Art has always been rooted in Bárbara Sut‘s heart. Recognized as the emblematic and profound character Sônia in “Amor Perfeito”, a 6 pm soap opera on TV Globo, the actress also shone in the field of comedy in “A Sogra Que Te Pariu” (Netflix). Since her debut on stage at the age of 9, the daughter of a writer, Bárbara grew up immersed in soirées and artistic encounters, also exploring her musical vein. In her various roles, intensity is Sut’s trademark, and with Sonia it couldn’t be different.
Sônia overflows in all forms of love, and this is how she will be presented to the public. “On the one hand, she is a woman tormented by the ghosts of the past, haunted by the doubt of whether or not to reveal the truth to Marê (played by Camila Queiroz); and on the other hand, she seeks to create a future with Júlio, to be happy and, finally, , to be loved”, reveals Bárbara.
Determined in her convictions, the actress points out that this is the most striking common point between her and her character. Since the initial tests, “Perfect Love” has been a pleasant surprise for Bárbara. A fan of Duca Rachid, the actress was excited about the opportunity to work on a soap opera written by her. The production also features André Câmara, director with whom Bárbara has previously collaborated on the musical “Rebouças – The black engineer of freedom”.
Art has always been present in her life. How would you describe the influence of art on your personal and professional trajectory?
I feel that my way of seeing the world is completely crossed by my artistic work and by the references that nourish me as an artist. Since I was a little girl, it was clear that I wanted to work with this, to be an artist and I believe that for the people around me it was clear that I was already an artist. But more than a professional choice, art is a very special way of elaborating my emotions and thoughts, of dealing with the challenges and delights that arise. So, certainly I have been guided and supported by art in all aspects of my life.
You played the character Sônia in “Amor Perfeito”, a highly successful telenovela. Can you tell us about the challenges and intensity of bringing such a dense character to life?
Playing Sônia is a constant challenge because I discover more about the character as I play her, since the soap opera is an open work. So, I’m constantly surprising myself with new nuances, new possibilities, and I find it exciting to surrender to this process, to take risks. As an actress, it is a joy to play her, because there are many scenes that are dense, romantic, comic, in short, there is a coloring of the character that allows walking through different paths and emotions, but this requires completeness, a concentration in the present moment so that nothing goes to waste, especially with the agility that television demands. I feel that part of the challenge is maintaining that discipline and part is not pushing myself too hard, finding the right balance to remain authentic.
Intensity is a hallmark of his roles. In what aspects do you identify with the character Sônia and how do you try to distance yourself from her?
Indeed, I have already played some very intense characters, like Julieta, in Romeo and Juliet – to the sound of Marisa Monte. It’s a pleasure to play characters like this, because the character becomes a catharsis of something that we are somehow bringing to the scene. I feel that this passionate way of living and relating is something we have in common. And it seems to me that Sônia goes through a process of maturation in her eyes during the plot, which is something I connect with, because I feel that I have already gone through this process. It’s beautiful to see the path the authors are building for her to heal from the pain of the past and find self-love.
“Perfect Love” provided a special meeting with the cast. How was this experience of building a family relationship with your co-workers?
I feel like we have a very special cast. Everyone gets along very well behind the scenes, it’s a festive and friendly atmosphere that spills over to the scene and makes this city of São Jacinto believable and interesting. One thing that I think is really cool is that this cast was designed to bring different experiences into relationship, which greatly enriches the work. Half of the characters are played by black actors and actresses; we have professionals from different regions of Brazil and with varied professional experiences. It’s beautiful to see the generosity and pleasure of listening in everyone. Who has been on TV the longest, giving tips on their relationship with the cameras; who sings, stimulating colleagues in the sung scenes; who comes from the theater, also making scene propositions. Mineiros sharing nuances of accent, who is from Rio welcoming those who came from outside to record the soap opera. Anyway,
It is notable that Globo’s three main telenovelas feature black protagonists. How important is this milestone for you as a black artist?
It is clear that such a milestone is relevant for us blacks, not least because it presents a horizon of greater representation, self-esteem and insertion in the labor market. It is something that many generations have fought and are fighting for, a collective achievement. But I feel that the importance of this moment is for society as a whole. Racism is a very rooted form of violence in Brazil that contaminates relationships. Having black and indigenous protagonists in soap operas, having diversity in the cast and crew, writing new narratives is urgent not only for the lives of blacks, but also for the lives of whites, so that everyone is increasingly committed and becomes agents of another possible future. I feel that this milestone is yet another contribution to the construction of a new imaginary for all regarding the contributions of blacks to society; for the deconstruction of racial stereotypes; it is an invitation for us to critically analyze situations and contexts beyond the screens. I hope that the stories we’re telling, the way we’re choosing to tell, generate change, movement.
In addition to your acting, you are also known for your music career. His album “Calor” is a success. How was the process of creating this work and what were your main musical influences?
Calor is a project that I launched in 2022, but whose production started in 2020, during the pandemic. The album consists of ten original songs (two of them made in partnership with friends) that have very particular references and stories. I started composing in 2017, not in a very organized way. The songs came out in moments of inspiration or from situations I lived through that impelled me to write and sing and, therefore, each one has references that speak to the moment of composition. For example, Valsinha (La Petite) is a waltz with a strong reference to the chanson française: I composed it based on a joke when I was in love with a Frenchman and had just returned to Brazil after a period in France. Vendaval, who has the most virtuous fingering, I wrote it on a sleepless night when I started taking guitar lessons and was exercising my fingers. The album combines all these references with an acoustic, intimate and intense sound, which reminds me of arrangements from some albums by Chico Buarque and Mayra Andrade, who is certainly a vocal reference, as well as Gal Costa, Edith Piaf and Elis Regina.
Releasing this album independently is one of my greatest professional accomplishments and one of my biggest artistic endeavors, as I wrote the songs, produced the album and was involved with other professionals in virtually every process to make this project come to fruition in this way. form.
You’ve had different experiences at TV Globo over the years. Can you tell us about some of them and how they contributed to your growth as an artist?
My first contract with Globo was in the first season of the talkshow Adnight, presented by Marcelo Adnet, in which the initial idea was to have a troupe of artists that would do performance flashes during interviews. As it was a new program, they were still understanding the format and experimenting with ideas, so we had a lot of free time and could move around all sectors, we even did special effects training, we learned a lot. Behind the scenes of this work, I started to study French. When I was waiting, I was always practicing my grammar and when the contract ended, I decided to spend some time in France with the money I received. It was wonderful, because I really learned the language and did an internship with the people of Theater du Soleil, which is one of the theater companies that I most admire. It was a super interesting and important professional and personal journey for me, a milestone in my life, and when I returned to Brazil I never stopped working. I did some musicals, some participation in Globo soap operas and series and then I moved on to Salve-se Quem Puder in 2019, which was my first experience doing an entire soap opera. I feel that in each job, inside and outside Globo, I have been able to improve myself as an artist and use these experiences to open other interesting doors that empower me.
In “A Sogra Que Te Pariu”, you acted alongside Rodrigo Sant’anna in a sitcom on Netflix. How was the challenge of doing comedy and winning over a larger audience?
It was very special. This is a project that makes me very happy and proud. I had to welcome myself and take myself less seriously to play Márcia and I realize how important this was even for my personal life. I’ve always been funny, but suddenly being hired to be on a project, among other things, because of this characteristic, made me value what I did naturally and want to improve the times, the choices. It was a great learning experience, because everyone in the cast was very generous, we had a really nice exchange, we really became a family. And each one had their own way of being on stage, of contributing to the story and that was very rich. I am widely recognized on the street as Márcia da Sogra who gave birth to you and I realize that the public identifies with this family and the relationships presented in the series.
You also starred in your first feature, “Medusa”. How was this experience in cinema and what are your future plans in this area?
Medusa is a thriller that talks about religious fanaticism in Brazil and the oppression of women in this context. It shows a group of girls who become vigilantes in favor of morals and good customs. I play Sara X, who is one of the victims of this group, but manages to react to the attack and ends up injuring the protagonist, who is played by Mari Oliveira, in her face. It is because of this wound – and the scar that the wound generates – that the protagonist enters a critical and agonizing journey. The feature was directed and written by Anita Rocha da Silveira, who I think is an incredible artist, and has already had a very interesting journey – and awarded – by different festivals around the world, including Quinzaine des Réalisateurs, at the Cannes Film Festival.
It was a joy to be part of it, because it is a project that I think is very courageous and that has had worldwide repercussions. Also, it was an experience with cinema, which is something I would like to get closer to. I had already starred in a short film called Alderão in 2014 and an audiovisual adaptation of the play Romeo e Julieta – to the sound of Marisa Monte (2018) which was shown in several cinemas throughout Brazil, but I certainly hope to have more experiences in the area.
In addition to your TV and film roles, are you involved in any other artistic projects at the moment? Can you tell us a little about them?
Yes. I participated in a musical documentary about Dolores Duran, called Dolores: O Coração da Noite, as an interviewee and interpreter and this week I had the happy news that this project was selected by an international festival and will be shown in some cinemas in São Paulo. Also, I’m recording my first audiobook and it’s a really cool story, really well written. I’m really excited about this new challenge, as I’ve never done anything in this language before. But I still can’t say much about this project.
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