Florinda Soares Bolkan Actress Date of Birth: 15.02.1941 Country: Brazil

Biography of Florinda Soares Bulcao

Florinda Soares Bulcao, known to the Russian audience for her role as Countess Olga Camastra in the legendary series "La Piovra" ("The Octopus"), was born on February 15, 1941, in Uruburetama, Ceará, Brazil. Her father, José Pedro, was already over 60 at the time of her birth. After being a widower for some time, he married an 18-year-old indigenous woman named Maria Hosana, who could barely write. She gave José three wonderful children - Alina, José Maria, and the youngest, Florinda. The future Brazilian actress was very young when her father passed away, but his life and death deeply influenced her culture and intellect. Bulcao admired her father and felt the urgent need to imitate him in everything.

Maria Hosana remarried, and the family moved to Rio de Janeiro, where Florinda started working as a secretary at the age of 14. From her mother's second marriage, Odete and Sonia Ribeiro were born. Despite difficult times, Bulcao never thought of giving up her education and at 18, she obtained a bachelor's degree in linguistics, fluently speaking French, English, and Portuguese. After trying various jobs, Florinda settled into the position of a flight attendant at Varig Airlines. Around the same time, she received an invitation from a Polish nobleman, although marriage was never part of her dream. She grew up with an innate sense of freedom, curiosity, and a desire to see the world, which led her to choose a more adventurous and less secure life than a simple existence in Brazil. In 1963, she visited London and Paris with a group of friends but ultimately turned down several modeling offers, feeling that such a career did not suit her introverted nature. In Paris, Bulcao studied French at the Sorbonne and took an art history course at the Louvre. The lack of stability forced her to return to Brazil.

In 1967, following an invitation from Italian friends, Florinda met renowned Italian director Luchino Visconti in Rome. He helped her overcome her shyness and convinced her to audition. After three days of auditions, Bulcao landed a role in her first film. She was then selected to participate in the drama "Voleur de crimes" ("Crime Thief") with Jean-Louis Trintignant and Robert Hossein. Thanks to this film, actress Nadine Trintignant called her the "most amazing talent in Europe." She won the Italian national award "David di Donatello," the Italian "Oscar," for her role as Nina in the drama "Metti una sera a cena" in 1969, starring alongside Annie Girardot, Tony Musante, and Jean-Louis Trintignant. Her role in the crime drama "Indagine su un cittadino al di sopra di ogni sospetto" ("Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion") brought her victory at the Cannes Film Festival and an Oscar in Hollywood. In 1970, the melodrama "The Anonymous Venetian" with Bulcao became a box office hit and earned her a second "David di Donatello" award. By this time, Florinda was rightfully called the "number one actress in Italy," preferring to play romantic and dramatic roles. Between 1970 and 1975, she appeared in more than 20 films but turned down a Hollywood career, believing that such an ambitious style and "elbow work" were not for her.

A personal crisis made Bulcao think about a "normal life," and she stopped acting, instead opting for travel, house construction and sales, and sports, including horseback riding, skiing, tennis, and sailing. The role of a lady drowning in luxury bored her, and after four years, Florinda returned to her true passion, theater. Among other accomplishments, she starred alongside Michele Placido in the play "Metti una sera a cena," which was a huge success. In search of new horizons, in 1991-1992, Bulcao published her first culinary book, "Vi invito a tavola" ("Come for a meal"), in Italy. In 1997, the actress appeared in the melodrama "Bella Donna" directed by Fabio Barreto. Afterward, she set herself the task of writing a screenplay, producing, and directing her first film. Thus, in 2000, her drama "Eu Não Conhecia Tururú" ("I Never Knew Tururú") was released. Bulcao also established her own film and music production company, "Florinda Bolkan Produções."

30 years after her debut on the big screen, Florinda Bulcao remains one of the most popular actresses of her generation, recognized for her talent and beauty worldwide.