The actor Francisco Cuoco He died on Thursday (19) at the age of 91. Icon of Brazilian soap operas and known for his roles as a heartthrob, he was hospitalized at Albert Einstein Hospital in São Paulo. The information was confirmed by the actress Rosamaria Murtinho.
With over 60 years of career, he had his first steps treaded in another profession. Born on November 29, 1933, son of Italian salesman Leopoldo Cuoco and housewife Antonieta, the actor had a childhood marked by simplicity in the traditional neighborhood of São Paulo, Brás. His passion was the circus that was armed in front of his house, there began to be interested in art.
Of humble origin, Francisco was a marketer and wanted to study law at the university. But it was when he met the dramatic art school of Alfredo Mesquita that the heartthrob discovered his vocation in the universe of dramaturgy. He began at the Brazilian Comedy Theater in 1975 and then joined the Seven Theater Company. Place that yielded great work partners, such as Fernanda Montenegro and Carminha Brandão, his ex-wife.
Heartthrob in soap operas and real life
Francisco Cuoco’s charm did not go unnoticed in the artistic world. Right in his television debut in TV Record’s “1964) (1964), the actor gained even more notoriety when it comes to professional beauty and excellence.
It also went through other broadcasters such as Tupi Rede and TV Excelsior.
As a protagonist of so on earth as in heaven, by director Dias Gomes. But it was with director Janete Clair that Cuoco interpreted emblematic characters and gave him the title of ‘good guy’, such as Cristiano in the jungle of stone (1972), Alex in Semiideus (1973) and taxi driver Carlão, in Capital Sin (1975) and many others.
Cuoco also brought life to Herculaneum Quintanilha, in The star (1977), another soap opera in which his potential for interpretation and sensitivity stood out. His stone was the amethyst; your color the yellow. The plot worked so well that in 2011, the plot gained a new version, which this time, had a Herculaneum lived by Rodrigo Lombardi. But Francisco was present, in a role created especially for him, the character and mentor of the current Herculaneum, Ferrags.
His last work at the station was in Second Sol, in 2018, where he played Nestor Maranhão. After 20 years of exclusive TV dedication, the actor returned to the theater and acted in pieces such as “Three Low Men” and “God is Chemistry.”
Versatile, Francisco was also successful in theaters and also in the universe of music. By taking his charisma to the big screen he acted in several works such as the Greater Sertão (1960), Cafundó (2005), Real Beleza (2016) and The Sharing (2001), by Daniel Filho.
Francisco was honored to receive the Mário Lago trophy in 2018, one of the most important honorary awards of Brazilian television. The actor received the statuette from the hands of actress Gloria Menezes, during Domingão do Faustão, presented by Fausto Silva.
In the music scene, he has recorded romantic album in 1975 and the CD Paz Interior, with various Catholic songs, as well as biblical prayers and excerpts also made available on digital platforms.
Cuoco was married to actress Carminha Brandão and also Gina Rodrigues. His last relationship, which ended in 2018, was with designer Thais Almeida, who was 53 years younger than the actor. Francisco leaves three children, Tatiana Rodrigues, Diogo Rodrigues, Rodrigo Rodrigues.
See personalities who died in 2025:
1 of 31
January: filmmaker David Lynch, creator of “Twin Peaks”, dies at 78 • Reuters/Jean-Paul Pelissier
January: Leo Batista, journalist and sports narrator, died at the age of 92 • Reproduction
January: Carnival Márcia Lage died at age 64 in Rio de Janeiro • Instagram/Mitocade Independent by Padre Miguel
February: Cacá Diegues, one of the largest filmmakers in Brazil, died on February 14 at 84 • Disclosure/GLA
February: Singer Lilian Knapp, a success in the young Guarda, died after a pelvis cancer at 76 • Instagram/Lilian Knapp
February: Singer Roberta Flack died at the age of 88 after several health challenges • He is paired/getty images for bet
February: Michelle Trachtenberg, “Gossip Girl” actress, was found dead in her apartment at 39 • Reproduction
February: Gene Hackman, at the age of 95, and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in his home • Getty Images
March: Marco Vilaça, writer and ABL member, died at the age of 85, due to multiple organ failure. • Reproduction/ GLA
March: Heloisa Teixeira, writer and member of the GLA, died at the age of 85, due to acute respiratory failure caused by pneumonia • Toca Seabra/Abl Disclosure
March: actor and host Daniel Sabbá died at age 70 and the cause of his death was not revealed • Instagram/Daniel Sabbá
March: Émilie Dequenne, award -winning actress in Cannes, died at the age of 43 of a rare cancer • Lionel Hahn/Getty Images
March: Cocoa Tea, reggae icon, died at age 65 after fighting health problems including a lymphoma diagnosis in 2019 and complications due to pneumonia • Instagram / Reggae Ville
March: Roy Ayers, known for the hit “Everybody Love The Sunshine”, died at 84 • David Redfern/Redferns/Getty Images
March: Dave Mellow, actor of “Power Rangers”, died at 76 • Credit: IMDB Dave Mellow and Disclosure
March: Klaus Hee, former Boyband Domino member, died at age 50 after a battle against cancer • Reproduction
March: Writer Affonso Romano de Sant’Anna died at the age of 87 and was married to writer Marina Colasanti, who died in January this year • Instagram/Affonso Romano de Santo ' Anna
March: Angie Stone, artist of R & Amp; B, died at age 63, after being involved in a car accident • Instagram/Angie Stone
March: David Johansen, a New York Dolls singer, died at the age of 75 at his home • Photo by Roberta Bayley/Redferns
April: Papa Francisco, died at the age of 88 after a stroke and heart failure • Foto de Sven Creutzmann/Mambo Photo/Getty Images
April: Val Kilmer, “top gun” and “Batman forever” star starred at age 65 as a result of pneumonia • Getty Images
April: Lucy Markovic, a model that ascended to fame in the “Australia’s Next Top Model”, died at 27 after a rare brain condition • Playback/Instagram
April: Jay North, a star of “Dennis the Pimentinha”, died at age 73 after a few years was treatment for cancer • Disclosure
April: Ted Kotcheff, director of “Rambo” died at the age of 94 surrounded by his family in a hospital in Mexico • Reproduction
April: Cristina Buarque, sister of Chico Buarque, died at age 74 after fighting cancer in recent years • Silvio Tanaka
April: Karen Silva, who participated in The Voice Kids in 2020, died at the age of 17 victim of a stroke • Instagram/Karen Silva
April: Sophie Nyweide, who became known for her role in “Noah,” died at the age of 24 after calling himself to deal with his trauma • Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
MAY – Nana Caymmi died at the age of 84. She was successful in the 1960s, is considered one of the great voices in the country • Instagram/nana caymmi
MAY – Mirim actress Millena Brandão died after cardiac arrests. She was part of the farm group of the soap opera “The Childhood of Romeo and Juliet”, aired by SBT, and has played in a Netflix production, “Tuning” • Instagram/Millena Brandão
May – Dorinha Duval, first interpreter of the character Cuca of “The Yellow Picapau Site”, died at 96 • Instagram/ The Magic World of Lobato
MAY – On May 23rd, Brazilian photographer Sebastião Salgado died. He was 81 years old • Gabriela Biló/Estadão Content