The Soviet viewers first saw Brazilian TV shows in 1988. Over the next 2 decades, they were incredibly popular in Russia, so many actors from this country became regular "guests" in the apartments of most of our fellow citizens. Among them is Gloria Menezes, whose biography is devoted to this article.
early years
The real name of Gloria Menezes is Nilcedes Soares Magalliance. The future actress was born in the city of Pelotas, located in southern Brazil, in a close-knit family, where dad and mom loved each other without a memory. This is evidenced by at least the fact that the name of the girl consists of parts of the names of her parents Nilu Gimiraesh and Mercedes Soares. When Nielsedes was only 6 years old, she and her family moved to Sao Paulo. As the actress later recalled, in her childhood she often played performances with her dolls, and attended a theater club at school.
First marriage
The family of Gloria Menezes was well-off, so the girl received a good education. However, her parents strictly adhered to patriarchal traditions, according to which the main mission of any girl was to create a family. That is why they married Nilcedes to Arnald Brit - one of their relatives - she was barely 17 years old. Although the girl did not feel tender feelings for her groom, she agreed to the wedding, as she saw in her the only opportunity to escape from parental care. In this marriage, the future actress gave birth to two children - Maria Amelia and Josh Paulo, but soon realized that she could not live with an unloved man. Fortunately, the husband did not interfere with her desire to move to Sao Paulo with the kids in order to study dramatic art.
First success
The outstanding talent of the aspiring actress was noticed by the directors. She left her studies at the University of São Paulo, as already in the first courses she was strewn with offers to take part in television shows.
Gloria's debut on television took place in 1959. The first role of the actress in the television series "Place in the Sun" Dionisiu di Azevedo brought her the national prize "Discovery of the Year".
After 3 years, Menezes first starred in the movie. In the film Anselm Duarte "Vow Artist" she played the main female role of Rosa. The picture, which raised topical social issues, and also touched on the topic of indifference of the church to the problems of a particular person, received the Golden Palm Branch at the Cannes Film Festival.
Second marriage
Success inspired the actress Gloria Menezes, and she decided to drastically change her life. The girl divorced her husband and moved with the children to her mother's house.
A few months later, Gloria Menezes met the actor Tarsisio Meira. They made a strong pair, which the Brazilians have called ideal for almost half a century. In 1965, a son was born to the actors, who was named Tarsisiu Filu. At the same time, happy parents were in no hurry to legitimize their relationship and did it only when the boy was 13 years old.
Career
In 1967, Gloria Menezes, whose personal life is already known to you, began to collaborate with the Globo television company, and played a major role in the blood and sand television project. Then the actress was invited to the series Passos dos Ventos, where Carlos Alberto became her partner. Gloria's husband, Tarsisio, who played the role of the beloved heroine of actress Yona Magalhaesh, also starred in this project. This did not like the audience who wanted to see the spouses only together.
In the 70s
In 1970, the couple played in the television series Irmãos Coragem, which to this day is considered one of the most successful on Brazilian television. Tarsisio got the main role in it, and Gloria Menezes created the image of a woman in whom the modest Lara, extravagant Diana and balanced Marcia coexist in an incomprehensible way.
The success of the couple was repeated in the television project "The Man Who Must Die". Its viewers saw in 1971.
Among the interesting works of Gloria of this period can also be attributed to the series "Father Hero". In it, Gloria Menezes played Anna Preto, who owns a samba school and at the same time forms part of a love triangle with the characters of Tony Ramos and Elizabeth Savala. The film was a huge success. After being shown on television screens throughout Brazil, women began to dress like Anna Preta and make hairstyles like hers.
In the 80s
In 1981, Gloria played in the TV series "Game of Life", and after 2 years starred in the television project "War of the Sexes" by Silvio de Abreu. This picture, based on which a remake was recently shot, tells about Charlotte and Otavio. As relatives, they begin an irreconcilable struggle for the inheritance of a millionaire uncle. In the "War of the Sexes" Gloria got the role of Roberta Leone, who leads her game and tries to succeed.
In the 90s
In the 1990s, Gloria worked on a series of adaptations of Silvio de Abreu's novels. The most remembered works of the actress of this period include the series:
- The Queen of Scrap Metal (Laurinha Figueiroa);
- "May the Lord help us ...." (Babi);
- “New victim” (the role of Julia);
- “Mongrel” (Stela);
- The Tower of Babel (the role of Marta Toledo);
- “Coast of Dreams” (Donna Colo).
In the 2000s
In 2002, already a grandmother, Menezes starred in the film for children of Antonio Kalmon "Kiss of the Vampire." In it, she created the image of the magician Zoroaster. After the release of the film, the children began to recognize Gloria and often stopped her on the street to ask them to do a small miracle.
In 2004, the actress played Baroness Laura in the TV series “Mistress of Fate.” This television project was dedicated to a serious problem - Alzheimer's disease and how the lives of older people change when they begin to progress this disease. Subsequently, Gloria admitted that she was very attached to her character and she was very pleased that she could help her peers in need with something.
In her next 2 films (“Pages of Life” directed by Manoel Carlos and “Favorite” Joao Emanuel Carneiro), Menezes played with her husband. The audience gladly took the opportunity to admire this acting duet, which in Brazil has long been considered exemplary.
In The Pages of Life, Gloria appeared before her fans in the form of the mother of 6 children of Laligny, who is married to Tide (Tarsisio). According to the script, the heroine dies in one of the first episodes. In the course of the picture, the husband is constantly transferred by thoughts to the past, remembering the times when his beloved wife was alive.
No less interesting was the work of Menezes in the TV show “Favorite”. In this series, Gloria played the role of the millionaire Irene, in whom her son was killed. Throughout the picture, she is trying to understand who committed this crime and whether her daughter-in-law is related to him.
TV career in the last decade
In 2012, the actress played the role of Violet in the series "They Drive Me Crazy." A year later, Gloria pleased the viewer with her new work in the TV project "Rare Treasure", playing the role of Perola. The series tells a love story between immigrant Amelia and a young man from a family of wealthy jewelers Franz Hauser.
Among the notable works of Menezes of recent times is the television project “Perfectly Unmatched”, which was shown in 2015. This series with a story reminiscent of “Pygmalion” by Bernard Shaw, about a girl who is transformed from a gray mouse into a supermodel, was very popular with viewers not only in Brazil, but also far beyond its borders.
Now you know the biography of Gloria Menezes, whose films are also known to the Russian audience. Despite a rather advanced age, the actress looks great and continues to delight fans with her work.