Brazilian Soap Operas Launch Stars to Oscar-Nominated Films

Brazil's telenovela industry serves as a launching pad for actors who go on to star in Oscar-contending films. TV Globo's soap opera productions reach 60 million viewers weekly and have helped launch careers of stars in films like "The Secret Agent" and "I'm Still Here."

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — While Hollywood stars may dominate the movie industry spotlight during events like Sunday’s Academy Awards ceremony, Brazilian performers typically begin their journey to fame in television studios rather than on movie sets.

Dating back to the 1960s, Brazil’s telenovelas produced by TV Globo have transformed from basic daily programming into a massive entertainment empire featuring 13 production facilities, three complete set communities, 122 editing suites, and attracting as many as 60 million viewers from Brazil’s 213 million population each week.

Numerous Brazilian performers featured in Academy Award-nominated productions — including “Central Station” from 1998, “I’m Still Here” from 2024, and this year’s four-category contender “The Secret Agent” — initially gained recognition through TV Globo programming. Stars such as Wagner Moura and Fernanda Torres built their national profiles through telenovela appearances.

By comparison, Brazil operates only approximately 3,500 cinema locations, primarily concentrated in metropolitan areas where American blockbusters dominate programming. This environment creates a cycle where television success opens doors to major film opportunities, which then leads back to popular soap opera roles, and eventually returns to cinema projects.

Moura, who headlines “The Secret Agent,” appeared in the telenovela “A Lua Me Disse” (The Moon told Me) two decades ago. Torres, featured in “I’m Still Here,” which earned Brazil its first best international feature Oscar, had already become a cherished performer through two prominent TV Globo comedy programs that audiences consider soap operas.

“Globo’s telenovelas are key for Brazil’s audiovisual production,” stated Amauri Soares, director of TV Globo and Globo Studios, describing them as “a continuous platform of creation and production of content.”

“‘The Secret Agent’ has actors and staffers who worked at Globo, who will work at Globo again and the film itself has Globo investment despite being independent,” Soares explained.

TV Globo airs three telenovelas concurrently from early evening through prime time hours. These productions originate from Rio de Janeiro facilities and typically continue for six-month periods, airing Monday through Saturday with crews exceeding 1,000 individuals. Final episodes of telenovelas become nationwide viewing occasions, with establishments like bars, restaurants and fitness centers broadcasting major installments.

The telenovela business demands flexibility. Since some episodes are written just days ahead based on viewership data, these programs enable audiences to indirectly influence storylines. Their financial influence is substantial: a remake of the successful “Vale Tudo” (Anything Goes) allegedly produced more than 200 million reais ($38 million) in advertising revenue — four times “The Secret Agent’s” worldwide box office earnings.

TV Globo annually brings in up to 70 new performers from theater, cinema and regional productions. According to Soares, they develop their abilities using advanced equipment and fresh methods for one year. Many then depart for different projects, while others remain with the network for additional soap operas and limited series.

Dira Paes, an experienced performer and regular TV Globo commentator during Oscar broadcasts, observes that Brazil’s soap opera and film sectors are becoming more connected, allowing professionals to transition between mediums for creative and financial opportunities. She recently starred in the popular telenovela “Pantanal” (Wetlands) and appeared in “Manas,” a movie that received praise from Julia Roberts and Sean Penn.

“Soap operas are not only about ratings, but also heart and affection. When you do it on prime-time, you experience the power of an entire nation watching you. When the public loves your character … it is a very special popularity,” Paes commented, referring to her role in “Tres Gracas” (Three Gracas), a telenovela filmed in Rio but depicting an impoverished São Paulo neighborhood.

Mauricio Stycer, a television culture author and critic, believes Brazil’s economic disparity strengthened free television networks like Globo in ways that diminished public interest in movies. He contends this situation resulted in “Brazilian cinema holding a grudge for not having the same reach of soap operas.”

Stycer noted that performers often face a difficult choice when offered telenovela roles.

“To be popular and have a sure income every month or to take risks in a career that involves theater and cinema? TV was always a safe haven for most actors,” he observed.

Although competing Brazilian television networks have attempted to challenge Globo’s telenovela dominance, few have succeeded. However, even TV Globo’s programming no longer maintains the commanding position it held through the early 2010s. Network leadership has recognized increasing competition from streaming platforms.

Nevertheless, “Globo is still Brazil’s biggest company for actors,” Stycer noted. “Up until the year 2000, Globo alone was responsible for about 50% of TV ratings in Brazil.”

Actor and director Lázaro Ramos initially joined telenovelas after launching his career in theater and film. He believes Brazilians have developed equal appreciation for both telenovelas and movies when they successfully capture the nation’s vibrant and sometimes somber character.

“Brazilians see themselves in telenovelas, more and more. Our acclaimed writers created many of them based on literature classics,” Ramos said. “They are an investment in a national voice through characters, language and esthetics that viewers greatly identify with.”

Ramos — a longtime friend of Moura — plans to attend the Academy Awards but will return to Brazil immediately afterward to resume work on his new telenovela, “A Nobreza do Amor” (Love’s Nobility).

For him, the capacity to move between theater, cinema and television keeps Brazilian actors financially stable.

“An American actor could get $10 million for a film. That’s not the Brazilian reality,” he said. “But telenovelas are not a lesser product; they are a product of the highest quality.”