campos, a costume designer from

Maringá Maringá () is a Municipalities of Brazil, municipality in southern Brazil founded on 10 May 1947 as a planned urban area. It is the third largest city in the state of Paraná (state), Paraná, with 385,753 inhabitants in the city proper, and 764 ...

. Sônia's siblings are Júlio, Ana, Hélio and Maria. Sônia is the aunt of Alice Braga, an actress. Her parents and her four siblings moved to

Curitiba Curitiba () is the capital and largest city in the state of Paraná in Brazil. The city's population was 1,948,626 , making it the eighth most populous city in Brazil and the largest in Brazil's South Region. The Curitiba Metropolitan area ...

and then to

Campinas Campinas (, ''Plains'' or ''Meadows'') is a Brazilian municipality in São Paulo State, part of the country's Southeast Region. According to the 2020 estimate, the city's population is 1,213,792, making it the fourteenth most populous Brazilian ...

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 ...

. When Braga was 8 years old, her father died, and she attended a convent school in the city of São Paulo. In her teens, she took a job, in the city of São Paulo, at a wedding reception and event catering center, ''Buffet Torres'' as a receptionist and typist.

Career

Sônia's brother, Hélio, presented the

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 ...

children's show, ''Jardim Encantado''. At age 14, Braga was invited by director Vicente Sesso to play small roles in children's programs and ''teleteatros'' on

, including ''Jardim Encantado''. Sônia then joined a theater group in Santo André, in the ABC region. At 17, she debuted in the play ''

George Dandin ''George Dandin ou le mari confondu'' (''George Dandin or The Thwarted Husband'') is a French Comédie-ballet in three acts by Molière, with music by Jean-Baptiste Lully, choreography by Pierre Beauchamp, and architecture/staging by Carlo Vigaran ...

'' in Santo André. In 1968, she was cast in the first Brazilian production of the musical ''

Hair Hair is a protein filament that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Hair is one of the defining characteristics of mammals. The human body, apart from areas of glabrous skin, is covered in follicles which produce thick terminal and fi ...

''. Sônia was, at first, turned down by director :pt:Ademar Guerra, but at the insistence of producer/actor :pt:Altair Lima, she joined :pt:Antônio Fagundes, :pt:Ney Latorraca, and the rest of the cast. Despite Institutional Act No. 5, enacting dictatorship in Brazil, the musical ran for 3 years.

Caetano Veloso Caetano Emanuel Viana Teles Veloso (; born 7 August 1942) is a Brazilian composer, singer, guitarist, writer, and political activist. Veloso first became known for his participation in the Brazilian musical movement Tropicalismo, which encomp ...

, in 1977, wrote the song, '' Tigresa'', in tribute to her, “She tells me she was an actress and worked on Hair. With some men she was happy, with others she was a woman”... In 1968, Braga was in the film '' O Bandido da Luz Vermelha'', and early '70s, appeared in supporting roles in the films '' A Moreninha'' and ''Cléo e Daniel''. The following year, she was invited to perform in ''A Menina do Veleiro Azul'', a soap opera produced by

TV Excelsior Rede Excelsior was a Brazilian television network founded by Mário Wallace Simonsen on July 9, 1960, in São Paulo, São Paulo. Its last broadcast happened on September 30, 1970, when the Brazilian military dictatorship put an abrupt end to ...

, but the network closed before the soap opera aired. Despite the success on stages and acting in soap operas, it was in the children's television series, ''

Vila Sésamo ''Vila Sésamo'' (formerly known as ''Sésamo'' from 2016 to 2022) is a Brazilian co-production of the first preschool television programme ''Sesame Street''. As of 2009 it airs on TV Rá-Tim-Bum.Janete Clair, which aired on

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 ...

. In 1975, Braga starred in the telenovela '' Gabriela'', in an adaptation of

Jorge Amado Jorge Leal Amado de Faria (10 August 1912 – 6 August 2001) was a Brazilian writer of the modernist school. He remains the best known of modern Brazilian writers, with his work having been translated into some 49 languages and popularized in ...

's novel ''

Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon ''Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon'' ( pt, Gabriela, cravo e canela) is a Brazilian modernist novel. It was written by Jorge Amado in 1958 and published in English in 1962. It is widely considered one of his finest works. A film adaptation of the ...

''. Directed by Walter Avancini, the

soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio drama ...

was a great national and international success, establishing Sonia Braga as a

sex symbol A sex symbol or icon is a person or character widely considered sexually attractive. Pam Cook, "The trouble with sex: Diana Dors and the Blonde bombshell phenomenon", In: Bruce Babinigton (ed.), ''British Stars and Stardom: From Alma Taylor t ...

. Braga returned to embody

's characters on film. In 1976, she starred in the film '' Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands'' directed by

Bruno Barreto Bruno Villela Barreto Borges (born 16 March 1955) is a Brazilian film director. Biography Born in Rio de Janeiro, Barreto has been making feature-length films ever since he was 17 years old and remains one of Brazil's most accomplished and pop ...

, alongside

José Wilker José Wilker Almeida (20 August 1944 – 5 April 2014) was a Brazilian film, stage, and television actor and director. The actor gained fame in telenovelas like '' Roque Santeiro'' (1985), but became known internationally for his role as Vadinho, ...

and

Mauro Mendonça Mauro Mendonça (born April 2, 1931) is a Brazilian actor. Born in Ubá, he started his career in 1955 in the Teatro Brasileiro de Comédia. He debuted in the 1963 TV Excelsior telenovela ''Corações em Conflito''. He went on to act on Rede Reco ...

. The romantic comedy was a box office hit in Brazilian cinemas and also had major repercussions internationally. In 1983, she starred in '' Gabriela'', alongside

Marcello Mastroianni Marcello Vincenzo Domenico Mastroianni (28 September 1924 – 19 December 1996) was an Italian film actor, regarded as one of his country's most iconic male performers of the 20th century. He played leading roles for many of Italy's top di ...

. In 1976, Braga participated in the cast of ''Saramandaia''. The following year she starred in ''Espelho Mágico'' as Cynthia Levy. One of the highlights of the soundtrack of the soap opera is the cover version that

Gal Costa Gal Maria da Graça Costa Penna Burgos (born Maria da Graça Costa Penna Burgos; 26 September 1945 – 9 November 2022), known professionally as Gal Costa (), was a Brazilian singer of popular music. She was one of the main figures of the tro ...

recorded of ''Tigresa'', music that

composed in honor of Braga. In the late 1970s, Braga gave life to another renowned character in Brazilian television, Julia Matos in ''Dancin' Days'' (1978). In the storyline, Braga played an ex-convict who gets out of prison ready to win back the love of her daughter, played by Gloria Pires. In 1979, Sonia Braga ventured into children's theater in the play ''No País dos Prequetés''. The following year she returned to television in the telenovela ''Chega Mais'' alongside Tony Ramos. In the early 1980s, Braga, who had already made films like '' Lady on the Bus'' (1978), decided to devote herself exclusively to the movies. In 1981, she starred in '' Eu Te Amo'' directed by

Arnaldo Jabor Arnaldo Jabor (12 December 1940 – 15 February 2022) was a Brazilian film director and producer, screenwriter, writer, journalist and political pundit for Brazilian television network Rede Globo. Biography He was of jewish lebanese descent an ...

, and won the best actress award at the Gramado Film Festival. She starred in the movie '' Kiss of the Spider Woman'' (1985) alongside

William Hurt William McChord Hurt (March 20, 1950 – March 13, 2022) was an American actor. Known for his performances on stage and screen, he received various awards including an Academy Award, BAFTA Award and Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor. H ...

and Raul Julia. Her role led to a Golden Globe nomination for best supporting actress and its success led to her international work. She decided to leave Brazil for a career in the United States, where she lived for 14 years. In 2003, she obtained

American citizenship Citizenship of the United States is a legal status that entails Americans with specific rights, duties, protections, and benefits in the United States. It serves as a foundation of fundamental rights derived from and protected by the Constituti ...

Braga was the first Brazilian to present a category at the

Oscars The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

. She was announced by

Goldie Hawn Goldie Jeanne Hawn (born November 21, 1945) is an American actress, dancer, producer, and singer. She rose to fame on the NBC sketch comedy program ''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In'' (1968–1970), before going on to receive the Academy Award and Go ...

as one of the most glamorous actresses in the world, before appearing with

Michael Douglas Michael Kirk Douglas (born September 25, 1944) is an American actor and film producer. He has received numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, five Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, the Cecil B. DeMille Award, and the AF ...

, who announced the result of the best short film. Braga competed for many prestigious awards in the United States. For her performance in '' The Burning Season'' (1994) she was nominated for the third time for the Golden Globe for best supporting actress. In 1995, she was nominated for an Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie for '' The Burning Season'', but lost to Shirley Knight. The film details the life of Brazilian activist

Chico Mendes Francisco Alves Mendes Filho, better known as Chico Mendes (; 15 December 1944 – 22 December 1988), was a Brazilian rubber tapper, trade union leader and environmentalist. He fought to preserve the Amazon rainforest, and advocated for the h ...

. In 1996, won the Lone Star Film & Television Awards, as best supporting actress for her work in '' Streets of Laredo'' directed by

Joseph Sargent Joseph Sargent (born Giuseppe Danielle Sorgente; July 22, 1925 – December 22, 2014) was an American film director. Though he directed many television movies, his best known feature-length works were arguably the action movie '' White Ligh ...

. That same year, director

Nicolas Roeg Nicolas Jack Roeg (; 15 August 1928 – 23 November 2018) was an English film director and cinematographer, best known for directing ''Performance'' (1970), '' Walkabout'' (1971), ''Don't Look Now'' (1973), '' The Man Who Fell to Earth'' (1976 ...

invited her for the lead role in the film '' Two Deaths'' alongside

Patrick Malahide Patrick Gerald Duggan (born 24 March 1945), known professionally as Patrick Malahide, is a veteran British film, television and theatre actor, author and producer, known, amongst other things, for his roles as Inspector Alleyn in ''The Inspect ...

. Braga also had the lead in ''

Tieta of Agreste ''Tieta of Agreste'' ( pt, Tieta do Agreste) is a 1996 Brazilian comedy film directed by Carlos Diegues. It is based on the novel '' Tieta'' by Jorge Amado. The film was selected as the Brazilian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the ...

'' (1996), directed by Carlos Diegues. In 1999, after nearly 20 years away from Brazilian television, the actress made a cameo in the first 15 chapters of the soap opera ''

Força de um Desejo ''Força de um Desejo'' is a Brazilian telenovela produced by TV Globo, and was shown in the schedule of 18 hours between May 10, 1999 and January 29, 2000, in 227 chapters. It was written by Gilberto Braga and as collaborators with Alcides Noguei ...

'' (1999), by Gilberto Braga and Alcides Nogueira, in the role of Helena Silveira, mother of characters

Fábio Assunção Fábio Assunção Pinto (born 10 August 1971) is a Brazilian actor. In 2011, he was nominated for the International Emmy Award for Best Actor for his role in the miniseries '' Dalva e Herivelto: uma Canção de Amor''. Early life Born in São ...

and Selton Mello. In 2001, she joined the cast of '' Memórias Póstumas'' directed by André Klotzel based on ''

The Posthumous Memoirs of Bras Cubas ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' by

Machado de Assis Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis (), often known by his surnames as Machado de Assis, ''Machado,'' or ''Bruxo do Cosme Velho''Vainfas, p. 505. (21 June 1839 – 29 September 1908), was a pioneer Brazilian novelist, poet, playwright and short stor ...

. For her performance in this film, she won the Kikito award for best supporting actress in Gramado Film Festival. In 2001 Braga appeared in '' Angel Eyes'' a romantic drama film directed by Luis Mandoki and starring

Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Affleck (' Lopez; born July 24, 1969), also known as J.Lo, is an American singer, actress and dancer. In 1991, she began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer on the sketch comedy television series '' In Living Color'', where she re ...

. In 2002, she appeared in '' American Family'', a PBS series created by Gregory Nava that follows the lives of a Latino family 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 ...

. In 2006, she returned to work in Globo's telenovela '' Páginas da Vida'', playing sculptor Tônia. In 2010, she starred in the episode ''A Adultera da Urca'', in the miniseries ''As Cariocas'' and in 2011, made a cameo in the '' Tapas & Beijos'' series. Braga had a recurring role as Lorraine Correia in the sixth season of the series '' Royal Pains''. Braga's scenes were filmed on location in Mexico and her episodes were aired in August 2014. Most recently, she appeared in

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...

's Marvel show ''

Luke Cage Lucas "Luke" Cage, born Carl Lucas and also known as Power Man, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in ''Luke Cage, Hero for Hire'' #1 (June 1972) and was created by Archie Go ...

'' as Rosario Dawson's mother. Sonia Braga earned rave reviews for her film ''

'' when it premiered at the

2016 Cannes Film Festival The 69th Cannes Film Festival was held from 11 to 22 May 2016. Australian director George Miller was the President of the Jury for the main competition. French actor Laurent Lafitte was the host for the opening and closing ceremonies. On 15 Marc ...

. Braga plays a widow and retired music writer who lives in the titular apartment complex and refuses to leave when developers offer her a buy-out. Though the film did not earn an Oscar nomination for Braga, it did contend for Best Foreign Film at France's

Cesar Awards Cesar, César or Cèsar may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''César'' (film), a 1936 film directed by Marcel Pagnol * ''César'' (play), a play by Marcel Pagnolt * César Award, a French film award Places * Cesar, Portugal * Ce ...

and the

Independent Spirit Awards The Independent Spirit Awards (abbreviated Spirit Awards and originally known as the FINDIE or Friends of Independents Awards), founded in 1984, are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Winners were typically presented with acrylic gla ...

. Braga ranked in the top five in

IndieWire IndieWire (sometimes stylized as indieWIRE or Indiewire) is a film industry and review website that was established in 1996. The site's focus was predominantly independent film, although its coverage has grown to "to include all aspects of Holl ...

's 2016 critics' poll for Best Actress. In 2020, ''

'' ranked her #24 in its list of the 25 Greatest Actors of the 21st Century.

Personal life

During the 1980s, Braga had a relationship with actor

Robert Redford Charles Robert Redford Jr. (born August 18, 1936) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award from four nominations, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, the Cec ...

. Braga had a relationship with

Pat Metheny Patrick Bruce Metheny ( ; born August 12, 1954) is an American jazz guitarist and composer. He is the leader of the Pat Metheny Group and is also involved in duets, solo works, and other side projects. His style incorporates elements of progr ...

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

References

External links

*
Sonia Braga
at Yahoo! Movies {{DEFAULTSORT:Braga, Sonia 1950 births Living people People from Maringá Brazilian film actresses Brazilian television actresses Brazilian emigrants to the United States People from Roosevelt Island American film actresses American television actresses Naturalized citizens of the United States American people of Brazilian descent 20th-century Brazilian actresses 21st-century Brazilian actresses 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses