Young actress Beatriz Linhales is standing out in the artistic world with several projects in progress. Beatriz is part of the cast of the series “Pedaço de Mim”, the first Brazilian melodramatic series on Netflix, scheduled to premiere in 2024. The series is directed by Maurício Farias and features Juliana Paes and Vladimir Brichta in the main roles.
At the theater, Beatriz takes on the main role in the new production of the play “Pluft, o Fantasminha”, by Maria Clara Machado, which premieres at the O Tablado theater on June 22nd. Under the direction of Cacá Mourthé, the play marks the return of the seasons of Maria Clara’s works after the pandemic.
Furthermore, Beatriz is the protagonist of the feature film “Everybody Still Has Sexual Problems”, alongside Gabriel Portela, scheduled for release in 2024. She also participated in the film “A Miss”, where she plays the young version of Ieda, a role shared with Helga Nemetik, with no release date set yet.
In streaming, Beatriz can be seen in “Album em Família”, available on several platforms such as Canal Brasil and Google Play Filmes. The film, directed by Daniel Belmonte, was entirely shot remotely during the pandemic and features big names such as Renata Sorrah and Lázaro Ramos.
Beatriz also participated in several short films, including “Cojones, Marina” and “Esquecemos Como Amar”, both selected for several film festivals. In theater, she starred in “O Cálice” in 2022, and participated in the educational series “Palavra Alada” shown on TV Escola in 2021.
With a career that began early, Beatriz has dedicated herself to studying and improving her skills, studying Stage Acting at UNIRIO and participating in various extracurricular activities, such as choral singing and dancing. Her training includes theater classes at the Instituto de Aplicação Fernando Rodrigues da Silveira and Teatro O Tablado, as well as participation in international choral music festivals.
Beatriz, you are in the cast of the Netflix series “Pedaço de Mim”, alongside renowned names such as Juliana Paes and Vladimir Brichta. What was it like working with such experienced actors and what did you learn from them?
I think the coolest thing about projects of this size is precisely having the opportunity to drink a little from the source of these artists who have already been through everything I am going through now, as a “newbie”. Our profession is an infinite study, but there are certain scenic intelligences that only time on the road gives you, you know? And seeing these people with this background work, it adds to my work, too. In the series, I was part of the young group that also included Ágatha Marinho, José Beltrão, Vicente Valle and Pedro Manoel Nabuco, and we were drooling together over the work of the “veterans” who were there with us! We always commented on how crazy it was that we were experiencing this together and admiring our co-workers so much.
In the play “Pluft, the Little Ghost”, you play the title role. What was the preparation like to bring such an iconic character to life in Brazilian children’s theater?
Preparing for Pluft took several different means! It is a role with enormous responsibility because, as a student at O Tablado, over the years, we absorb the importance of Maria Clara’s work and this, of course, passes through Cacá too. Pluft is one of, if not, the most beautiful character I’ve ever played. I love theater for children, even more so when the play doesn’t doubt the interpretation capacity of the children who are going to watch it. And that’s it! Pluft is a play for curious and sensitive children, which reminds you that courage is not the lack of fear, but rather being afraid, and facing it anyway. And I’m in a courageous process with this character! To prepare, I looked for very different references because he is a boy, child, ghost and who still goes through a hero’s trajectory based on his own sensations and overcoming, in other words, a lot! In my research there are Masquerade Theater, cartoons, clown games, children of different ages, the idea of fear as an instinct, etc. I think it will look beautiful!
You are starring in the feature film “Everybody Still Has Sexual Problems”. Can you tell us a little about your character and what it was like working with Domingos Oliveira’s work?
The film has four independent stories and I star in one of them: the story of Arthur and Belinha. This film has a very special place in my heart because I had very little contact with audiovisual at the time and I had a lot of doubts and insecurities. And somehow, I was reassured to see that Domingos always wrote for the theater and always adapted from one language to another, and vice versa. I thought “It’s possible! It can be done!” A very important part of this process was the close presence of Priscilla Rozenbaum, an immense affection. Pri is Domingos’ widow and has made a lot of his films, directed by him, she did theater, she did everything with Domingos’ work. And she, like Renata, director and right-hand man of Domingos, has his work very much in her head and heart. So, the character study, the construction of the scenes, the adaptation of the texts, everything involved an immense intimacy, almost as if Domingos were there with us. I’m very excited to see the film reach people who always saw Domingos’ productions, to see the work continuing its course of life, without ever being forgotten, just retranslated.
In the film “A Miss”, you play the young version of Ieda. What was the process of building this character like and what was it like sharing the role with Helga Nemetik?
When I found out that I was going to play the young version of Helga, I loved it because I thought we really looked alike! The process was so much fun! I had to learn how to walk in heels for a scene, which I thought would be a disaster, but it actually flowed! Helga is a very affectionate person, and I loved having shared a character with her, who is an actress that I have admired for a long time.
You can now be seen in “Album em Família”, available on several streaming platforms. What was the experience of shooting a film remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic?
It was wonderful madness! The Album was not only my first feature film and first audiovisual work, but also my first professional work, first image authorization form! I still remember signing it and putting it in a plastic bag that could be sterilized and sent back to Raccord. The filming was all done remotely, so the costumes were mine, the bow I wore on my head was a kind of origami that we made with paper I had at home, in short, a complete experience. I received the lapel at my house and in a video call they taught me how to connect it, put it on, etc. Anyway, it was a lot of fun. And my scene, specifically, was really crazy to be done from a distance because in the original text it’s a romantic scene, there’s a kiss and everything. And the practice was that I was on one side of the computer and Dhara Lopes on the other, on a date that I didn’t intend to hide how bizarre it was! To this day we remember that and laugh together.
Participating in international music festivals with the SVAC choir was a great achievement. How did this musical experience influence your career as an actress?
Choral singing is really cool because it only works in a collective and, preferably, a large collective, like in the theater. When you’re an actress, you need to play on the eleven and music has always been one of the areas of preparation, so to speak, that I’ve had the most contact with. Singing helped me and still helps a lot in everything in my profession, from the most obvious, like having tools to sing on stage, to the most subtle, like being a person with a lot of respiratory awareness, knowing how to use the different ways of putting my voice without losing power, etc. I am very grateful for this experience and I want to sing choir again. I miss!
In addition to acting, you have a solid background in singing and dancing. How do these skills complement your work in theater and film?
A person in the scene always needs to seek maximum ownership of their work material, which is the body. So dancing, singing, are parts of this study that I think are very important. I keep my experiences in a suitcase that I take with me to every job and I always try to improve myself further.
You mention the importance of academic training in acting. How has your experience at UNIRIO contributed to your evolution as an actress?
UNIRIO is for me the realization of everything I believe about culture and education. I love that place and I make a point of saying how important it is to fight for a public arts university. It is a responsibility of all of us as citizens to take care of our study centers, those that open doors for everyone (including fighting for access to be increasingly broad and democratic). I’m suspicious of this because I’m a bit of a nerd, but I think it changes everything when an artist also has a theoretical and laboratory basis for the craft. To practice our profession you don’t need any degree, and you shouldn’t, because the art is alive and the academy is usually not an accessible or easy place to stay. But being in college is wonderful! Having contact with teachers who enrich you, research, scientific initiations, etc. is collecting experiences that make me a more prepared artist. I’m sure and I’ve felt this since I entered college.
In “Cojones, Marina” and “Esquecemos Como Amar”, you played complex characters in short films. What do you think these roles brought new to your career?
Short films are really cool because it’s as if you needed to complete the character’s trajectory, which could last an hour and a half, in just a few minutes. And I loved recording all the ones I did, but “Cojones, Marina” and “Esquecemos Como Amar” were two that put me in completely different and unique roles. “Cojones” was my first short film, and it’s still alive today, much to the happiness of the team! We went to several festivals and I love being able to show Nina -my character in the short- to everyone. She is very fun and honest. It was a very loving construction.
You have a clear vision about the importance of public theater education. How do you think that valuing artistic training can impact the cultural industry in Brazil?
I think we still have to go through many discussions about what we think of art in the country and in the world. It seems that there are two poles: either the glamor of the profession, fame, etc. Or it is the erasure of the profession. For me, taking care of culture means taking care of everything a people has. It is taking care of the memory and future of a society. And I think that the more people around us agree with this idea, the more vast the artistic environment will be, covered by financial incentives that make it possible to put on a show, tickets at a popular price, and free theater! The more we fight for the artist’s image like any other worker, the more our rights will be achieved and the more culture will be produced by and for the country. And, for me, public education is one of the strongest ways to encourage this.
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