Isabele Riccart, with an artistic career that flourished since childhood, entered the path of acting while studying at the renowned Escola Técnica Teatral Martins Pena. With a significant background on stage, she is recognized in the dubbing industry for giving life to notable characters, such as the villain “Reeva” in the “Obi Wan Kenobi” series, the determined “Sarah” in “Superman and Lois”, and the heroine Eile in “The Witcher – The Origin”. Now, the talent of this actress and voice actress will be seen on the big screen: Isabele is ready to play Alexandra in the highly anticipated film “Overman”, directed by Thomas Portela and scheduled to hit theaters in 2024. Her character, the Governor’s loyal advisor and faithful squire , played by Otávio Müller, required a transformation in the artist’s look to incorporate the role.
Born in Rio de Janeiro, Isabele Riccart, in addition to her notable career in dubbing and her entry into the audiovisual world, has accumulated a series of memorable performances on stage. His performances in productions such as “Pássaro Azul, The Musical”, directed by Isabela Sechin (2015), and his prominent role in “The Mogli, The Musical” (2016 to 2019) stand out. Additionally, she was praised for her performance in “Gota D’agua” (2019) and “Rua Azusa” (2020), the latter recognized with the prestigious Bibi Ferreira award. Since 2019, she is also a member of “Blabonga Cia Teatral” in Rio de Janeiro.
In “Overman”, you play Alexandra, the Governor’s faithful squire. What was it like preparing for this role and the experience of adopting a new look for the character?
The preparation was short but intense, right from the start we were instructed to look for references such as “Monty Python” to direct our style of interpretation, we had some meetings to discuss and build the characters’ personalities together; Tomás (director) left us very free to suggest and create within the proposals presented.
The new look was interesting because I hadn’t seen myself with dark hair in years and I had never seen my hair in a black power, armed style, it was a surprise because I really liked it and I even asked myself why I never adopted this look before.
You mentioned a hair transition and changes to your hair over time. What was this process like for you, both personally and in relation to your career?
My transition happened when this term was unknown to the general public, I went through the transition without really knowing what I was doing, I just decided to break the eternal cycle of “relaxing” my hair with heavy chemicals, which was practically the only option that caused frizz and curly hair they had at the time. A product that hurt my scalp and in my opinion left me looking dull and without personality. I’ve been getting to know the real texture of my hair now, about 5 years ago, isn’t it surreal? But it was almost a process of rebirth, after I started to understand that my hair was not a problem to be solved, my perspective on many things changed radically.
Based on your past experience with hairdressers and beauty salons, you highlighted the importance of finding a place where you feel respected and understood. How has this experience influenced your views on hair care and self-acceptance?
Wow, this was fundamental for me to realize that black people not only deserve but should demand that their bodies be respected, when I think about what I experienced as a child in the “beauty salons” of life… the hair pulling, the aggressive treatment, the guilt I felt when I heard that my hair was dry, tangled, “difficult to manage”.
When I found a specialized place, which not only took care of my hair, but also taught me how to care for it with care, a new world opened up in a loving embrace that I didn’t even know how much I needed.
In addition to dubbing and your audiovisual work, you have an extensive career on stage. Which of these environments do you most identify with or feel offers a more satisfying artistic experience for you?
Ah, theater is my weakness, especially musical theater. There is no way to compare the stage experience with the video experience, both have their value, but it would be incredible if everyone knew that the theater experience borders on ecstasy, both doing and watching, that necessary synergy between the cast, technical team and audience for a show to happen enchants me deeply, it’s a shame that it’s such an undervalued art, people don’t know what they’re missing.
With notable appearances in several musicals, you have an impressive career in theater. How does your stage experience influence your performance in dubbing and film?
Without a doubt, experience on stage is my fuel for creating art in other niches and platforms, everything I learned and still learn comes from there, either doing it or watching it, I think that every self-respecting actor shouldn’t stray too far from the theater, because even the perrengues are educational.
What do you hope to convey to the public with the film “Overman”? Is there a specific message that you believe is important for the viewer?
Just for black women to enter the scene and occupy a space of that size, we already have a very strong message being transmitted, don’t you think? What I hope is that black girls see me there and know that they can go far, I hope they see themselves.
You mentioned that you learned to take care of your curls in a more authentic way and that this goes beyond aesthetics. How did this personal discovery influence your performance and the way you see yourself as an artist?
It was a revolution in my artistic life. There was a time when I thought that only a progressive brush would get me closer to important places and positions, today I see a celebration around my curls that I could never dream of. This conveys a surreal feeling of freedom, like “I can finally stop wasting time trying to be something I’m not and dedicate myself fully to what matters: my art.
Having worked in a variety of theater productions, what role has challenged you the most as an actress and why?
In 2019 I made a replacement that was a turning point in my life. I starred in the musical “Gota D’agua – A carioca tragedy” due to a stroke of fate: the actress who would play the character “Joana” had to leave and I accepted the invitation without thinking, I had less than 1 month to build my Joana, memorizing all those texts in verse, very difficult, surrounding myself with that tragic energy, apart from the songs performed live. But it worked, it yielded incredible results for me, a challenge that was the injection of encouragement I needed to continue on my path, and from this experience the artistic world opened doors for me that I had not even dreamed of.
How do you view female representation in the entertainment industry, especially considering the development of strong, complex characters like Alexandra in “Overman”?
I think there is still a long way to go, especially with regard to audiovisual, especially if we are talking about the Brazilian industry. But there has already been improvement, women are finally starting to be represented as individuals, and not as accessories. Even Alexandra, who is the “shadow” of the governor, has her moments of impatience, panic, humor, falsehood and ambition, she knows what she wants in life and how hard she fought to be where she is, she is a character who has a lot to offer. grow and develop in future productions, and this possibility is what sets the industry apart today.
Finally, what was the transition like from dubbing and stage to acting in films? Is there anything special you would highlight about this new experience?
The search for naturalness is undoubtedly the biggest challenge, both theater and dubbing demand from us a performance focused on the “big”: the immense gestures, the strength of the words, all of this has to be incorporated into the video work with a much more subtle look. Even though Overman is a “superhero” movie about comic book characters, they are real people, with very human dilemmas.
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