Considered one of the main names in Brazilian television drama, the São Paulo native Manuel Carlos92, has a CV with unforgettable productions in the imagination of national soap operas.
Maneco had a habit of baptizing. In “Tributo a Manoel Carlos” which aired on TV Globo in 2024, he explains that the taste for the name Helena dates back to Greek mythology, in addition to the belief that “Helena” is a name more suitable for a character than for a real person.
The author was also responsible for exploring and bringing to the public prominent social issues at the time his productions were aired. The themes include love, life, prejudice, abuse and alcoholism.
See below five successful novels by the author
“Baila Comigo” – 1981
In 1981, he presented his first protagonist Helena (Lilian Lemmertz), in the work “Baila Comigo”. In the plot, the identical twins Quinzinho and João Victor (both played by Tony Ramos) were raised by different families, had different temperaments and never knew of each other’s existence. The idea of their meeting moves the novel until the final stretch – when the outcome actually happens.
“For Love” – 1998
In “For Love”, the author proposed a question to the public: what would you be able to do for love? In the story, Helena (Regina Duarte) was able to renounce her own motherhood out of love for her daughter Maria Eduarda (Gabriela Duarte). In the scene, the two get pregnant at the same time and go to the maternity ward together. Eduarda, however, loses the baby and can no longer have children. Helena, on impulse, changes the children so that her daughter doesn’t suffer and, at the end of the production, the lie is discovered.
“Family Ties” – 2000
With Vera Fischer starring as Helena, mother of Camila (Carolina Dieckmann), Manoel Carlos presented to the public the story of a mother who gives up her love for the young doctor Edu (Reynaldo Gianecchini) in favor of her daughter – who also falls in love with him.
As it unfolds, he requires a bone marrow transplant. Once again, Helena gives up her second love, Miguel (Tony Ramos) to become pregnant with Pedro (José Mayer), Camila’s real father, so that they could save the young woman’s life. The moving scenes of Camila being treated for cancer led to an increase in bone marrow donations, according to “Tribute to Manoel Carlos” shown on TV Globo.
“Women in Love” – 2003
At the center of the production is Helena (Cristiane Torloni), a woman who decides to give in to a new passion after 15 years of marriage. Director of a high school, the protagonist is tired of life without any emotion alongside musician Téo (Tony Ramos). Together, they adopted Lucas (Victor Curgula), but Helena, however, does not know that the boy is the biological son of her husband and former call girl Fernanda (Vanessa Gerbelli).
This plot also had a striking social side: (Regiane Alves’ character) abused her grandparents, Leopoldo (Oswaldo Louzada) and Flora (Carmem Silva). The scenes from the soap opera accelerated the approval of the Elderly Statute, in October 2003.
“Pages of Life” – 2006
The plot develops from the moment Nanda (Fernanda Vasconcellos) becomes pregnant with her boyfriend Léo (Thiago Rodrigues). Pregnant, she suffers an accident and obstetrician Helena (Regina Duarte) saves the babies’ lives, despite the young woman not being able to survive.
Marta (Lilia Cabral), who plays the children’s grandmother, chooses to stay with just the boy, rejecting Clara (Joana Mocarzel), diagnosed with Down syndrome. Helena then enters the fight to adopt her.
