Vivian El Jaber (born 17 November 1964, Buenos Aires) is an Argentine actress, comedian and playwright. She is best known for her roles on the sketch show Cha Cha Cha, as Débora in Guapas and as Isabel in Farsantes.
Biography El Jaber was born in Buenos Aires in 1964. Her father was of Syrian descent and her mother was of Portuguese and Galician descent. She has at least two sisters—one younger and one older—and her father taught mathematical physics. She was raised in Palermo, a neighborhood of Buenos Aires.
She studied theatre with Roberto Saiz and Norman Briski and made her on-stage debut in 1986 at age 19 in the one-woman play De la pupila para adentro, which she had written. She frequented Parakultural in her early career. In 1991, she received a Bienal Arte Jóven award for her one-woman show F. E. A.. In addition to acting onstage — including in productions such as La llamada (2019), Julio César (2022) and Tootsie (2023) — El Jaber is an occasional playwright. When not writing alone, her most frequent writing collaborator is Mónica Gazpio. El Jaber was part of the main cast of Martín Bossi's Impostor plays for five seasons.
El Jaber was a cast member of the sketch show De la cabeza in the early 1990s and was the only woman to remain on the cast of Cha Cha Cha until the end of its run. She later worked on Patito Feo as Dorinha (2007-2008), Alguien que me quiera as Coca (2010-2011), Farsantes as Isabel (2013-2014) and Guapas as Débora. In 2014, El Jaber appeared in an ad campaign against gender violence with Soledad Silveyra, Guillermina Valdés, and Laura Natalia Esquivel. She also played María in the 2024 film The Penguin Lessons and called working with Jonathan Pryce and Steve Coogan a "dream come true."
Personal life El Jaber has one daughter, Calia (born ca. 2010). She has had three major relationships in her life, each lasting seven years, with only one leading to marriage when she was age 21. She is a longtime resident of Villa Devoto and has a home in Miramar, where she has a painting studio.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Refs 2001 Edificio sur Vecina 2002 Rosca de pascua Silvia 2003 El 48 Mirta Chiche bombón Hija chusma 2005 Limonada Vendedora 2007 Tocar al cielo Sandra El cine de Maite 2008Todos aquellos Justina 2010 Pastelitos Abuela 2011 Un cuento chino Rosa 2012 Matadera Julisa 2013 El loro y el cisne Celina 2017 Casa Coraggio Samira 2019 Delfín Silvana 2020 Muertos infectados Rita 2021 En la cabeza de papá Marta Cuarto B Limpiadora 2022 Alerta disparo Marcia Amor del mercado Claudia 2023 Casi muerta Dra. Rey El brillo de la mujer Mujer madura 2024 The Penguin Lessons María
Television Year Title Role Notes Refs 1990 Estafa de amor Matilde Pascual 1992 La bonita pagina Telma 1992-1993 De la cabeza Various 1992, 1995-1997 Cha Cha Cha Various 1996 Como pan caliente Amalia 1997 Mía sólo mía Nelida "Nelly" Contreras El arcangel Soledad Guevara 1998 Gasoleros Dina 1999 Trillizos ¡dijo la partera! Herminia 2000 Tiempo final Viviana "Vivi" Episodio: "El autografo" Estación de noche Teresa 2001 Cancheritos Barbara Cuatro amigas Cynthia 2002 Máximo corazón Graciela 2004 Los de la esquina Zulma Reyes Mosca & Smith Perla 2005 Los Roldán Mara Floricienta Ivonne Botines Mucama Episode: "Acorralados" 2006 Amas de casa desesperadas Griselda No hay 2 sin 3 Various Palermo Hollywood Hotel Various 2007-2008 Patito Feo Dorinha 2010-2011 Alguien que me quiera Brenda "Coca" Reinoso 2012 El Pueblo del Pomelo Rosado Etelvina Rosso 2013-2014Farsantes Isabel de Labrápulos 2014-2015 Guapas Débora Spritz 2015 Viudas e hijos del Rock & Roll Martita Cano 2016 Educando a Nina Selva Juárez 2018 La caída Mónica 2019 Argentina, tierra de amor y venganza Alfreda Sforza
Theatre Year Title Role Writer Director Theatre Notes Refs 1986 De la pupila para adentro Vivian El Jaber Roberto Saiz One-woman play 1988 El frac rojo Carlos Gorostiza La movida Festival de Teatro Joven Las papakiriaquidas Diego González El ojo Luis Agustoni 1990 Nosotras tres Diego Kehrig Caliban Theatre 1991-1993 F.E.A. Vivian El Jaber Liberarte One-woman play 1995-1996 La cantante calva Eugène Ionesco 1998 Fin de siglo Cabaret Jorge Leyes 2000 Ansata Vivian El Jaber, Mónica Gazpio 2001 Derechas Bernardo Cappa José María Muscari 2002-2003 Té negro Vivian El Jaber, Mónica Gazpio Cecilia Massa El Taller del Ángel 2003 Pagar el pato Roma Dino Armas Patricia Pisani, Graciela Balletti Also performed at the International Latino Cultural Center in Chicago 2006 El cuento del violin Aunt Gastón Cerana Abasto Social Club 2010-? "M" El impostor Martín Bossi Ana Sans and Manuel Wirzt Broadway Theatre 2011-? El impostor apasionado Manuel Wirzt, Evelyn Bendjeskov Teatro Auditorium 2014 La nueva autoridad Betty Mario Segade Teatro General San Martín 2019 La llamada Bernarda Javier Ambrossi, Javier Calvo Emiliano Dionisi Teatro del Globo 2022 Julio César Kasca Shakespeare José María Muscari Cine Teatro El Plata 2023 Tootsie Rita Robert Horn Mariano Demaría Teatro Lola Membrives
Awards In addition to the awards below, El Jaber was also nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Hugo Awards in 2019 for La llamada.
Year Award Awarding body Awarded for Refs 1991 Bienal Arte Jóven award City of Buenos Aires F.E.A. Female Revelation on TV Sin Cortes magazine Cha cha cha 1993 Lápiz de Oro Editorial Dossier 2005 Best performance El cuento del violin 2007 Martín Fierro Award Asociación de Periodistas de la Televisión y Radiofonía Argentina Patito Feo 2010 ACE Award Association of Latin Entertainment Critics M - el imposter 2011 Estrella de mar: Comedic actress Municipality of General Pueyrredón "M" El impostor 2012 El impostor apasionado 2013 Martín Fierro Award: Best Supporting Actress Asociación de Periodistas de la Televisión y Radiofonía Argentina Farsantes
External links
References