Tony Ramos turns 75 and shows why he is considered the kindest and most polite actor in the country

When announcing that he had scheduled an interview with Tony Ramos, the reporter for F5 he hears from virtually all of his writing colleagues the same comment, with a few variations — but the message doesn’t change: “He’s the nicest, nicest guy around.” And it’s true.

In times of sub-celebrities who try to impose subjects to be addressed in interviews (often by email, because they have “a full schedule”), the protagonist of “Terra e Paixão” (Globo), accepted the invitation to a chat -chat over the phone with the site, in a break from their daily TV recordings. “Of course, with the greatest pleasure,” he said, excited. He also agreed, without hesitation, to tell some curiosities about his life (check them all out in the gallery below). Learn, children.

Birthday of the day, Tony completes 75 years of a career that is intertwined with Brazilian television itself. With 60 years of excellent service to Brazilian art, Antônio de Carvalho Barbosa (Ramos comes from his maternal grandmother, who helped raise him and from whom he borrowed his last name) has around 120 roles on TV, cinema and at the theater, and on the shelf at home, among the books, are two Grande Otelo awards, four APCA awards, a Kikito award, and a Shell Award, among others. Tony loves his job and doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon.

“I intend to act until I die, because I know my temperament. I’m already retired by the INSS after 37 years and eight months of contribution, and nobody can take that away from me (laughs). But leaving the spotlight doesn’t cross my mind”, he says, who already has a proposal from Globo for a project for July 2024 and three more films to shoot in the medium term.

With only 47 years of TV Globo (the first 13 years were on TV Tupi), the man from Arapongas does not hide that he has a passion for soap operas and says that the invitation to “Terra e Paixão” came a year before the plot premiered. “Walcyr [Carrasco, autor] told me about the idea and I accepted it, I thought it was fantastic.”

Unanimously among his colleagues, who never tire of extolling his generosity and solidarity on and off stage, Tony carries the reputation of being a “good guy”, which doesn’t bother him. He says he is guided by his heart to do everything in life, without ever stepping over anyone.

Married for 56 years to Lidiane Barbosa, with whom he fell in love while still at school in the 1960s, he says he has always been “determined, persevering, with love for my country, culture, freedom and democracy”. Despite avoiding getting involved in politics, he campaigned for vaccination at the height of the pandemic and wept on TV as he mourned the death of his friend Tarcísio Meira, a victim of Covid-19, in 2021. At Aracy Balabanian’s wake, days ago, he was one of the more thrilled.

Despite being passionate about TV, where he has played at least 70 characters, the actor celebrates the new possibilities of streaming. On Globoplay, he starred in “Encantado’s” last year and enjoyed the experience. “I’m ready and tuned in to new moments. If there’s one thing I’m not, it’s uninformed, I read a lot about new forms of communication.”

Tony knows that streaming is here to stay, but he thinks there’s room for everyone. “The equipment will live together and find its niches, including free-to-air TV”, opines the king of Brazilian television, a title he might not like, although it fits perfectly. “I know I’m a popular artist and I feel grateful. I’m a Brazilian who achieved popularity in the profession, but I never put myself on a pedestal.”