Aline Menezes is a Brazilian actress who has had a love story with art since a very young age. At just eight years old, she began her career on television, playing the character Bel in the telenovela “Felicidade”. Aline already demonstrated talent and charisma, which conquered the public and the media.
After this first success, Aline continued acting in several productions, such as Angelicat and other soap operas on Rede Globo, such as “De Corpo e Alma”, “A Viagem” and “Começar de novo”. With her skill as an actress, she also ventured onto the stage, where she showed her talent in several theater plays.
After 17 years away from television, Aline Menezes decided to return to the screen, with her performance in the series “Travessia”, where she plays the character Íris, a secretary committed and dedicated to her work. Her presence on television was much awaited by fans, who were thrilled with the return of this great actress to the screen.
Aline Menezes is an example of professionalism and dedication to the art of interpretation. With her trajectory marked by great performances, she continues to inspire and move the Brazilian public, showing that art can change people’s lives and leave an eternal legacy in the country’s culture. Check out the interview!
Starting your professional career at just five years old through advertising campaigns, you managed to make the dream of many young people come true, which is to enter the artistic market. I would like to start by asking about how art came into your life and why this desire?
I always say that I didn’t choose my profession, the profession that chose me (lol…). My father was a musician (he passed away a little before joining the soap opera “Felicidade”), I think this artistic world is in my blood.
I came to understand the real feeling of what it is to make art when I grew up and dedicated myself to studying my profession, about what it is to make art and the importance that art has in people’s lives. And every time I get a message from a fan saying that I was part of their childhood, that I made a difference in their lives, it makes me happy. So I understood that this is what I want to do, positively impact people’s lives through my art.
In your first soap opera, “Felicidade”, on Rede Globo in 1991, you competed with more than 200 children for the character of Bel, a character that later opened several doors for your work. Do you remember what your first time in the studio was like?
Wow, I remember my audition for this soap opera a lot. It was made in one of Globo’s former studios at the time. And I remember well noticing the cameras and the amount of light in the studio… And, incredible as it may seem, I felt at home. That was my first day in the studio. Because our first scenes in the soap opera were shot in Copacabana, in the Peixoto neighborhood. Where most of the novel spent.
A year after your debut, you joined the cast of a telenovela that very unfortunately ended up becoming a tragedy in real life, mainly for the author Glória Perez, which was “De Corpo e Alma”. In this case, in addition to knowing what it was like to play your character, what was the atmosphere like backstage?
The invitation was to make some appearances in the soap opera, my character was an orphan girl. I remember that when the invitation arrived, it was right after the tragedy with Daniella, and even as a child, I remember the atmosphere backstage being complicated. The team without spirit. It was a very difficult job to do.
Another program that was also a version of a Brazilian television classic was the children’s version of “Escolinha do Professor Raimundo”, which in addition to being alongside Chico Anysio (1931 – 2012), revived the character of actress Dhu Moraes – Dona White. What was it like to share the scene with someone who was and continues to be one of the big names in television humor?
I cherish and respect my participation in this program, which is a classic. It was very special to play the child version of Maria Menina the character of Dhu. One of these days I ran into her at Globo Studios and I was so happy to meet her again after so many years.
I remember my recording day a lot. I was very nervous, imagine an 11-year-old girl having the opportunity to play opposite Chico Anísio. I remember him receiving me with so much affection, he caressed my face reassuring me. Then I relaxed and went to have fun with him and the whole cast at the time. And at the end of our scene he kissed me on the forehead and it wasn’t even in the script lol… I engrave this scene in my memory until today.
The main point of his career, at least of greater prominence on television, was on the Angélica program, while he was an angelicat on SBT – “Casa da Angélica”, where he stayed for two years. How was the experience of staying on stage for these two years on the show?
It was a unique experience. I had a lot of fun with the whole team. I remember the angelics playing with me a lot backstage. I never imagined in my life being an angelicat mirim lol… What I learned from this experience was the sense of responsibility and care, and also to combine this responsibility with fun, because I had fun and played with the children on stage.
Directed by Breno Silveira and Daniel Lieff and originally aired on Canal FOX, you were part of the cast of “Um Contra Todos” – a very delicate production that told the story of a family man who had to deal with the situation of being arrested and confused with one of the biggest drug dealers in the country. Can you talk a little about this production?
It was a great gift to have met the incredible Breno Silveira, a generous director and attentive to the actor’s work, this series was a great success thanks to this wonderful team that makes art with the heart. When I found out that I had been chosen to play Silvia, I felt honored. Imagine playing with Júlio Andrade and Eron Cordeiro and being directed by Breno Silveira, it was the best professional experience I could live. I found a generous team and a cast that welcomed me and helped me to compose my character with great affection.
Although it was a small participation, a film that made many people laugh during the pandemic was Netflix’s “The Salafrarios”, which also featured Samantha Shmutz and Marcus Majella. How did the shooting of the film go and especially the importance of making so many families laugh during the title launch period, which was in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic?
Wow, it was so wonderful. We recorded in the Lagos Region of Rio de Janeiro and it was incredible to play with Samantha, I felt super comfortable and managed to concentrate and not burst out laughing in the middle of the scene!
When I found out that we were #1 in streaming on Netflix, I was extremely happy. As I said at the beginning, I want my art to positively impact people’s lives and to participate in a film that made thousands of people happy, I can say that my mission was accomplished by donating my art to this work. Art saves! I heard many reports of people saying that having watched the film brightened their lives, because they were sad, without hope and they forgot about their problems, being distracted and laughing with the film.
Speaking now of one of the soap operas that has been most talked about at the moment, her character in “Travessia” has been gaining more and more space and has contributed more and more to her growth as an actress. What do you think of going back to work on a work by Glória, in addition to the presence of Mauro Mendonça in the direction?
Returning to acting in soap operas has been an incredible experience. And being in prime time and being a Glória soap opera is to make any actress very happy. I’ve always admired Gloria a lot, I’ve always heard about her generosity, and how much opportunity she offers actors. And I can say that everything I heard is the pure truth! My work was only seen and my character gained more space through her attentive look and direction.
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