More important than being the protagonist is working with the greats, says Lucio Mauro Filho

Year in and year out, Lucio Mauro Filho is on TV. In the last three decades, it is rare to turn on the television and not see Lucinho in some project, be it a soap opera, a comedy, a series or playing with a band on Saturday afternoons on Globo. And the formula for always being able to stay in the spotlight has to do with a strategy stipulated by his father, his great advisor, the comedian Lucio Mauro (1927-2019).

“I reinforce that I’m a nepobaby because he discovered the formula to protect me or to warn me that if I was successful, I would need to endure it”, says the actor, regarding the privileges of being the son of a “pistolão”. “My first success was in Zorra Total (1999), when I was already 25 years old. I was young, but at the same time, I had a lot of baggage. One of the secrets to the longevity of my work is that I was successful at the right time”, evaluates the actor in an interview with F5.

This Tuesday (18), Lucinho —as he is called by his friends— turns 50. He reaches this age full of new projects, but with a look back at the arts that fills him with pride. In the chat, he talks about the unexpected arrival of a daughter, recalls the fights behind the scenes of “The Big Family” and comments on the fact that he has never been a controversial figure. “Every time someone wants to say bad things about me, there will be someone defending me.” Check out the interview below.

What reflections do you make as you turn 50?

I have to celebrate every day. I think it’s important to pay attention to this gratitude exercise. These are 50 years well lived with a lot of struggle and victories. It is a symbolic date, the middle of life, a corner that when it arrives there is no way around it. I look back and reflect. The first feeling that comes is gratitude to God, to the universe, for the wonderful people who crossed my path.

You never have your name involved in controversies. How do you do it?

I have my moments of controversy, yes, but I am definitely not a controversial figure. I have always maintained privacy and this protects me, because I communicate in a very sweet way and I am a team player. This is what, in a way, transformed me into this loving figure and, consequently, with many protective angels when it came to hate. [ódio na web]. Of course I don’t please everyone, sometimes for anything you say that doesn’t agree with someone else’s opinion, hatred comes. But every time someone wants to say bad things about me, there will be someone defending me.

You had a master at home. What advice did your father, Lucio Mauro (1927-2019) give?

When I started to believe that I would pursue the profession, he was concise about the fact that I needed to be more ready. He told me to avoid anxiety. This ended up showing that there was no point in asking for anything, I had to get it for myself. And he wanted me to look for my class. When I went to do the soap opera ‘A Viagem’ (1994), I confess that I wasn’t enchanted by TV, because by doing my theater plays I could get the money that TV paid me.

Did your father have an influence on your career? Do you consider yourself a nepobaby?

Of course, I’m a nepobaby, yes. Just the fact that my name is Lucio Mauro Filho is already a big deal. When they found out that I was his son, they smiled. Because he was very loved, I carry on this legacy. Being affectionate from the director to the coffee guy. I can now say that I am a nepobaby, as I had access to a great artist in an intimate way because he was my father. And he always showed pride in anything I did. As a father, he had a dream for me to have a college degree. But the theater called me and I went, then TV came.

Did he support you in your decision to become an actor?

When I went to look for work at the age of 16 as an actor, leaving the Tablado theater in Rio, I was fully capable of going places and speaking for myself. But my father always said: whoever is successful at a young age won’t be successful as an adult, because he thought that the person wouldn’t have a formed character and, at 30, no one would want to see us anymore. He was completely right. The best thing is to be successful with a formed character, with an opinion about life. I also reinforce that I’m a nepobaby because he discovered the formula to protect me or warn me that if I was successful, he would need to handle the success. My first was in Zorra Total (1999), when I was already 25 years old. He was young, but at the same time, he had a lot of baggage. One of the secrets to the longevity of my work is that I was successful at the right time.

You worked with a lot of important people. What do you take away from these experiences?

I worked with Chico Anysio (1931-2012) in the theater, with my master Ivan de Albuquerque (1932-2001), founder of Teatro Ipanema. Acting with fantastic figures placed an enormous level of demand on me. And that’s what I looked for on TV. The return was in Zorra Total, which was popular, with Carlos Manga (1928-2015) directing and Mauricio Sherman (1931-2019). I was paired with Jorge Dória (1920-2013), one of the greatest comedians of all time. I did scenes with Hugo Carvana (1937-2014), Milton Gonçalves (1933-2022), Tonico Pereira… All of this put me at the top, it was always a class. In ‘A Grande Família’, there was Marco Nanini, Marieta Severo, anyway… I discovered that more important than being the protagonist is working with the greats.

What was it like acting on ‘A Grande Família’ for 14 years?

It was spectacular, a gift. All a professional wants is to fall into a place where the top artists and cutting-edge professionals in the field are. It’s like playing for a Brazilian team, I learned a little bit of everything from everyone there. I learned this label of being ‘multitasking Lucinho’ at that moment. To last 14 years, just being a great partner and friend.

But there was a fight between Guta Stresser and Pedro Cardoso that became public…

It’s sad that it happened, but it’s impossible not to have a fight in 14 years. They were people with a special temperament, and when there was a fight, it was a fight between big people. This fight doesn’t change my perception of the place of affection that this series was. Despite this, their partnership and professionalism were beautiful on stage. We had the maturity to deal with it, Guta isn’t even mentioned, she was an exciting responsibility. We decided to move forward. This thing happens in a professional environment, whatever it may be. And there wasn’t just this fight, there were two or three more that no one knew about. People have a fetish for fighting, but we were discreet.

What were the biggest challenges at that time?

We faced a very painful death that was the passing of Rogério Cardoso in 2003. There, ‘A Grande Família’ could have ended. I remember we talked and decided to continue. But there was this doubt: would there be climate? Thank God it did. But, most of the time, it was wonderful, we went on trips, I went to live near Marieta. And we saw the birth of the social network, but everyone’s profiles were closed in 2013, 2014. We maintained this aura of protection.

Currently, you have a band and play at Caldeirão. Did you imagine this career change?

I have had a relationship with music since I was a teenager and, when MTV came to Brazil, I was an enthusiast of the channel. Life was happening to me, in theater, on TV, and that dream of working with that was put aside. The invitation to Caldeirão happened due to a crazy coincidence. O [Marcos] Mion posted on the internet that she was happy to arrive at Globo in the morning. I sent him a welcome message and, at night, director LP Simonetti called me and offered me this opportunity.

How is your friendship with Mion?

Since he was on MTV I had empathy. I became a fan. Once Otávio Müller was doing a play and there would be a replacement, and Otávio told me about Mion. I already knew that that kid was good and would come in and kick ass. I went to São Paulo to see it and Mion stole the show right at the show. I went to the dressing room, told him this story. We created a friendship. He comes to my house with his family, we celebrate our birthdays almost together (June 18th and 20th, respectively).

Did the pandemic leave any mark on you?

I had Covid before there was even a vaccine. I remember that when we went to record Escolinha, the first program to return to filming, no one could talk or see each other. And I had a panic attack, I was very nervous, I wasn’t used to feeling that way. I discovered that I needed post-Covid treatment, because during a consultation I saw that my blood and hormonal levels were all wrong and unbalanced. I was in a fragile moment that I had never experienced in my profession, arriving at work in fear. And when the invitation came to do the soap opera ‘Quanto Mais Vida, Melhor’ (2021) I was like that, but I wanted to face it and I healed myself.

You are quite family. With so much work, do you take breaks for leisure time?

The family is a matter for Lucinho, a public person. I have ‘Son’ in my stage name. I have a very strong connection with my children. I have a 20-year-old (Bento), an 18-year-old (Luiza) and a 6-year-old (Liz), so there are a lot of things going on at home. The success of my 25-year marriage to [jornalista] Cynthia [Oliveira] is due to the family we form and how we interact with affection and partnership. I set aside some weekends off to be with them, go to museums, exhibitions. At home, we cling to each other. Now it’s time for the little one’s homework, which has arrived to bring everyone closer together. Cíntia got pregnant at the age of 45 through an IUD exchange, no one thought it was possible.

What are your plans for the future

In addition to being in the series ‘O Jogo que Mudou a História’ (Globoplay) and traveling around Brazil with the play ‘Gostava Mais dos Pais’, with Bruno Mazzeo, I have a project of original songs with my band and I am writing dramaturgy for the TV, a situation comedy to present to streaming platforms.