Actress Maria Fernanda Dies In Rio At The Age Of 96

One of the last remnants of Brazil’s first generation of modern actresses, Maria Fernanda died at Casa de Saúde São José as a result of pneumonia.

Actress Maria Fernanda, daughter of poet Cecília Meireles, died this Saturday (30), at the age of 96. Her death took place at Casa de Saúde São José, in Humaitá, where she had been hospitalized since Tuesday (26).

According to the medical unit, Maria Fernanda died as a result of bacterial pneumonia. A widow, she left an only child, Luiz Heitor Fernando Meireles Gallão, the result of her first marriage with TV director Luiz Gallon. The family did not release information about the funeral.

Baptized Maria Fernanda Meirelles Correia Dias, the actress was born in Rio de Janeiro on October 25, 1925. She was one of the three daughters of the poet Cecília Meireles, all Marias (Maria Mathilde and Maria Elvira are now deceased) with the Portuguese painter Fernando Correia Dias. , who committed suicide when she was 10 years old.

Considered one of the last remnants of the first generation of modern actresses in Brazil, Maria Fernanda dedicated more than half of her life to teledramaturgia.

On television, he played outstanding characters in historical soap operas such as “Gabriela” (1975) and “Pai Herói” (1979), by Globo. In cinema, she participated in more than 20 productions, among them “Carlota Joaquina, Princess of Brazil”, in which she played Queen Maria I, the madwoman.

But it was in the theater that Maria Fernanda consecrated herself artistically – she was Ofélia in the first Brazilian production of the play “Hamlet”, and won all the theatrical awards in the country for the iconic character Blanche DuBois, from “Um Bonde Chamado Desejo” and for years was the theatrical judge of the Shell Award.

Maria Fernanda’s last works as an actress were in 2004, in the play “A Importância de Ser Fiel”, by Grupo TAPA, and in 2015, in the film “O Quinze” (2005), based on the work of Rachel de Queiroz.

Amelia Warner writes all the Latest Articles. She mostly covers Entertainment topics, but at times loves to write about movie reviews as well.

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