Niveya Mariya Actress Date of Birth: 07.03.1947 Country: Brazil

1. Biography of Nivea Maria
2. Childhood and Early Life
3. Career and Personal Life
4. Overcoming Personal Challenges

Biography of Nivea Maria

Nivea Maria, an actress, achieved fame and success at the age of 54. She is now among the top ten most talented and highly paid actors in Globo. For 40 years of her life, Nivea devoted herself to her career, although things could have turned out differently.

Childhood and Early Life

In their large family, a patriarchal atmosphere prevailed. Nivea's father, Carlos Graieb, a Lebanese lawyer, adhered to strict rules in everything. When her father worked at home, the children were not even allowed to laugh out loud, for fear of angering their father. Despite being the favorite of her father, Nivea did not receive any special privileges. She was a diligent student at school, particularly fond of literature and history. Her father dreamed of making her the heir to the family profession, and she was destined to pursue a career in law. However, when Nivea was 13, she declared to her father that she wanted to become an actress. This was a severe blow to him. "After that, I was not allowed to watch television for several months to quell this shameful desire!" recalls the actress. In her first leading role in the telenovela "O Preco de Uma Vida" in 1964, Nivea had to film secretly. "When my father found out the truth, it was too late to change anything, but there was a huge scandal in the house."

Career and Personal Life

Her second act of disobedience was an early marriage that her father did not approve of. However, Nivea ran away from home and got married anyway. Unfortunately, the marriage ended in divorce less than a year later, and a disgraced Nivea returned to her parents' home. This served as a lesson for both the rebellious daughter and her strict parents. Nivea became calmer and more level-headed, and her father no longer criticized her choice of profession. From then on, he only rejoiced in her accomplishments.

Nivea's favorite works include telenovelas such as "A Moreninha" (1975), "Gabriela" (1975), "O Feijao e o Sonho" (1976), and "Vida Nova" (1988), "As Filhas da Mae," and "Suave Veneno" (1998). These roles brought her adoration from the audience and recognition of her talents from strict critics. During the filming of the telenovela "A Moreninha," Nivea met Gerval Rossano, a telenovela director. By that time, Nivea had been divorced twice and had two children: Edson, a 34-year-old programmer, and Vivian, a 30-year-old doctor. Playfully, Nivea resisted Gerval's advances, saying, "I've heard about your love affairs. I'll die of laughter if I become the tenth actress!" Gerval remained silent for a month and then sent her a note saying, "I guarantee you won't laugh. Marry me!" They got married a few months later and have been living soul to soul for 27 years. Nivea gave birth to their daughter Vanessa, who is now 22 years old and studying psychology.

Overcoming Personal Challenges

Sixteen years ago, Nivea experienced a profound personal tragedy—the death of her mother. "It was the most difficult emotional blow for me. I thought I wouldn't survive it, and I even considered leaving my career." For nearly two years, Nivea hardly worked and rarely left her house. Director Roberto Talma helped her overcome severe depression by convincing her to act in his miniseries "Anos Dourados" (1986). "This work helped me finally rid myself of the ghosts of the past and made me realize that I should continue living no matter what!" Today, Nivea believes that her role in this telenovela, where her partner was Jose de Abreu, was one of the highlights of her career. By the way, they meet again in the series "Vila Madalena" (1999) and remain good friends forever. "Jose is an extraordinary person, cheerful, understanding, and kind. He helped me a lot. I owe my recovery from depression to him. He taught me how to talk calmly about my mother's death and how to control my emotions in any circumstance."

Nivea's career includes a vast number of telenovelas (ten of them directed by her beloved husband Gerval), several theatrical productions, diverse characters (from a submissive mother to a vulgar manicurist), undeniable talent, hard work, and the ability to avoid conflicts with colleagues (Nivea has always stayed away from gossip and intrigue). She has no diva behavior, which is why many Brazilian actors consider it an honor to work with her. "I was probably born under a lucky star. I manage to achieve a lot, I have a wonderful family, and thank God, my father is still alive! Although he still regrets not turning me into a lawyer!"