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Paulo AutranBrazilian theatre actor
Date of Birth: 07.09.1922
Country:  Brazil |
Content:
- Paulo Autran: A Master of Stage and Screen
- Entry into the Theater
- Professional Theater Career
- Film and Television
- Personal Life and Legacy
Paulo Autran: A Master of Stage and Screen
Early Life and Legal CareerBorn into a police commissioner's family in Rio de Janeiro, Paulo Autran moved to São Paulo as an infant. Influenced by his father, he initially pursued a law degree at the University of São Paulo, graduating in 1945.
Entry into the Theater
In 1946, Autran was invited by a friend to attend amateur theater classes. These classes sparked his passion for the stage, and he made his debut in 1947 at the Municipal Theater in J.B. Priestley's "Dangerous Corner."
Professional Theater Career
Autran's first professional performance came in 1949's "God Slept Here in the House," where he starred alongside Tônia Carrero, his lifelong friend and partner. This performance cemented his decision to leave his legal career behind. Autran's theater credits are extensive, including notable performances in "Othello" (1956), "My Fair Lady" (1962), "Freedom, Freedom" (1965), "Oedipus Rex" (1967), "Tartuffe" (1985), "Death of a Salesman" (1976), "King Lear" (1996), and "Life of Galileo" (1989). His final stage role, in Molière's "The Miser," came in 2007. That same year, one of São Paulo's theaters was renamed in his honor.
Film and Television
In addition to his theater career, Autran also appeared in several films and television programs. Notable film roles include Glauber Rocha's "Land in a Trance" (1967), Cao Hamburger's "That Year My Parents Went on Vacation" (2006), and Hector Babenco's "Past" (2007). He won a major Brazilian film award for his performance in 1987's "Land of Lieutenants." On television, Autran became famous for his comedic role in the 1983 series "War of the Sexes," alongside Fernanda Montenegro. Despite his reservations about television, he agreed to appear in the telenovela "Indomitable Hilda" (1998) and remained a beloved figure in Brazilian television history.
Personal Life and Legacy
Autran had two significant romances with actresses Tônia Carrero and Odeti Lara. In 1999, he married actress Karin Rodrigues, with whom he had been in a relationship for three decades. Despite their marriage, they maintained separate apartments, though they saw each other daily. Autran passed away in 2007 from lung cancer at the Syrian-Lebanese Hospital in São Paulo. He continued to smoke heavily throughout his illness, admitting that he lacked the willpower to quit. Paulo Autran's legacy as a master of both theater and screen continues to inspire generations of Brazilian actors and audiences.
