Thalma de Freitas

Thalma De Freitas, honestly, where do you even start? Born right into the thick of Brazil's creative elite, her dad’s a straight-up jazz legend—Laercio De Freitas, the kind of musician who probably had sheet music for breakfast. Growing up in that kind of house, it’s no shock she picked up the music bug early. But Thalma’s not just riding on her last name. She kicked things off with musical theatre—think 1992, Brazilian “Hair,” and yeah, Jorge Fernando at the helm. Jorge didn’t just stop there, though. He basically launched her TV career too, tossing her onto the show “Vira Lata” in '96, which aired on Rede Globo, Brazil’s TV giant. But the real turning point? In 2000, she just exploded onto the scene playing Zilda in “Laços de Família.” After that, she was everywhere—17 TV shows deep, and she straight-up became one of the faces of Rede Globo. And let’s not gloss over this: at a time when Black Brazilian actresses weren’t exactly getting handed the spotlight, Thalma just kicked down doors. She’s not just a TV face, either. She’s lit up the big screen, too—think “The Xango from Baker Street,” “Jardim Beleléu,” and “Filhas do Vento.” That last one? She snagged Best Supporting Actress at the Gramado Festival in 2005. So, yeah, Thalma’s got serious range, talent, and a legacy that’s way more than just a last name.