At just 9 years old, child actor Antônio Guilherme makes his grand debut in the series “Vidas Bandidas”, which premiered on Disney+ on the 21st. Playing the character Lucas, Antônio is the only child in the cast, which includes renowned names such as Juliana Paes, Rodrigo Simas and Otávio Muller. In the plot, he is the son of Larissa Nunes, played by Juliana Paes, and ends the series without discovering the identity of his father, a mystery involving the characters played by Tomás Aquino and Rodrigo Simas. In his debut, Antônio expresses his gratitude for the opportunity and highlights the enriching experience of working alongside experienced actors and learning from them. In addition to his current role, Antônio has a budding career, starting as a model at the age of 4 and going on to appear in advertising campaigns and a role in the soap opera “Nos Tempos do Imperador” on Globo. Currently, he continues his development as an actor at the theater school “Vamos Fazer Arte”, showing a contagious enthusiasm for new challenges in both fashion and acting.
What was it like for you, being the only child actor in the cast of “Vidas Bandidas”, to work alongside such important names as Juliana Paes and Rodrigo Simas?
It was really cool and fun. When I saw them live, I thought: ‘Is that really them?!’ I learned a lot from them, because they do some ‘shitty’, improvising in the scenes. It was an incredible experience, and I had the opportunity to learn on my own, since there were no other children around.
What did you learn during the filming with actors like Tomás Aquino, Larissa Nunes and Rodrigo Simas? Was there a special moment that marked your experience?
I learned that there are moments of play and moments of recording, in which we need to concentrate on playing the character. We had several special moments, like when we did a dance together for TikTok. Larissa made a few mistakes, while Rodrigo got it right the first time.
You mentioned that you played with Lucas’ parents backstage. What was that atmosphere like backstage and what did you enjoy doing most during filming?
The atmosphere was very happy and fun. We played ‘sticker chat’ and told jokes – in this case, I was the one telling them. They always asked me to guess their age and the age of the crew that was filming, and they had a great time when I told them!
Your father has worked with some of the actors on the show. What was it like telling them that you were his son and seeing this connection between generations of actors?
I was eager to tell them that my father worked with them. My father is an art producer for Globo and has done some programs with the team, but he hadn’t said anything about me being in the series. It was then that Otávio Müller sent a message to my father asking if I was his son. My father confirmed it, and I was very happy about it.
What was it like watching Harry Potter with Juliana Paes? Were you already a fan of the films or did it start during filming?
I was surprised to find out that Juliana loves Harry Potter as much as I do. I’ve watched the entire series, and my 8th birthday was a Harry Potter themed one. My mom, Elis, is amazing at decorating my parties!
You’ve also done advertising campaigns for well-known brands. How do you balance your modeling career with your acting career?
With the help of my parents, my mother is always available to take me to appointments. In the series, she was 6 months pregnant. If it’s to take photos for brands, I go there and do it. And if it’s to do scenes, I study and prepare for them. This interview is really cool, huh!
How did you prepare for the role of Lucas, especially with the help of your trainer Maria Silva? Was there a scene that was more challenging for you?
She was the first person I met and she helped me feel calm in front of the cameras, since it was my first job. She explained to me what Lucas, my character, was like, and it was really cool! Oh, and my grandmother Penha also helped me at home; she’s a psychologist!
The most challenging scene was eating paçoca, because although the character liked it, I, Antônio, didn’t. Even though the team and director wanted to change the scene, I said that Lucas would eat the paçoca. But in the end, I ended up spitting some of it out. Another challenging scene was Raimundo’s death, but I can’t give any spoilers.
You have been studying theater for over a year. How did these studies at the “Vamos Fazer Arte” school help you in developing the character Lucas?
Uncle Rafael Rabelo, my theater teacher, helped me understand the character better, because Lucas is suspicious and intelligent. He helped me understand the texts so that I could memorize them. My parents also helped at home, and I can memorize the texts very well!
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