Sônia Braga

Sônia Braga
Sônia Braga in 2010.
Born	Sônia Maria Campos Braga (1950-06-08) 8 June 1950 Maringá, Paraná, Brazil
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1968–present

Sônia Maria Campos Braga (born 8 June 1950) is a Brazilian actress. She has been nominated for both a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy Award. She has appeared in numerous films, including Kiss of the Spider Woman and in several television series, both in Brazil and the U.S.

Early life

Sonia Braga was born in Maringá, Paraná State, Brazil, the daughter of Maria José "Zeze" Braga, a seamstress, and a realtor father.^[1] In 1975 she became famous in Brazil with the telenovela Gabriela (based on the book Gabriela, Cravo e Canela by Jorge Amado).

Career

Braga made another notable Jorge Amado adaptation in 1976 when she played the lead role in the film Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands ("Dona Flor e Seus Dois Maridos"). She made appearances in several Brazilian blockbuster films such as Lady on the Bus ("A Dama do Lotação") in 1978 and I Love You ("Eu Te Amo" in Portuguese) in 1981.

She achieved international recognition in 1983 with her title role in Gabriela, the film adaptation of Jorge Amado's novel. Set in Ilheus, Bahia in 1925, Amado's story tells of Gabriela, a mulatto girl who transforms the lives of many of the provincial inhabitants. Jorge Amado's romantic tale was to be Braga's stepping stone into American cinema after which she moved to the United States where she appeared in such films as The Rookie (1990), Kiss of the Spider Woman, The Milagro Beanfield War and Angel Eyes. She has guest starred in television series such as Alias, The Cosby Show, George Lopez, CSI: Miami, Sex and the City, Ghost Whisperer, and Brothers & Sisters. Sonia Braga was the first Brazilian to present a category at the Oscars, at age 36 in 1987. The actress, who gained worldwide fame for her work in Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985), was announced by Goldie Hawn as one of the most glamorous actresses in the world, before going on stage alongside star Michael Douglas, who announced the indicated best short film.^[2]

In 2007 she accepted a part on a Brazilian prime time soap opera, Páginas da Vida, and then in the Portuguese language version of the American TV series Desperate Housewives. After that she moved back to Roosevelt Island in New York City to relaunch her career in the United States.

Sônia Braga was nominated for an Emmy Award in 1995 in the category of "outstanding supporting actress in a mini series or special" for the role of Regina De Carvalho in The Burning Season.^[3]

In Brazil she was one of the top soap opera (telenovela) stars of the 1970s. She also appeared in the Brazilian version of Sesame Street (Vila Sésamo).

Robert Redford and Sônia Braga, Cannes 1988.

Personal life

During the 1980s, Braga had relationships with Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth,^[4] with actor Robert Redford^[5] and later, with director Clint Eastwood.^[6] She has no children.

Her niece, Alice Braga, has starred in several films such as City of God and I Am Legend with Will Smith and Blindness with Julianne Moore.

Filmography

Television

Awards and Nominations

Year	Country	Prizes	Category	Work	Result
1981	UK	BAFTA	Most Outstanding Newcomer to Leading Film Roles	Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands	Nominated
1981	BRA	Festival de Gramado	Best Actress	Eu Te Amo	Won
1986	USA	Golden Globe Award	Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture	Kiss of the Spider Woman	Nominated
1989	USA	Golden Globe Award	Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture	Moon over Parador	Nominated
1995	USA	Emmy Award	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Special	The Burning Season	Nominated
1995	USA	Golden Globe Award	Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV	The Burning Season	Nominated
1996	USA	Lone Star Film & Television Awards	Best TV Supporting Actress	Streets of Laredo	Won
1996	USA	NCLR Bravo Award	Outstanding Individual Performance in Made for Television Movie or Mini-Series	Streets of Laredo	Nominated
2001	BRA	Festival de Gramado	Best Supporting Actress	Posthumous Memories	Won
2004	USA	Imagen Awards	Best Supporting Actress in a Television Drama	American Family	Nominated

References

External links

• Sônia Braga at the Internet Movie Database
• Sonia Braga at Yahoo! Movies