Cláudia Abreu is a renowned Brazilian actress, screenwriter, and producer born on October 12, 1970, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to a lawyer mother named Regina Abreu and a father, Helcio Varella, who worked as an employee at the Brazilian Institute of Coffee before retiring.
Her parents divorced when she was just four months old, marking an early change in her family dynamics.
From a young age, Abreu was drawn to the performing arts, introduced to theater by an uncle who participated in children’s plays, and she began taking classes at Teatro O Tablado at the age of 10 while also studying English and playing volleyball.
She pursued higher education in philosophy at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, graduating in 2009.
In her personal life, Abreu has been married twice, first to actor Guilherme Fontes from 1989 to 1994, and then to filmmaker José Henrique Fonseca from 1997 until their divorce in 2022, with whom she shares four children: Maria Maud, born in 2001; Felipa, born in 2007; José Joaquim, born in 2010; and Pedro Henrique, born in 2011.
Siblings
Cláudia has two siblings named Marcia and Rodrigo.
However, details about their lives or relationship with her remain relatively private and are not extensively documented
Career
Abreu’s career in entertainment spans nearly four decades, beginning in 1986 when she made her stage debut as Wendla Bergman in the children’s play O Despertar da Primavera at Teatro O Tablado, followed shortly by a guest appearance in the TV Globo series Tele Tema.
She quickly rose to prominence through roles in popular telenovelas, starting with Luzia in Hipertensão that same year, then Maria José in O Outro in 1987, Ana Paula in Fera Radical in 1988, Princess Juliette in Que Rei Sou Eu? in 1989, and the protagonist Clara Ribeiro in Barriga de Aluguel in 1990, where she tackled themes of surrogacy.
Her breakthrough performance came in 1992 with the miniseries Anos Rebeldes, portraying Heloísa and earning widespread acclaim.
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Abreu continued to star in major telenovelas such as Alice in Pátria Minha in 1994, Olívia in Força de um Desejo in 1999, the villain Laura Prudente da Costa in Celebridade in 2003, her first antagonistic role that became hugely popular, Vitória in Belíssima in 2005, the comedic villain singer Chayene in Cheias de Charme in 2012, which required her to take singing lessons, Pamela Parker in Geração Brasil in 2014, Helô in A Lei do Amor in 2016, and Filipa in Dona de Mim in 2025 after a seven-year break from the genre.
On stage, she has delivered memorable performances in productions like Orlando in 1989, Um Certo Hamlet as the titular character in 1991, Noite de Reis as Viola in 1997, As Três Irmãs as Irina in 1999, Pluft, o Fantasminha in 2003 and 2014, which she also produced, PI – Panorâmica Insana from 2018 to 2019 where she played multiple characters, and Virgínia from 2022 to 2023, her first monologue in which she portrayed Virginia Woolf and served as playwright.
In film, Abreu debuted as Leonora Cantarelli in Tieta do Agreste in 1996, followed by acclaimed roles including the guerrilla Renée in the Oscar-nominated O Que É Isso, Companheiro? in 1997, Luíza in Guerra de Canudos in 1997, Cibele in Ed Mort in 1997, Baronesa Maria Luiza in O Xangô de Baker Street in 2001, a part in O Homem do Ano in 2003 directed by her then-husband, Rose in O Caminho das Nuvens in 2003, Glória in Os Desafinados in 2008, a segment in Rio, Eu Te Amo in 2014, Berenice in Berenice Procura in 2018, Bia in O Silêncio da Chuva in 2021, and Carla in Tempos de Barbárie – Ato I: Terapia da Vingança in 2023.
Her work extends to series such as A Comédia da Vida Privada in 1995, O Quinto dos Infernos in 2002, Sitcom.br in 2004, Dora in Três Irmãs in 2008, Leona in O Dentista Mascarado in 2013, Alice in Valentins from 2017 to 2018—which she created, wrote, and produced—Lídia in Cidade Proibida in 2017, Ignes Skavronski in Desalma from 2020 to 2022, and Dra. Adriana Mancini in Sutura in 2024 on Amazon Prime Video.
Additionally, she hosted Globo de Ouro in 1988 and contributed to music videos and soundtracks, including a DVD for Cheias de Charme in 2012.
Accolades
Abreu has won two Prêmios APCA, one for her television work in Anos Rebeldes in 1992 and another for cinema in Ed Mort in 1997, along with two Prêmios Qualidade Brasil for her role in Celebridade in 2003.
Abreu received the Festival de Cinema de Salvador award for Ed Mort in 1997, the Brazilian Film Festival of Miami honor for the same film that year, the Prêmio Maria Clara Machado for Pluft, o Fantasminha in 2003, and the Prêmio Quem for Os Desafinados in 2008.
Her nominations include two for the Grandes Otelo in cinema, four for the Prêmios Guarani, including for Tieta do Agreste in 1996 and Guerra de Canudos in 1997, two for the Troféus Imprensa for Celebridade in 2003 and Cheias de Charme in 2012, multiple for Prêmio Contigo! across various roles, Melhores do Ano for Cheias de Charme in 2012, and Prêmio Cenym for Virgínia in 2022.
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