Ligia Vargas is expanding her success as a presenter by debuting the program “Resenha Carioca” on Samsung TV’s Travel Plus channel. After starting her career in theater at the age of 9 and moving through several areas, the artist gained notoriety on social media with the videocast that has interviewed personalities such as Evandro Mesquita and Mariana Gross. Now, alongside Rafael Oliveira, Ligia continues her career interviewing icons from Rio de Janeiro and reinforces her passion for presenting, a talent that has been recognized by names such as Juliana Paes and professionals from TV Globo.
Throughout your career, you have worked in a variety of fields, from theater to videocasting . When did you realize that being a presenter was your true passion?
They say that when we approach 40 years of age we rethink our lives. One of my “discoveries” during this period was that presenting was what I did effortlessly, fluidly, with pleasure and a lot of love! Mainly, it was the area in which I had the most experience in audiovisual and where I received the most job offers and compliments.
What was it like to receive praise from such important figures as Juliana Paes and invitations from names at TV Globo? Did that confirm that you were on the right path?
That’s exactly what made me realize that this was the right path. Juliana is an admirable human being, a person with such an intense light that she illuminates everything she goes through. She is also a wonderful professional, a reference in our television drama industry, a successful actress who knows the market. So when I heard her encouragement to invest in a career as a presenter, it was really important for my self-esteem and a driving force for me to dedicate myself to conquering my space as such.
“Resenha Carioca” started as a videocast and is now on Travel Plus. How was this transition to streaming and what does it mean for the program?
It was an invitation that made us very happy, it represents growth for the project and greater visibility for our work. The content follows the same principles, an informal and relaxed chat about the Rio lifestyle at a bar table, the difference being that on TV the program has a shortened version. So, anyone who wants to know more about the guests, anyone who likes our “bar table”, can go to the Resenha channel on YouTube and watch the full version of the episodes.
You faced depression after the birth of your son and decided to return to your artistic career. How did this experience impact your personal and professional life?
I wasn’t diagnosed with depression, but I was deeply saddened by the fact that I wasn’t working in the audiovisual industry and couldn’t see how I could get my career back on track while living in a small town. I spent some time trying to suppress this sadness and keep it to myself. I thought I had no right to feel that way. I felt like I had fallen into a bear trap and was trapped, unable to move. I cried in secret in the shower, then in the shower and on my pillow. Then I couldn’t hide my sadness anymore. That’s when my husband made every effort to help me return to Rio and get my career back on track. I understood that what we have in our souls cannot be suppressed! If it is, we get sick… I feel stronger and encouraged to move forward, to climb each step of this ladder until I get to where I want to be, and now not only for myself, but also for my family.
At the beginning of your career as a presenter, you had to improvise on live sports programs, a subject you were not familiar with. How did theater help you with this challenge?
All my experience as an actress was fundamental in starting this job. I was acting! I played a presenter! Improvisation techniques helped me deal with the unpredictability of the live show. The practice of theatrical listening taught me how to really listen to the other presenter and the commentators, and how to position myself and speak appropriately at the right time, without interrupting anyone else’s speech. In short, theater is my technical basis for many things that I have used throughout my career as a presenter.
You’ve interviewed big names like Evandro Mesquita and Emanuelle Araújo. Who else is on your dream list to interview and why these people?
In Resenha Carioca we really want Zeca Pagodinho, Anitta and Zico, icons of Rio, references in their fields, indisputable personalities from Rio. In my life in general, I would like to interview people I admire, who inspire me and some who make me curious because of who they are and their careers. Of course, Zeca, Anitta and Zico will always be on my personal list too. I even recorded a special with Zico about 10 years ago and he was extremely generous. But at this moment I would mention names like: Viola Davis, Fernanda Montenegro, Luciano Huck, Cristiano Ronaldo… different profiles that attract me in different ways.
What are the next steps for “Resenha Carioca”? Is there any new development or goal you would like to achieve with the program?
We designed Resenha as a channel, the videocast is the main program of this channel, but our goal is to actually grow and produce the various segments that we would like to develop for the channel. Including bringing in other people to work on these other products and, most importantly, we work to gain enough visibility to showcase the work of anonymous Cariocas, from outside the south zone, who also write the history of the city and culturally build what we call the Carioca lifestyle.
You mentioned wanting to host a variety show or even a reality show. What attracts you to this format and how do you imagine yourself in that scenario?
I am professionally curious and I like challenges and learning. This attracts me to reality shows, the challenge of being in charge of a program that changes throughout the weeks with the departure of participants, a program in which the audience is emotionally involved, where there are supporters and where the presenter is the link between all of this and has to deal with heightened emotions. Variety shows are generally lighthearted, they promote joy and well-being to the audience that watches them and I enjoy things like that. I am one of those who does not watch anything tense because it makes me tense, so I would like to be in charge or involved in a program like that for the pleasure they give me.
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