Antonio Abujamra

Antônio Abujamra was a Brazilian actor, producer, and director who was born in Ourinhos, São Paulo, in 1932. He studied philosophy and journalism at the Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUC-RS), where he started his career as a theater critic while he directed and acted in his own plays at the university theater. He made his professional debut as a theater director in 1961, and as an actor in 1987, acting in both theater and television. ¹ In 1989, he gained national fame for his role as Ravengar in Rede Globo's telenovela Que Rei Sou Eu?, which became his best known role. In that same year, Abujamra won the Best Actor award at the Gramado Film Festival for his role in the film Festa. From 2000 onward, he was the presenter on TV Cultura's interview program Provocações. ¹ His son André Abujamra is a score composer, while his niece Clarisse Abujamra, is also an actress. Antônio Abujamra died of natural causes in São Paulo, Brazil, in 2015, at the age of 82. He is regarded as one of the most influential and respected Brazilian actors and a pioneer of Brazilian cinema. He appeared in more than 30 films between 1947 and 1981, most notably O Cangaceiro (1953), which won the Best Adventure Film award at the Cannes Film Festival and was a huge international success. He also starred in O Capanga (1958), A Morte Comanda o Cangaço (1961), and Os Trombadinhas (1979), among others. He also directed one film, Pontal da Solidão (1974), which was based on a novel by Jorge Amado. ¹²³