0
is one of the highlights of the series “”, which debuted in October and quickly became one of Netflix’s phenomena. In an interview with LeoDias portalthe 28-year-old actress exalts her new character in the production that delves into the underworld of Jogo do Bicho, exploring family rivalries, power struggles and the complexity of human relationships.
In the plot directed by Heitor Dhalia, Giullia plays Suzana Guerra, sister of Mirna (Mel Maia). The two are daughters of Jorge Guerra (Roberto Pirillo), one of the most powerful bicheiros in Rio de Janeiro, and grew up knowing that they would inherit a large part of the city’s stalls.
See the photos
Giullia talks about the biggest challenge of playing a woman torn between family affection and the world of misdemeanor. “Leaving Giullia’s empowered side aside. I always beat myself in the chest to talk about my achievements, without depending on a male figure to grow and I didn’t understand, initially, the place that Suzana occupied in the game. But from the moment I understood Suzana’s intelligence, that she is also an empowered woman, but who lives in a reality where they force her to diminish herself to fit into an extremely sexist environment and that even so she uses her greatness and intelligence to survive, I began to understand the her game and live the challenge”, he highlights.
Suzana is restrained and strategic, while Mirna is explosive and impulsive. The actress explains how she worked with this difference on stage to make family tension evident. “Each one has a different game. Since the beginning of the project, we talked a lot about not having anyone 100% good, each one uses their weapons to get to the throne, but Suzana understood before Mirna that without a male figure she would never get close to the summit, and in this way, she would not be able to access what was rightfully hers. Mirna, on the other hand, chose to fight. We understood these differences and decided to build the emotional bond of sisters, so that later we could fight (laughs)”, she says.
The rivalry between the characters is one of the central points of the series. Giullia comments on what it was like to build this relationship of love and dispute with Mel Maia. “I think the fact that we have a good relationship off-screen made us feel free to bring the necessary intensity and hate each other a lot, without losing our friendship (laughs). We both have sisters and we talk a lot about the fact that we love someone very much, but have differences and enough intimacy to swear and want to fly at each other (laughs). At the end of the day, they continue to be sisters and have a bond that, fortunately or unfortunately, will accompany them forever”, he says.
For Giullia, working with Mel was pure fun. “Incredible! We have a lot of Rio experiences to exchange, we had a lot of fun in the fight scene. The physical contact of the fight was rehearsed, but the swearing, we could improvise and that made the scene even more real. As soon as the scene ended, we burst out laughing (laughs)”, he says.
Giullia Buscaccio and Xamã form a couple in “Os Donos do Jogo”
In the plot, Suzana has a romance with Búfalo, the character of Xamã, who takes over her family’s illicit business with the support of her lover. “Xamã and I had the opportunity to work together on Renascer (2024). Having a friend and partner like him in ‘Os Donos do Jogo’ made all the difference in the project. He is an extremely committed, dedicated, respectful actor, a masculine figure who validates his partner’s opinion, going against the grain of what happens with women in our history of the series”, he highlights.
Giullia also praises veteran Roberto Pirillo, who plays her father. “Being in a project that gives space and praises great actors who have made a mark on Brazilian television is an immense joy. I am very proud to be part of this. Roberto brought the atmosphere and the construction of his character, helped me understand Suzana’s creation and how this father raised this daughter for her to become this woman”, he states.
Two TV hits and film debut in 2026
With 16 years of career, Giullia is going through an intense phase. In addition to “Os Donos do Jogo”, she is in the fourth season of “Arcanjo Renegado”, which premiered last Thursday (6/11), on Globoplay; and in the film “Álibi”, with Leandro Hassum and Maurício Destri, scheduled to premiere in 2026 in cinemas.
In “Renegade Archangel”, she plays Tay, a woman surrounded by luxury and mysteries. “Since the test, I felt that Tay would be a great challenge. She is a woman completely different from me: intense, bold, fearless, lives in a heavy world, with choices that I would never make and involved in this universe of power. All of this made me pay close attention to Tay’s life choices, to give the necessary strength that this character needs to face that universe”, he says.
The character has hot scenes with Marcello Novaes, and Giullia explains what it was like to deal with the exposure. “There is nothing gratuitous about these scenes: everything is there to tell a story. We had the support of an intimacy coordinator, so everything is very technical and choreographed, almost like a ballet. Regarding chemistry, I believe that a good actor can create it with any scene partner. And working with Marcello was incredible. He is generous, talented and makes everything lighter and more professional”, he reveals.
Regarding the film with Hassum, she celebrates: “We recorded this project this year, which marks my debut in cinema. And I’m dying to see the result! It was incredible to work with Leandro and the entire cast. I play Alice and I can’t say many details yet, but in this project I present the public with something lighter and more fun.”
To conclude, Giullia reflects on her professional moment, with two projects on air almost at the same time. “I waited a long time for the moment when I would have the opportunity to show more of my work on such complex characters. Each one challenged me in a different way. Suzana, for the first time, showed me a different reaction from the public towards me. I think Tay will also generate very different reactions than the girls I’ve experienced in the audiovisual”, he concludes.
