Francisco Cuoco (born 29 November 1933) is a Brazilian actor. He became known for his roles as a heartthrob in telenovelas from Rede Globo, such as Selva de Pedra (1972), Pecado Capital (1975) and O Astro (1978), among others.[1]
Biography
Cuoco was born in São Paulo, the son of the Italian fair trader Leopoldo Cuoco. He grew up in Brás neighborhood, with his sister Grácia and his mother Antonieta.[2]
He worked during the day with his father at the fair and at night he studied, seeking a stable profession. He wanted to study Law, but when he got in touch with the School of Dramatic Art of Alfredo Mesquita, he decided to be a dramaturgy professional. He dropped out of law school and gave himself up to the artistic vocation.
After graduation, Cuoco worked in several pieces of the companies Teatro Brasileiro de Comédia, Teatro dos Sete and Companhia Nídia Lícia. His first protagonist in the theater was with Werneck, in Nelson Rodrigues' play A Kiss on the Asphalt.
The first grand prize at the theater for the play Boeing Boeing.
In 1962, Cuoco made his feature film debut, a supporting character in Pedro and Paulo. In 1968, he starred in Anuska, Mannequin and Woman (by Francisco Ramalho Jr.) pt:Anuska, Manequim e Mulher
With intense theater production in the 1950s and 1960s, Francisco Cuoco joined television, where he performed teleteatres on extinct TV Tupi, and soap operas on TV Excelsior. He was later hired by Globo Television Network, where he participated in more than 100 productions.
