After enchanting the audience twice with the reprise of “Cheias de Charme” and a guest appearance on “Família é Tudo”, Day Mesquita is preparing to star in two new series of opposite genres: “Tudo de Bom”, where she plays a former starlet seeking a divorce, and “Caminhos”, where she will play a character with schizophrenia, in a plot inspired by real events . With a diverse career, which includes awards and international collaborations, the actress balances her professional life with activism for veganism and motherhood.
What was the experience like playing a former starlet in “Tudo de bom”, a role that seems to bring both humor and emotional depth?
Simone begins the series trying to make her divorce from her husband, Tony Mantovani, official. Little by little, in each episode, we get to know a little more about her true personality. It was a job I loved doing! Ajax Camacho, our director, invited me to be on the series, and I was super excited, because I had worked with him before and I really admire the way he directs. Ajax is a director who focuses on the actor: he likes to direct, observe, instigate and push our performances in directions that are not obvious. Simone is not a comedic character, but in some scenes, situations may arise with a lighter touch in this sense.
The series “Caminhos” addresses sensitive issues such as schizophrenia. How did you prepare to play a character with these traits and what were the main challenges in creating this character?
For this project, I didn’t have much time to prepare before filming began, so I focused intensely on the text and conversations with Ângela Sirino, a psychoanalyst whose real-life stories from her office inspired the series. In a clear and direct way, Ângela provided valuable explanations that enriched me with information and images, and that helped me create this character.
I believe that the biggest challenge is to deliver an interpretation with the right amount of sensitivity and extra care when portraying such a serious subject that deserves respect, as it deals with a condition that affects many people in reality, who even suffer from stigmas and limiting stereotypes.
Your career is marked by a variety of intense roles. How do you balance lightness and seriousness between productions like “Family is Everything” and “Caminhos”?
There are characters that really make me move through denser energies. In these moments, outside of work, I seek balance in activities that I enjoy and that disconnect me from the character, bringing me back to an energy more aligned with my own. Characters with a lighter nature are, in this aspect, much more “calm”.
In addition to acting, you have a long history of involvement with veganism and environmental causes. How do these issues influence your choices in work and personal life?
I have been a vegetarian for over 10 years. My cause is animal rights, but entering this universe has given me much more knowledge and clarity not only about animal rights, but also about health and nutrition, in addition to environmental issues. This, naturally, reflects on my personal choices. Before, for example, I didn’t eat meat, but I still ate fish; I followed this pescatarian diet for 8 years , and I believe that everything I learned during this time helped me stop eating fish and become a vegetarian. At work, this especially influences my social media, which is an aspect of my work and a tool I use to give voice to this cause, part of my experience.
You recently became a mother and have been balancing your career with motherhood. How has this new phase of life impacted your approach to work and your routine?
Motherhood has changed a lot. It is truly a wonderful, intense and complex experience, and it is impossible not to change in some way in the face of all this. The routine, especially in the baby’s first year, has come to revolve around his needs. However, I have Dom’s father, Pedro, as a true partner in caring for him, and I still have the privilege of counting on the support of my mother and stepfather, which has allowed me to keep an open mind to any job opportunities that arise. I made the most of that time with him. Now that he is in preschool, talking everything and becoming a little more independent, I can better organize my routine, balancing work and personal life.
Your participation in campaigns such as ” Vegan April ” reflects a strong dedication to activism. What was the main motivation for becoming an ambassador for the Brazilian Vegetarian Society?
I received an invitation from my friend and fellow actress, Dani Moreno, during the filming of “Amor Sem Igual”, to participate in a Meatless Monday. At the time, I was a pescatarian , but I embraced the idea of a Vegan Monday. After that, SVB invited me to be an ambassador for the cause. This is a fight that is part of my life and routine; talking about it in my circle of friends and on my social networks was something I already did. That’s why I happily accepted the invitation to join this movement. It’s a cause that touches me deeply, because of my love for animals and the benefits that vegetarianism and veganism bring to health and the environment. If I can help spread more clarity and knowledge, and inspire people to reflect on the subject and, who knows, try a new way of eating, I will be very happy.
You have volunteered as a ballet teacher for underprivileged children. How has this experience influenced your view of art and your role as an actress in society?
Art has the power to broaden horizons and transform both those who consume it as spectators and those who practice it. Dance was the first way I found to express myself and immerse myself in sensations and experiences that I felt were missing. Later, I discovered something more in the performing arts, which I believe I had always sought as a path, perhaps unconsciously at the time. Being able to show and teach something to someone is always valuable and powerful; we learn even more when we pass on our knowledge, especially in the context of an artistic movement, which I consider essential in the formation of human beings and in our development as a society. When I taught as a volunteer, I noticed, on a daily basis, the development and transformation of these children and young people in terms of motivation and confidence when they discovered a new passion or something they began to love doing. This made me realize, from an early age, the power that art exerts and the ability that each of us has to make a difference in someone’s life. The ballet classes that I taught as a volunteer were not limited to teaching dance and an artistic movement; they were aimed at creating tools that could bring transformation to their lives.
With the premiere of two new series and his participation in ” How to be a Carioca”, what can the public expect from you on screen in the coming months?
In “Caminhos”, I play Mariana, who suffers from psychotic episodes and seeks help from psychoanalyst Ângela Sirino. It is a series based on real events , with intense stories of characters like her. In “Tudo de Bom”, I play Simone Mantovani, a former starlet who begins the series trying to formalize her divorce from her husband, Tony Mantovani, a composer who is facing a creative block. The plot is set in the 80s, mixing situations of subtle humor in an engaging story, with a touch of mystery. The two series are quite different from each other, so I think the audience can expect interesting, but very distinct works.
Follow Day Mesquita on Instagram