Next person biography:
Arlette Pinheiro Esteves da Silva, known professionally as Fernanda Montenegro, was born on October 16th, 1929, in Rio de Janeiro. She adopted the name "Fernanda" because she thought it sounded good, and later added "Montenegro" after her family doctor.
Montenegro began her artistic life in the theater, making her debut in the play "Alegres Canções nas Montanhas" in 1950. She worked alongside notable actors such as Fernando Torres, whom she would later marry, taking on the name Arlette Pinheiro Monteiro Torres. Throughout the 1950s, she collaborated with prominent actors like Sérgio Britto, Cacilda Becker, Nathália Timberg, Cláudio Corrêa e Castro, and Ítalo Rossi.
In the early 1960s, Montenegro moved to São Paulo, where she continued to work in theater and television. Her first soap opera was "Pouco Amor Não é Amor", and in 1964, she began working in film with the movie "A Falecida". The following year, her daughter Fernanda Torres was born, who would later become a renowned actress.
Montenegro's success in television and theater continued, earning her the nickname "The First Lady of Brazilian Theater". In cinema, after a few lesser-known films, she worked on "Eles Não Usam Black-Tie" (1981),which received widespread critical acclaim.
Throughout the years, Montenegro's career flourished, with numerous successful soap operas and plays. Her cinema career, although not as prominent, continued to grow, with notable films like "O Que é Isso, Companheiro?" (1997),which was nominated for the Oscar for Best Film in a Foreign Language. Her next film, "Central do Brasil" (1998),also received an Oscar nomination and earned her the Berlin prize. In 1999, she achieved another milestone on television with "O Auto da Compadecida", which was later adapted into a film.
