Acting
Nov 5, 1969
Rosário do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Leona Cavalli
Acting
Biography
Alleyona Canedo da Silva ( Rosário do Sul , November 6 , 1969 ), better known as Leona Cavalli , is a Brazilian actress and theater director . She is the winner of several awards, including an APCA Award , two Brazil Quality Awards , a Shell Award , and a Guarani Award , as well as having received nominations for three Grande Otelo Awards . Leona made her debut in professional theater at the age of 16, participating in a production of Waltz No. 6 . After studying theater at PUC in São Paulo , she took part in other productions of classic plays, such as Farsa by Inês Pereira and Auto da Barca do Inferno . [ 2 ] She received critical acclaim for her performance in the film Um Céu de Estrelas (1996), where she played hairdresser Dalva, who lives in a dark and violent relationship with her husband. For her work, she won the APCA Award for Best Actress in Cinema , the Candango Award for Best Actress at the Brasília Festival , as well as receiving her first of four nominations for the Guarani Award . [ 3 ] In 2000 she began playing Geni in the play Toda Nudez Ser Castigada , a play written by Nelson Rodrigues in 1965 , for which she won the Shell Award for Best Actress . In 2002 she was praised for her portrayal of Blanche DuBois in the play A Streetcar Named Desire , selling the Prêmio Qualidade Brasil for Best Actress in a Drama Play. [ 4 ] Cavalli made her television debut in a special appearance in the series Os Normais , on TV Globo , in 2002. In the same year, she acted in the film Amarelo Manga , directed by Cláudio Assis . For her performance, she again received critical acclaim, winning the Guarani Award for Best Supporting Actress and being nominated for the Grande Otelo for Best Actress . [ 2 ] Her performances in the films Carandiru (2003) and Contra Todos (2004) earned her nominations from the Brazilian Cinema Academy for Grande Otelo for Best Supporting Actress and Best Actress , respectively. In 2007 she played Justine in the miniseries Amazônia, from Galvez to Chico Mendes , her first prominent role on television, for which she won the Brazil Quality Award for Best Actress in a Miniseries . She also stood out in the character of the prostitute Zarolha in the soap opera Gabriela (2012) and in the role of the villain Glauce in the prime time soap opera Amor à Vida (2013). [ 5 ] In 2019 she played Teresa in Orphans of the Earth .
Feature Films (23)
When a doctor decides to carry out an AIDS prevention program inside Latin America’s largest prison: the Casa de Detenção de São Paulo – Carandiru, he meets the future victims of one of the darkest days in Brazilian history.
Carandiru
Based upon the true story of Olga Benário, the German-born wife of Brazilian communist leader Luís Carlos Prestes. During the dictatorship of Getúlio Vargas (1930-1945) she was arrested and sent to Nazi Germany, where she was put to death in a concentration camp. After World War II began, Vargas decided to uphold the Allies.
Olga
The lives of a macho butcher, his wife, a lonely waitress, a sadist and a flophouse manager intersect in Recife, Brazil.
Mango Yellow
Joana suffers from a double personality and is obsessed with Anna Karenina, the character from Tolstoy's novel. Embodying the myth of Narcissus, Anna K. is the image and resemblance of Joana, stronger and more seductive.
Anna K.
Cafundó is a 35 mm color film which blends fact with fiction in the life of João de Camargo, a former black slave (1858-1942, Sorocaba, Brazil) who, in his old age, works miracles and devotes himself to assisting others in order to attain his freedom. João de Camargo represents the genesis of religious and cultural syncretism in Brazil.
Cafundó
Television & Series (31)
1988. Diagnosed with a serious ailment that could bring an end to his career in front of the cameras, Brazilian TV presenter Silvio Santos looks back on his journey to becoming one of the biggest presenters in all of Brazil.
The King of TV
Naïve and provocative Gabriela is a raggedy migrant worker who arrives in town to mesmerize all with her playful and simple, yet raw sensuality. Set in 1925, the story unravels in Ilhéus, a quiet northeastern coastal city thriving with cocoa crops and aspirations for progress, even though the traditional ways still rule.
Gabriela
The daily lives of a typical Brazilian middle-class family, that are always very close and tries, in their way, to survive the financial and relationship difficulties.
A Grande Família
This moving telenovela tells the story of an unconditional love that overcomes life’s unexpected turnarounds. Ana is a promising tennis player who counts on best friend and sister Manuela for support. After a terrible car accident, Ana goes into a deep coma and only emerges from it five years later. Now, she must struggle to recover the life that went on without her and that she no longer recognizes as her own.
The Life We Lead
This modern fairy tale tells the story of a homeless girl who dreams of helping out her family and finds her big chance of turning her life around in a fashion modeling contest - but the way to winning it and becoming a star will be a lot harder than she originally envisioned. A captivating romantic comedy about overcoming obstacles, Total Dreamer wins its audience’s heart right from the first episode.
