"I love philosophy. I love people. I love history. I wish I could be learning all the time,” says one of Brazil’s most revered actresses. Her eyes light up at the prospects: “I wish I could be at NASA, take a trip to the moon.”
As she strives to broaden her own understanding of the universe, she also works to expand horizons for young people. That could mean making sure they have food and a warm place to sleep or helping them get an education or acting job. Each action is linked to compassion, “the basic thing that makes a person whole,” Braga, 56, says.
Once known as “The Thrill From Brazil,” she’s at a beachfront hotel in Rio de Janeiro, having spent all night learning lines for the hit telenovela Páginas de vida. But she’s ready to talk about what’s closest to her heart.
Take I: Education
Braga’s father died when she was eight. She left school at 14 to begin work as an actress to help support her mother and six siblings. While she doesn’t voice any regret at having to leave school, she does promote education, serving as spokesperson for the UN Works for Children program to educate girls in India.
SB: “All the children on the planet should have the opportunity to receive an education to fulfill their destiny. That is the most important thing: to be able to fulfill your destiny.
“But education is not first. Without food, without dignity, education means nothing. I went to India, and I became more materialistic than ever. I understood how important it is to have a nice bed to sleep in, clean water to drink, fresh food to eat. We need water as much as food, education as much as the paper to write words on. Education is guaranteed in every constitution of every country I know. Every time a child has to choose between education and food, that country is committing a crime.”
Take II: Her Career
As a teenager, Braga was already working in Brazilian telenovelas; by her 20s she had made it to the stage and big screen. A major international break came in 1985, when she starred in Kiss of the Spider Woman (El beso de la mujer araña). Among her latest roles is Teresa in Bordertown, a film about the murder of women in Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico. She’s been nominated three times for a Golden Globe Award and once for an Emmy.
SB: “In Brazil, we don’t say, ‘You have a gift.’ We say, ‘You have been given a chance.’ I had a chance to be an actress. Sometimes I wonder if I could have been anything else. I don’t know. I had this chance and grabbed it.…
“I don’t prepare for roles. I am the role. I’ve never been in acting school. Life is my school. And everything I do, every breath I take, everything I see, every person I come into contact with is a source of inspiration to get into character. If I’m not prepared for a character, it’s because I haven’t experienced it. I can’t fake it.”
Take III: Activism
Of all her roles, one she values highly is advocate. Along with her United Nations work, she co-founded—with actors Esai Morales and Jimmy Smits and lawyer Felix Sanchez—the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts, which supports Hispanic entertainers.
SB: “I’m very lucky. In Brazil we say, ‘You’re complaining with your belly full.’ [But] I’m not advocating for myself. I’m advocating for younger actors. Even as the most hired actress in Brazil, I’ve always fought for better conditions for those who work in the industry. I’m convinced that everyone should raise their voice to make things better in the world.”
Take IV: Spirituality
When asked what she believes in, the answer is as complex and insightful as Braga herself. She says it’s not that she doesn’t believe in God; it’s just that she believes in good people—people like Jesus, Gandhi, and Buddha.
SB: “If there is a God, I hope He’s looking for me. I respect all faiths and all religion. Everybody looks for something that brings us peace. When I look at nature, when I look at space, I think maybe my religion is science.”
Take V: Love
For Braga, it’s not about sex, despite the sexy roles. She loves love, and Robert Redford once fell for her. She values faithfulness, integrity, and compassion.
SB: “I don’t think you choose a person. You are caught by love. What I can tell you is…that the most important thing in life, besides being in love and the passion of love, is to have true friendships.”
Take VI: Health and Beauty
As she ages, Braga finds she’s more responsible with her body. She doesn’t stay in the sun as much as she once did, drinks only moderately, and shuns cigarettes and drugs. And she sleeps at least eight hours a night.
SB: “Dreaming is the best thing that can happen to a person. It’s like a big-budget production happening in your head. And I started tai chi. It’s a whole new universe. I’m healthy. This is a great period of learning in my life. I’m not the finished product yet.”
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School of Life
Like Sonia Braga, others have had to abandon their studies |
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Margaret Aguinaga
60, Ennis, Texas |
“Kids don’t ever think of the future, how important education is. You always want to follow the crowd, even if it’s wrong. When my friends started getting married and leaving school, I did too. Now that I’ve got my GED [general equivalency diploma], I feel worthy.” |
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Tony Reyes
58, Woodbridge, Virginia |
“I was angry I had to leave school, but I knew it was the right thing [when my father became blind]. I wish I’d finished, because earlier in my career, I might have been selected for more promotions and special projects.” |
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Lydia Rosa
54, Long Island, Nueva York |
“The experience of going to college when no one else in my family had gone was new enough. Having to deal with that and running the home with my sister [after our mother died]… I thought, ‘I can’t do both.’ The decision to leave was my mother’s wish for me to take care of the kids.” |
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