Isis Valverde

Isis Valverde, born in Aiuruoca, Minas Gerais, is basically a Brazilian household name at this point. She’s 37, but honestly, it feels like she’s been on TV forever—her career kicked off over 20 years ago and hasn’t slowed down since. Folks probably first spotted her in soap operas like Sinhá Moça, Caminho das Índias, Avenida Brasil—the kind of stuff that everyone’s grandma binge-watches. Then she just kept stacking hits: A Força do Querer, Amor de Mãe, and she even jumped into movies with Faroeste Caboclo back in 2013. These days, Isis isn’t just reading scripts—she’s calling the shots in her own career, which is all kinds of badass. She’s racked up a wild 50 million+ followers on social media and she’s not just sitting pretty. She’s set to star as Maria Bonita in the Disney+ series Maria e o Cangaço, is working on a film with the director Fernando Meirelles, and, oh yeah, she’s teaming up with Sylvester Stallone in Alarum. Not too shabby, right? Started out as a teen model at 16 in Belo Horizonte, got bit by the acting bug early with local theater, and then moved to Rio at 18 because, well, dreams don’t chase themselves. Along the way, she’s snagged a few awards (like a Men of the Year trophy and a Forbes shoutout as one of Brazil’s most influential young guns), plus a recent Best Actress nod at the LA Brazilian Film Fest. Oh, and she’s a published poet—second book’s on the way. She’s engaged to Marcus Buaiz and has a son from a previous relationship. This woman does not stop.