Arlette Pinheiro Monteiro Torres, better known as Fernanda Montenegro, is a Brazilian actress and writer who has spent 80 of her 95 years working in film, theater, and television. She was the first actress hired by TV Tupi in 1951.
In soap operas, the actress played the lead role for the first time in A Muralha (1954). She was also the first Brazilian to win an International Emmy Award for her work in Doce de Mãe (2013), as well as being nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress for her role in Central Station (1998).
Curious to learn more about her career? Check out some must-see movies to get to know Fernanda Montenegro. These films marked the career of the ‘first lady’ of Brazilian theater!
1. The Deceased (1965)
Directed by Leon Hirszman, with a screenplay by Eduardo Coutinho and Hirszman, The Deceased marked Fernanda Montenegro’s first film role. In the movie, she plays Zulmira, a humble woman from Rio de Janeiro obsessed with death and dreaming of a luxurious funeral to compensate for her suffering life.
When she discovers she is healthy, she feels frustrated, but soon falls ill with tuberculosis. In her final moments, she asks her husband to fulfill her wish, but he, unemployed, seeks help from the richest man in the neighborhood, only to face an unexpected truth.
The feature received great recognition, earning Fernanda Montenegro the Best Actress awards at the Candango Trophy and the São Paulo State Governor’s Award. It was also voted Best Film at the Teresópolis Film Festival, with awards for Leon Hirszman (Best Director), Paulo Gracindo (Best Actor), and Nelson Rodrigues (Best Screenplay). Additionally, it won the Golden Seagull at the Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival and placed fifth in the Governor’s Award for the State of Guanabara.
2. A Dog’s Will (2000)
Directed by Guel Arraes, the film is inspired by the 1955 play A Dog’s Will. This 1 hour and 35-minute feature film boasts a stellar cast, including Matheus Nachtergaele, Selton Mello, Denise Fraga, Marco Nanini, Lima Duarte, and Fernanda Montenegro.
Set in the early 1930s, the story follows the adventures of Chicó and João Grilo, two cunning tricksters who arrive in the town of Taperoá, trying to survive with small scams. After securing jobs at Eurico’s bakery (played by Diogo Vilela), Chicó becomes involved with Dora (Denise Fraga), the baker’s unfaithful wife, while João Grilo takes advantage of the job to get free food.
3. Central Station
Dora (Fernanda Montenegro) is a bitter former teacher who makes a living writing letters for illiterate people, transcribing what they want to say to their families. However, she pockets the money without ever mailing the letters. One day, Josué, the nine-year-old son of one of her clients, is left alone when his mother is killed in a bus accident. Reluctant to take care of the boy, she eventually joins him on a journey through the Brazilian Northeast in search of Josué’s father, whom he has never met.
This emotionally powerful film, directed by Walter Salles, is considered a classic and one of the most important Brazilian films ever made. Fernanda Montenegro’s performance was widely acclaimed by both national and international critics, earning her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, making her the first Latin American actress to be nominated for a performance in Portuguese. She was also nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama.
4. They Don’t Wear Black Tie (1981)
Awarded at several international film festivals, most notably the Venice Film Festival, this film earned its place in the history of Brazilian cinema. In November 2015, it was included in the Brazilian Association of Film Critics’ list of the 100 greatest Brazilian films of all time.
Based on the play by Gianfrancesco Guarnieri, the film follows Tião, a young factory worker who, upon learning that his girlfriend Maria is pregnant, decides to marry her despite their financial struggles. His father, Otávio, a veteran union leader, initiates a strike to fight against the exploitative practices at the factory. Torn between his fear of losing his job and his responsibility toward his future family, Tião finds himself in conflict with his father.
Fernanda Montenegro portrays Romana, Tião’s mother, a strong yet worn-down woman who works as a laundress and carries the weight of all the household responsibilities.
The film is available for streaming on Globoplay.
5. O juízo (2019)
The supernatural suspense O Juízo features a script written by Fernanda Torres, actress and daughter of Fernanda Montenegro. Directed by Andrucha Waddington, the cast includes Montenegro, Felipe Camargo, Carol Castro, Lima Duarte, and Criolo.
The story revolves around a reckoning that took over two centuries to unfold. Augusto Menezes, along with his wife Tereza and son Marinho, moves to an abandoned farm inherited from his grandfather, hoping to restart their lives. After losing his job in the city and struggling with alcoholism, he sees the property as a chance for a fresh start.
But the land has a dark past. Centuries ago, an ancestor of the Menezes betrayed and ambushed Couraça, a slave and diamond trafficker, who was killed along with his daughter, Ana. The weight of this history still haunts the place. What Tereza doesn’t know is that Augusto has a hidden agenda: to find a fortune that his father and grandfather always believed existed there. In the process, he is seduced by the spirit of Couraça.
Caught in a web of mystery, Augusto, Tereza, and Marinho find themselves at the heart of Couraça and Ana’s centuries-old quest for justice for the lives they lost.
6. I’m still here (2024)
Directed by Walter Salles, I’m Still Here starres Fernanda Torres and Fernanda Montenegro as Eunice Paiva at different stages of her life, with Selton Mello portraying Rubens Paiva. The film portrays the painful journey of Eunice Paiva, a woman whose life was shattered by the Military Dictatorship. In 1971, her husband, former congressman Rubens Paiva, is taken from their home by the military and never returns.
Left with no answers, Eunice faces the regime’s silence and the falsehoods in the newspapers, which claim that Rubens had escaped. Driven by love and an unwavering quest for justice, Eunice defies fear and impunity, gathering evidence and demanding answers, even when the truth seems buried forever. Years later, now a lawyer and human rights advocate, she witnesses the state finally recognize her husband’s murder, but those responsible remain unpunished. In her final years, struggling with Alzheimer’s, Eunice still carries the pain of her loss, but also the legacy of courage and resistance that will never be erased.
I’m Still Here won the Oscar for Best International Film and was nominated for Best Film. Fernanda Torres, daughter of Fernanda Montenegro, was also nominated for Best Actress at the Oscars and won the Golden Globe in the same category for her portrayal of Eunice Paiva.
7. VitÓria (2025)
Directed by Andrucha Waddington and Breno Silveira, Vitória is a film that tells the story of a lonely woman who, distressed by the violence taking over her neighborhood, begins filming from her apartment window. She ends up documenting the activities of local drug traffickers over several months, with the intention of cooperating with the police.
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This article above was edited by Brisa Kunichiro.
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