Zezé Motta

Maria José Motta (born 27 June 1944), known as Zezé Motta, is a Brazilian actress and singer. She is considered one of the most important actresses in Brazil. Motta has received awards, including the Best Actress Award at the Brasília Film Festival, the Air France Award, the Golden Owl Award, and the Governor of the State Award, in addition to nominations for the Grande Otelo and Guarani awards. In 2007, she received the Oscarito Trophy at the Gramado Film Festival, and in 2019 she was awarded an Honorary Grande Otelo for lifetime achievement. Motta was born in Usina Barcelos, and later moved to Campos dos Goytacazes, a Brazilian municipality in the state of Rio de Janeiro, in the Southeast region of the country. She moved with his parents and his brother Romilton to Rio de Janeiro at the age of two. His mother worked as a stylist and seamstress, while his father was a musician. The family lived in Morro do Cantagalo for a few years, and soon after moved to the Leblon neighborhood. Due to financial difficulties, Motta spent part of her childhood in a boarding school, the Asylo Espírita João Evangelista, where he learned domestic and manual work. Later, she returned to live with her family in Leblon after their economic situation improved. During her youth, she worked at the Moura Brasil laboratory while studying for an accounting course. She began her television career in 1968 with a role as Zezé in the telenovela Beto Rockfeller, broadcast by Rede Tupi. Four years later, she joined Rede Globo, portraying Zezinha in A Patota. In 1974, she appeared as Doralice in Supermanoela, followed in 1976 by the role of Jandira in Duas Vidas. She concluded the decade by appearing in the series Ciranda Cirandinha, participating in the episodes “The Hanging Gardens of Babylon” and “The Moment of Decision.” During the 1980s, she acted in the telenovelas Transas e Caretas and Corpo a Corpo, portraying Dorinha and Sônia, respectively. She later appeared in the series Armação Ilimitada, in the episodes “Jararaca, o Cabra” and “Uma Armação nas Estrelas,” and joined the cast of Helena as Malvina. She concluded the decade in 1989, playing Maria in Pacto de Sangue and Lulu Kelly in Kananga do Japão. In the early 1990s, she starred as an Ialorixá in the miniseries Mãe de Santo and appeared as Zenaide in the episode “Em Nome do Pai” of the interactive program Você Decide. In 1994, she portrayed Rubina in Memorial de Maria Moura, followed by the role of Fátima in the telenovela A Próxima Vítima the following year. In 1996, she appeared in Xica da Silva as Maria da Silva, the protagonist’s mother. She concluded the decade portraying Conceição in Chiquinha Gonzaga and returned to Você Decide in the episode “E o Circo Chegou.” In the 2000s, she played Irene in the telenovela Esplendor and appeared in the Portuguese production Garrett, based on the biography of Almeida Garrett. Between 2001 and 2002, she portrayed Mãe Ricardina in Porto dos Milagres and appeared as Mãe Ricardina and Nadir in O Beijo do Vampiro. In 2004, she played the anesthetist Prazeres da Anunciação in Metamorphoses, followed by roles as Titina in Floribella and the enslaved woman Virgínia in the remake of Sinhá Moça. She closed the decade portraying Naná in the miniseries Cinquentinha. In the early 2010s, she played Dalva (Dadá) in the telenovela Rebelde on TV Record. Two years later, she appeared as Adele in Copa Hotel on GNT, and as Tia Celeste in the miniseries O Canto da Sereia on Globo. In 2014, she played Elaine in the episode “Mãe de Fases” of A Grande Família and appeared as Sebastiana in Boogie Oogie. In 2017, she joined the cast of Escrava Mãe as Tia Joaquina on Record, and appeared in the Portuguese telenovela Ouro Verde as Neném on TVI. Motta trained as an actress from Teatro Tablado and began her professional career in 1967 in Roda Viva, by Chico Buarque de Hollanda. She became active in Brazilian popular and experimental theatre in the late 1960s and 1970s, performing in productions by Augusto Boal such as Arena Canta Zumbi, Godspell, and others like Orfeu. She also pursued a parallel career as a singer, working as a crooner in the main nightclubs of São Paulo in the 1970s. In 1978, she released her first solo LP titled (Zezé Motta), released by Warner Music. From then on, she released numerous records, performing songs by important composers such as Luiz Melodia, Caetano Veloso, Milton Nascimento, Moraes Moreira, and many others. In addition, her voice immortalized classics such as Senhora Liberdade, a song by Nei Lopes, Wilson Moreira and Zé Renato, Trocando em Miúdos by Chico Buarque and Francis Hime, and Pecado Original by Caetano. She released more than 10 LPs and CDs, performed representing Brazil at the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hannover (Germany), Carnegie Hall in New York (USA), Olympia in Paris, and in countries such as Venezuela, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Angola, and Portugal. Since then, her singing career has never stopped. Over the last few years, she has toured Brazil performing with the shows “Atendendo a Pedidos”, where she performs hits recorded over her 50-year career, and “Coração Vagabundo – Zezé canta Caetano”, in which she sings a repertoire entirely composed by Caetano Veloso. She made her feature film debut in the early 1970s as a customer at the Viajantes Bar in Cléo e Daniel. In 1973, she appeared in Vai Trabalhar, Vagabundo!, followed in 1974 by roles in Um Varão Entre as Mulheres and Banana Mecânica, in which she portrayed Marilda. In 1977, Motta played Dandara in Cordão de Ouro, a maid in Ouro Sangrento, and Estrela in A Força do Xangô. That same decade, she starred as the title character in Xica da Silva (1976), directed by Cacá Diegues, a performance that earned her the Best Actress Award at the Brasília Film Festival, as well as the Coruja de Ouro, Air France Award, and the Governor of the State Award. She concluded the 1970s playing Zezé in Tudo Bem and appearing in Se Segura, Malandro!. During the early 1980s, she portrayed Maria das Graças in Águia na Cabeça and appeared in Para Viver um Grande Amor and Quilombo, the latter as Dandara. In 1987, she appeared in Sonhos de Menina-Moça as Vicky, Anjos da Noite as Malú, and Jubiabá as Rosenda. The following year, she played Rita in Prisioneiro do Rio and Maria Elisa in Natal da Portela. She closed the decade by voicing Ursula in the Brazilian Portuguese version of Disney’s The Little Mermaid and portraying Dalila in Dias Melhores Virão. In the 1990s, Motta appeared in O Gato de Botas Extraterrestre and played Crioula in A Serpente. In 1996, she portrayed Carmosina in Tieta do Agreste and, the following year, played Eduarda in O Testamento do Senhor Napumoceno. She concluded the decade portraying the mother of the title character in Orfeu. In the early 2000s, she played Ada in Chronically Unviable and appeared in the documentary The Denial of Brazil. In 2002, she portrayed Fairy Kálix in Xuxa and the Elves 2 – On the Path of the Fairies and appeared as the woman on the plane in Viva Sapato!. Over the following two years, she starred in the short film Carolina and played Aurora Hipólito in Xuxa and the Treasure of the Lost City. In 2005, she appeared in How Much Is It Worth or Is It by the Kilo?, followed in 2006 by the Lusophone production The Island of Slaves. She concluded the decade with roles in Happy Desert and as Jerusa in Xuxa in The Mystery of Feiurinha. Motta is one of the founders of the Unified Black Movement (MNU) and has consistently denounced racism in Brazilian society and media. She has worked to promote the visibility of Black actors and artists and has been recognized for her contributions to racial equality in culture. She has participated in educational and cultural initiatives, including Telecurso 2000, and frequently engages in public discussions about the representation of Black Brazilians on television and in film. Zezé Motta founded CIDAN (Brazilian Center for