Maria Eduarda de Carvalho says that an actress’ routine ‘has no glamour’ and declares her vote for Lula

On the air in the soap opera “Cara e Coragem” (Globo), actress Maria Eduarda de Carvalho, 39, assures that achieving fame was never the reason for choosing her profession. Despite playing the famous actress Andrea Pratini, a true diva, in the plot, the artist reinforces that “the routine of this craft has no glamour”.

For her, long working hours, financial instability and “the unpleasant feeling of eternal beginning” are companions throughout her career. “I just insist on being an artist, because I have no choice,” she adds, saying that she decided to enter the world of arts at age 13, when she was studying at Teatro Tablado, by Maria Clara Machado, in Rio de Janeiro.

The actress points out that, despite her work on television, the theater will always be her home. She, who has been in soap operas such as “A Vida da Gente” (2011-2012), “Éramos Seis” (2019-2020) and “Sete Vidas” (2015), classifies the small screens as more challenging than the stages. “Doing TV is the most difficult thing. I learned to have a lot of pleasure, but theater is where I come from and where I always need to go back.”

Even with all the challenges, the artist ensures that she has fun with her work on TV, whether on stage or behind the scenes, with her co-stars. In the current 7pm plot, her praise is mainly for Paolla Oliveira: “Paolla is ‘human-people’ of the best quality. Her sensitivity and delicacy enchant me… And as if that weren’t enough, she still likes samba and drinks cachaça! I fell in love”, jokes Maria Eduarda in an interview with F5.

Even though fame is not the main focus of the actress’s career, as it happens with Andrea, she claims to have points in common with the character. “We see art as a powerful tool for social transformation. ‘Transverting’ reality through a playful and poetic point of view can save a life. As Nietzsche would say: ‘Art exists so that reality does not destroy us’. Me and Andrea we’re artists because of that.”

Maybe that’s why Maria Eduarda doesn’t intend to just stay in front of the cameras. For the future, she already has plans to direct a documentary called “We For All”. And she is also expected to play two theater shows that she has written, one for children and one for adults. Below, Maria Eduarda de Carvalho talks about her relationship with social media, her return to acting after the most critical period of the pandemic, the rerun of “A Vida da Gente” and elections. Check out edited excerpts from the conversation:

You’ve come to say that fame and does not fill your eyes. How did this vision come about?

There is a confusion between being famous and being an actor, or an actress. Many people associate one thing with another and aim for this profession with a view to fame. This is a tremendous misconception. The proportion of actors who become famous as a result of their work is tiny. The routine of this craft has no glamour. We work long hours a day at an intense pace. Financial instability is a recurring company and an unpleasant feeling of eternal beginning also haunts us permanently.

I just insist on being an artist, because I have no choice. I was always very fearful. He was a child full of quirks and oddities. I was terrified of the dark, but I was never afraid of the dark of the theater. There I began to perceive the transforming potential of art and its possibilities of resignification. When, at the age of 13, I started taking a theater course at Tablado, it was already clear inside me that I would only have the chance to be a fulfilled person, being an artist.

Despite being discreet with your personal life on social media, you post about relevant subjects, socially speaking. Because?

I grew up watching my mother get involved directly in socially relevant causes — the actress is the daughter of Luciana Carvalho, a psychoanalyst. With her I learned not to remain silent in the face of the injustices that we witness daily and to fight for a government that sees education as the basis of a structural reform for Brazil. However, at the present time, this ideal is put on hold. Now the fight is for our most basic rights as citizens living in society to be upheld. It’s not about choosing between right or left. It is not a partisan issue. It’s a matter of humanity. That’s why I will vote for Lula in the first round.

How is it being able to return to acting on television after two extremely difficult years for the artistic class, and for Brazil?

It is deeply moving to have the privilege of returning to acting. We live in a truly terrifying moment. I have many actor friends who had to give up their careers to be able to continue supporting their families. Theaters, like movie theaters, are empty. Almost 63 million Brazilians live below the poverty line. I really cannot understand how there are still people who, even in the face of this horror that we are witnessing, can consider re-electing the current president.

Last year the soap opera ‘A Vida da Gente’ was rerun. How was it being able to see yourself on TV? Do you like to watch your works?

I don’t like to see myself on stage, but I usually watch the work I do to technically analyze the quality of what I’m doing. ‘A Vida Da Gente’ was a very emblematic soap opera in my life. Even though it was difficult, I chose to see her during the pandemic and that meant a real crossing of emotions… This was the first job I did after being a mother.

I was still understanding myself in this new configuration and trying to equate the gymkhana that is working and raising a baby. It was also the first soap opera that I watched after the loss of my sister and, coincidentally, the plot was based on the relationship between two sisters. Meeting all these feelings again during such a difficult time was like a deep dive into the depths of myself. As the poet Fernanda Moreira says: ‘the sea is always a shore for those who are afraid of the bottom’. Even with fear, I chose to dive.

Can you tell me about your new plans for your career?

I’m going to sign the direction of a documentary about the feminine, a project created from a cycle of lives I did on my Instagram, at the end of last year. The film is called ‘We For All’ and in it I will feature testimonials from fantastic women, such as actress Olivia Araujo, author Martha Medeiros and psychoanalyst Vera Iaconelli. The idea is to film as soon as the soap opera is over.

There’s also a new piece I wrote. A few years ago I put together ‘Atrás Do Mundo’, a show that tells the story of Didia, a girl who falls ‘behind the world’ (a metaphorical place) and manages to elaborate on the loss of her sister there. During the pandemic I found myself quite lost and decided that on her 40th birthday, Didia will fall ‘behind the world’ again, to work out new losses. My wish is to be on show with both shows at the same time, since one is for children and the other is for adults. All that’s missing is the sponsorship… Does anyone qualify?