Rubens de Falco
Encyclopedia
Rubens de Falco da Costa (19 October 1931 – 22 February 2008) was a Brazil
ian actor best known for his work in telenovelas, specifically his portrayal of a slave owner in the 1976 telenovela, Escrava Isaura (The Slave Isaura).
, Brazil
on October 19, 1931. He began his acting career in the local theater. In 1955, he joined the group "Os Jograis", of São Paulo, and performed beside such actors as Ruy Afonso, Italo Rossi and Felipe Wagner. He made his cinema debut in 1952 in the film
Apassionata, for the Cinematographic Company Vera Cruz.
In television, he had prominence parts in televovelas such as "O Rei dos Ciganos" (1967), "A Rainha Louca" (1967), "O Passo dos Ventos" (1968), "Gabriela
" (1975), "O Grito" (1975), "Escrava Isaura" (1976), "Dona Xepa" (1977 and "Sinhá Moça
" (1986).
Perhaps his best known work came in 1976, when he portrayed the cruel villain Leôncio Almeida, a powerful farm owner and ruthless slave owner in the telenovela, Escrava Isaura. De Falco's character, Leôncio Almeida, fell in love with one of his slaves, played by Brazilian actress, Lucélia Santos
.
Escrava Isaura was extremely well received globally and became a hit in Africa
, Eastern Europe
and Latin America
. Escrava Isaura was the first soap opera ever broadcast in Poland
and Soviet Union
and became the first television series to air in China
with a foreign actress in the lead role. Rubens de Falco, who played Leôncio Almeida as one of his trademark villains, was called "the great villain of Brazilian television drama" by Lucélia Santos.
De Falco's last television appearance as an actor was as Almeida in 2004 in the Rede Record
remake of Escrava Isaura.
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian actor best known for his work in telenovelas, specifically his portrayal of a slave owner in the 1976 telenovela, Escrava Isaura (The Slave Isaura).
Career
De Falco was born in São PauloSão Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
on October 19, 1931. He began his acting career in the local theater. In 1955, he joined the group "Os Jograis", of São Paulo, and performed beside such actors as Ruy Afonso, Italo Rossi and Felipe Wagner. He made his cinema debut in 1952 in the film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
Apassionata, for the Cinematographic Company Vera Cruz.
In television, he had prominence parts in televovelas such as "O Rei dos Ciganos" (1967), "A Rainha Louca" (1967), "O Passo dos Ventos" (1968), "Gabriela
Gabriela
Gabriela is a Filipino singer.Her self-titled debut album was released in 2001; it was produced by Vehnee Saturno, who also wrote eight of the album's ten songs. Another of the songs was a rendition of Bryan Adams's "Please Forgive Me"...
" (1975), "O Grito" (1975), "Escrava Isaura" (1976), "Dona Xepa" (1977 and "Sinhá Moça
Sinhá Moça
Sinhá Moça is a novel written by Brazilian author Maria Camila Dezonne Pacheco Fernandes. A movie based on the novel was made in 1953, and two TV drama series were based on the novel, the most recent one airing in 2006.-External links:***...
" (1986).
Perhaps his best known work came in 1976, when he portrayed the cruel villain Leôncio Almeida, a powerful farm owner and ruthless slave owner in the telenovela, Escrava Isaura. De Falco's character, Leôncio Almeida, fell in love with one of his slaves, played by Brazilian actress, Lucélia Santos
Lucélia Santos
Lucélia Santos is a Brazilian actress, director and producer. She received international acclaim for her leading role in the 1976 Rede Globo telenovela Escrava Isaura, broadcast in over 80 countries.-Biography:...
.
Escrava Isaura was extremely well received globally and became a hit in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
and Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
. Escrava Isaura was the first soap opera ever broadcast in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and became the first television series to air in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
with a foreign actress in the lead role. Rubens de Falco, who played Leôncio Almeida as one of his trademark villains, was called "the great villain of Brazilian television drama" by Lucélia Santos.
De Falco's last television appearance as an actor was as Almeida in 2004 in the Rede Record
Rede Record
Rede Record de Televisão is a Brazilian television network, founded in 1953 by Paulo Machado de Carvalho, also founder of Rádio Record. Currently it is owned by businessman Edir Macedo, founder and bishop of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God. Since 2007 it is Brazil's second largest...
remake of Escrava Isaura.