José de Abreu, born José Pereira de Abreu Júnior on May 24, 1946, in Santa Rita do Passa Quatro, São Paulo, Brazil, is a renowned Brazilian actor known for his work in television, film, and theater.
At fourteen, he moved to São Paulo city with his mother and sisters, where they converted their home into a boarding house to stabilize their finances.
While studying law at the Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo in 1967, he began his acting career in theater with the play Morte e Vida Severina by João Cabral de Melo Neto and Chico Buarque.
His early involvement in films started the following year, but his career was disrupted by his political activism against the military dictatorship.
Upon returning to Brazil in 1974, he settled in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, where he taught at a university and produced musicals alongside his wife.
Over the decades, Abreu has balanced his professional life with personal milestones, including fathering five children (one of whom tragically passed away) and becoming a grandfather of four.
He has also been outspoken politically, affiliating with the Workers’ Party (PT) and even humorously declaring himself “President of Brazil” on social media in 2019 as a protest.
Siblings
José has one sister, Maria Elvira de Abreu Bopp.
She was particularly close to him; she passed away in September 2020, just three days after her son, Itamar, who had been in a coma for 15 years.
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Abreu shared emotional tributes on social media, reflecting on a family gathering two years prior where they celebrated together, marking their last shared moments.
Career
Abreu’s career spans over five decades, beginning in theater during his university years and evolving into a prolific presence in Brazilian media.
After his exile and return, he gained prominence with the film A Intrusa in 1979, portraying Christian, which opened doors to television.
He joined TV Globo in 1980 with As Três Marias and went on to appear in over 47 television productions, predominantly soap operas, where he often played complex characters ranging from villains to patriarchs.
Notable roles include Gustavo in the groundbreaking telenovela Pantanal (1990), Nilo in the hit Avenida Brasil (2012), Ernest in Joia Rara (2013), Gibson Stewart in A Regra do Jogo (2015), Dodô Falcão in Segundo Sol (2018), Otávio Guedes in A Dona do Pedaço (2019)—where his character popularized terms like “sugar daddy”—and Santiago in Um Lugar ao Sol (2021).
In miniseries, he shone as Onofre Pires in A Casa das Sete Mulheres (2003) and Juvenal Terra in O Tempo e o Vento (1985).
His film credits exceed 24, including Soares in Anjos do Arrabalde (1987), Portuga in My Sweet Orange Tree (2012), and Ricardo Amaral in Time and the Wind (2013).
Abreu also directed and starred in the 2006 theatrical monologue Fala, Zé!, blending his biography with fiction to critique his generation.
In 2020, he ended his long-term contract with Globo but continued working per project, including the role of Coronel Tertúlio in Mar do Sertão (2022) and an upcoming part in Guerreiros do Sol (2025).
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