Born in Erechim, in the north of Rio Grande do Sul, Gabriel Vivan always had an artistic and adventurous spirit that led him to explore different parts of Brazil. Living in cities such as Rio de Janeiro, Florianópolis and São Paulo, Gabriel sought to develop personally and artistically before settling in vibrant Rio de Janeiro. Currently, he shines as the protagonist of the series “Reis” on Record TV, standing out as a promising figure on Brazilian television.
Since he was little, Gabriel has shown an intense passion for the world of arts. At the age of five, when he stepped on stage for the first time, he felt the awakening of a dream: he wanted to be an actor. During his adolescence, he faced challenges and almost gave up on his dream, but the discovery of music, through a character he played, kept the flame of acting alive. Balancing law school and careers as a musician and actor, Gabriel decided to focus entirely on the arts, leaving law on hold.
Even without complete formal academic training, Gabriel is self-taught and learned to play the guitar by watching videos on the internet. Today, he is the composer of several songs, some of which have repercussions on Brazilian and foreign radio stations. Furthermore, its versatility extends to fashion, where it moves between sporty, elegant and casual street styles. Gabriel is a dedicated environmental activist, committed to sustainability and protecting the environment, inspiring many with his story of perseverance and love for the arts.
What was the process like moving around Brazil so many times in search of personal and artistic development?
I’ve always been a very creative and restless guy (bad Aquarius, I think), because I was born in a small town I always felt like I needed to know the world and explore, breathe more artistic scenes and be inspired by people and places. When I passed the test to star in the series Reis da Record I felt that it was the move I needed to launch myself into the “world” and that’s what I’ve been doing ever since. In 2023 I moved 7 times, I lived a period being relatively a nomad, passing through Erechim, Florianópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Paraná, until I settled in São Paulo and now returning to Rio de Janeiro again. I like connections, I created lifelong bonds everywhere I’ve been, in my life I’m inspired by everything, to live art and to live life. And once we go out into the world, we never come back the same.
Do you remember the moment you decided you wanted to be an actor at age five? What was that initial experience on stage like?
I remember like it was today. It was my first performance at school. It was the end of the year in 2001, the parents of all the students were sitting on brown plastic chairs in the school gym, packed with lots of people… I went up on stage and immediately identified my family, watching me excitedly. Parents, grandparents, uncles, relatives, friends and loved ones who are no longer with us… I didn’t even have a line, but I was the protagonist, a magician, who organized the whole group on stage and delivered banners with some sayings that were shown one by one by colleagues. When it was my turn, I raised the banner with great pride and noticed that the entire audience started laughing a lot, I looked at the banner and saw that it was upside down. I turned her around. I held her seriously. And smile. Okay, there I had understood the power of being on stage and the exchange with a generous audience applauded me as if it were a goal for the Brazilian team. On that magical day, being a magician, I realized the magic that art has and decided: I wanted to be an artist.
During your adolescence, you faced challenges that almost made you give up on your artistic dream. How has music helped keep the spark of acting alive?
In our profession I realized that “no” is something normal, but understanding this took some time. The first ‘no’s’ were stronger and the thought of giving up the profession was frequent. Until I actually gave up, and took part in an amateur way, in some theater groups and school performances. When I did a sketch in which the character played the guitar, I learned a song by watching videos on the internet and I liked it, I started composing my sounds and started investing in music, with bands and a solo career. From then on, I decided to rescue my art and returned to acting, putting on plays and presentations. I believe that art is a bug that when it bites you, there is no turning back, you may think about giving up, but there is no way to escape… it is a burden, karma, destiny, I don’t know…, but art chooses us, We don’t choose it.
You managed to balance your studies at law school with your acting and musical careers. What was that experience like and what were the biggest challenges you faced?
When I look back I wonder how I did it. I juggled my band, acting, college and an internship at a law firm at the same time. I confess that I always treated law as a plan B, but the course took a lot of time and dedication, which made me leave art on the back burner. The college itself brought me many friends and learning, Law is a college that serves everyday life, with rules that govern our society and it is always important to understand them. So it’s not like I threw away all that knowledge. The biggest challenges were not being able to allocate as much time as I would like to in art, I was always left with a divided heart because I don’t like doing anything halfway or poorly done, so I tried my best to do everything in the best way possible, but my day unfortunately had only 24 hours.
His self-taught ability is remarkable, especially in music. How did you learn to play guitar and what are some of your proudest musical accomplishments?
Music has always attracted me, one of my first toys was a harmonica and I would spend hours with it in my arms, I would sing (or rather scream) in the shower to the point that the neighbors would hear it and I remember that I really wanted to start guitar lessons, but As my brothers had already started and given up, my mother made me choose between football school or guitar lessons. As I didn’t want to give up football, I stubbornly started watching videos on the internet and began to learn the theory. When a character who played the guitar appeared, I became more motivated to learn and began to enjoy music even more. Today I already have several original songs, several singles on the radio and more than half a million plays on social media and I have performed in a show for more than 30 thousand people. I am increasingly optimistic about my musical career and foreseeing several releases for the period 2024-2025.
His personal style is described as eclectic and multifaceted. How would you define your fashion style and who are your main influences?
I started to take a liking to fashion recently. Before, the clothes I saw in front were the first ones I wore… today I care more about what I wear, I understand that it’s a question of identity and personality, more than anything else. It is a manifestation of who we are. I like perfumes, accessories and I seek influence from different profiles and artists that I admire.
How do you maintain an active and balanced lifestyle, balancing the gym, football and your other passions with your artistic career?
I try to maintain a busy routine, I like being on the move. Football and the gym end up being a moment of the day when my mind is focused only on the present, without thinking about commitments or work. I recently started Muay Thai and I’m really enjoying it, I believe that the sport and our surroundings serve as inspiration for art, it is a reflection of life, and therefore, to the attentive eye, everything can be used.
In addition to acting and music, you are a dedicated environmental activist. What motivates you to promote sustainability and how do you incorporate this into your daily life?
I believe that if we raise awareness in society we still have time to save the place we live in, but time is short. I believe that starting with the minimum, you will already do a lot: saving water, separating waste and classifying it for recycling, not consuming products from brands that harm the environment and prioritizing organic products… I have my NGO called “We for Us e por Todos” which takes the name of one of my songs, which I still want to make an agent of change, I’m at the beginning, joining forces to get it off the ground.
The series “Reis” on Record TV has been a great success. What has the experience of being the protagonist of this production been like and what have you learned most from this role?
The experience was and continues to be a gift in my life. I had the honor of playing King David, an iconic character known worldwide for having defeated the giant Goliath. It was my first role on open television, I tried hard to deliver as much as I could and thank God I was very well received by the public, people from all over the world sent me messages and commented on the work. Now I have the privilege of returning to the plot to play King Abijah, a descendant of David. But now from a completely different perspective. I was very honored that the house chose me for this character, which has been a huge challenge in my career. He is a complex person full of layers that I (Gabriel) have never accessed in my life, but that thanks to art, I am able to reach. My expectation is to know what the public’s opinion will be about this character, who promises to prove to be a very different person from the one they have seen so far in the eleventh season.
What are your next professional and personal projects and dreams that you still want to achieve?
God made me an ambitious guy. I have many dreams and projects. I want to release my new songs, perform them at festivals like Lollapalooza and Rock in Rio, perform in front of large crowds… I want to star in feature films and series for streaming, and reach large audiences with my art and truly connect with them, I believe in art as a tool for transformation and connection. I don’t aim for success, it’s not something that attracts me, but if it comes as a form of recognition for my work, it will be very welcome.
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