This fall, on the TV channel "Yu" again began to show the series "Secret of the Tropicana." The actors who played in it have long become, if not relatives, then good friends of almost every family. And this is not surprising: the Brazilian tape, broadcast in the mid-nineties on ORT, appealed to everyone. Therefore, many housewives tried as soon as possible to complete all their household chores, in the evenings to sit in a chair in front of the TV and enjoy the events on the screen.
Back to the past ...
No matter how happy the person may be in the present, the moment nevertheless comes when a nostalgic, very warm wave of memories from the past rolls over him. This is the structure of the human psyche: over time, bad impressions are forgotten, leaving only good and bright memories in our memory. And here is The Secret of the Tropicana - the series that we remember and are still reviewing - can be called just such an extraordinary means by which you get to a completely different time when the smell of delicious mom’s cake comes from the kitchen, apricot trees bloom outside, and the mood is always upbeat.
Perhaps now, after two decades from the premiere of this tape on Russian television, it seems that everything in this story is naive - dialogue, acting, the script itself. And yet it’s so good that thanks to repeated shows you can once again plunge into the very same year 1996 ...
Story line. Meet the heroes
The action of the novel “Secret of the Tropicana” presented to the audience’s court, the actors of which instantly became the favorites of viewers, takes place in a not very large town near Rio de Janeiro. This is truly a paradise. At the center of the story are two twin sisters. Outwardly, they are similar, like reflections, but inside ... Each of them understands life in their own way, they have their own experiences, ambitions, ideals. If Ruth is a calm, balanced girl, even a little shy, whose only desire is to love and be loved, then Raquel is her complete opposite: ambitious, passionate and unbridled, wanting to live very richly and not stop at anything in achieving her goal.
Pretty straightforward, but interesting to the series "Secret of the Tropicana" plot. Let him be a little naive, but you can watch it with pleasure, empathizing with the heroes.
One day, returning home, Ruth meets a very nice guy named Marcus, who reciprocates her. True, Ruth does not even realize that he comes from a very wealthy family that has significant influence in the city. At first, everything goes well, until a sister intervenes in the idyll of two lovers. Raquel has long dreamed of such a bridegroom - a very rich one who could provide her with a comfortable life and luxurious life. Therefore, she impersonates Ruth and seeks the love of Marcus. A quiet and modest sister at this moment suffers silently, experiencing Raquel's betrayal.
From marriage to the storm
Marcus is married to Raquel, confident that she is Ruth. But this does not lead to anything good: the young husband pretty quickly realizes what kind of person his wife is. He wants a divorce.
It so happens in the story that the sisters of Araujo (and this is their maiden name) fall into the sea in a severe storm. The waves are raging too much. Only Ruth can be pulled out of the bubbling water, in the hand of which the sister's wedding ring is clamped. Her relatives, taking this opportunity (and the girl is unconscious), pass her off for her sister - Raquel. Since Ruth truly loves Marcus, she decided not to confess and try to use the chance presented to her by her chance to be with him. Now again there is a change of sisters, only this time Ruth calls himself Raquel.
Despite all the seeming naivety of the series "Secret of the Tropicana", the plot is twisted famously. In this case, one can only guess how long this substitution will last and when Marcus Asunson will guess about it.
Favorite actors and characters: ladies, go!
Let us dwell on the three, perhaps, the most revered by the audience actors, whose characters in this tape unconditionally won their sympathies. Perhaps it was thanks to them that “The Secret of the Tropicanka” - a series not only for housewives (as is commonly believed), it became truly popular for the Russians. We learn how they were shot then and how they live now.
The actress, on the heroine of which, in fact, keeps the whole plot of the plot "Secret of the Tropicana" - Gloria Pires. She is the daughter of a comedian and began her career at the age of five. Since she had a rather tight work schedule, she had to drop out of school after seventh grade. By the time of filming in the series starring Ruth and Raquel, she was already an accomplished actress. It should be noted that the young woman did not immediately agree to this project, because she recently had a second child. But, agreeing, Gloria did not fail: these shootings became for her a real triumph in the professional sphere.
What else can be briefly said about the series “Secret of the Tropicana”? Actors were selected very carefully, and many of them were well known to Russian viewers from previous works. This is also not strange, since in the nineties many Brazilian paintings were offered to the attention of lovers of long television histories.
Cute Lunatic
If we talk about Marcus Frota, who played the role of Togno Lunatic, then the actor sought his participation in the series. He even gained seven kilograms, in order to better match the image of a kind good lump. And he did not fail, becoming a people's favorite and became famous thanks to this very role at the age of 37.
But after a resounding success in 1993 (this year the series was released at home), the actor experienced great grief: his beloved wife Marcus died in a car accident, leaving him with their three children. They lived very happily for many years, so such a loss was very severe for Marcus. Then he married again the girl, 22 years younger than him. But in 2003, they broke up, despite the birth of another son in this marriage. In 2005, Marcus left the film career. Now he is the owner of his own circus in São Paulo and the head of the Brazilian Circus University.
Spouse of twins
Another memorable actor from the film "Secret of the Tropicana" - Guillerme Fontes. It was he who played Marcus Asunson, son of Virgilio and Clarita, husband of Raquel (Ruth).
His debut took place at the age of 18 in the TV series “Tee Tee”. Then there were other works - both in series and in dramatic films. Despite many interesting roles, it was the role of Marcus that became his best work. Thanks to her, Fontes was recognized all over the world. After the release of this story about twin sisters, Guillerme's shooting schedule was so full that he could only do work. No more strength left for anything.
In 1999, he was charged with embezzlement of state money (Fontes then wanted to make the movie Chateau) and sentenced to a year of community service and a huge fine. It was possible to restore the reputation only in 2015, when the film was released. The actor was then named the best director of the year.
In his personal life, he experienced a divorce 4 years ago, having lived with his beloved wife for 13 years. He has a daughter and a son. All the same work helped him survive the breakup.
That was the series "The Secret of the Tropicana." Its actors and now, after two decades, are loved by viewers of different ages. And thanks to the fact that now it is being repeated on one of the channels, those who were still too small or simply did not find the time can watch this exciting story.