Sebastião Vasconcelos Costa (May 21, 1927 – July 15, 2013) was a Brazilian actor and lawyer. He had a career spanning more than forty years in Brazilian television.

Biography

Early years and education He was born in the city of Pocinhos, in the interior of the state of Paraíba, in 1927. He moved to Recife, the capital of Pernambuco, and enrolled in the law program at the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE). During college years, he participated in the founding of the University Theater and acted in six plays and at the , where he performed in ten plays directed by big names in Brazilian theater such as , , and . At that time, he even used the pseudonym Paulo Alcântara, as his parents did not approve of his idea of becoming an actor.

After graduating, he moved to Rio de Janeiro, where he joined the , moving into television in the late 1950s.

Career In 1959, he participated in the filming of movie Um Caso de Polícia, which was never commercially released. That same year, he made his television debut, participating in the of Ribeiro Couto's novel , in which he played the lead role, with Glauce Rocha as his romantic partner, broadcast by TV Rio.

In 1966, he made his debut on Rede Globo, beginning his career with the soap opera , by . Due to disagreements with director Daniel Filho, he left television in the early 1970s, returning permanently to the Rio de Janeiro station in 1975.

For four decades, he played a variety of characters in TV Globo, mostly gruff men with strong personalities, such as Colonel Tenório Tavares in Saramandaia, the religious Sessé Vilhena in Selva de Pedra, the petty Zé Esteves in Tieta, the long-suffering João do Piano in Felicidade, the humble fisherman Floriano, father of twins Ruth and Raquel, in Mulheres de Areia and the troublesome Arab Tio Abdul in O Clone. He also worked on soap operas such as Vale Tudo and História de Amor. His last work on TV Globo was the second version of Cabocla, a soap opera that marked Vasconcelos' debut on television.

In 2006, he participated in the play Leitor por Horas, by José Sanchis Sinisterra, directed by , where he acted alongside and Ana Beatriz Nogueira at on Paulista Avenue. In 2007, he moved to TV Record, where he works on the soap opera Caminhos do Coração.

Death With no more job offers coming in, Vasconcelos began to suffer from depression, which further weakened his health. Refusing to take medication and eat, in April 2013, after collapsing, he was admitted to Copa d'Or Hospital in the Copacabana neighborhood, and then transferred to Albert Sabin Israeli Hospital in Tijuca, where he remained until early June, when he was released to continue his treatment at home. However, on the 30th, he was readmitted to the hospital.

Vasconcelos died on July 15, 2013, from septic shock and cardiac arrest, and his body was cremated two days later at the Caju Cemetery in Rio de Janeiro in a ceremony restricted to family and friends.

Legacy A street in his hometown, Pocinhos, was named after him following a bill presented by councilman Henrique Herminío de Albuquerque (Avante) and signed into law by mayor Eliane Galdino (Avante).

On December 10, 2024, a theater was inaugurated in Pocinhos, Paraíba, named after the actor, the Sebastião Vasconcelos Municipal Theater, also during Giardini's term of office. The inauguration of the theater was attended by several authorities and two relatives of the late actor.

Personal life He had been married to Vilma Guisser Costa since 1959, and they had two children together.

Filmography

Television YearTitleRoleNotesNetwork1959Luís Jerônimo Vieira PiresTV Rio 1966Jean AmtullahRede Globo19671971Severino de Jesus Barbosa1971–72Himself1972Quinca Castro da SilvaRede Tupi1974Severino Pedro da SilvaEpisode: "Boas Festas e Feliz Natal"Rede Globo1975Cuca LegalNestor Dias AragãoFrancisco Machado Lins1976SaramandaiaTenório Tavares1977Sem Lenço, sem DocumentoNilo Trindade Sodré1981Lorival Carpina (Priest Carpina)Teodoro da Baraúnas1982Sétimo SentidoElísio Mendes1983José Vilela (Padre José)Episode: "A Padroeira"ChampagneGastão Félix CintraRaulEpisode: "O Reencontro"1984Carlos Bezerril (Major Bezerril)1985Solano Candelário (Sô Candelário)1986Selva de PedraSebastião Vilhena (Sessé)1988Bebê a BordoTarcísio Medeiros Rocha (Tico)Américo Brandão (Coronel Americão Brandão)Rede BandeirantesVale TudoSalvador AccioliEpisode: "16 de maio"Rede Globo1989TietaJosé Esteves (Zé Esteves)1989–90Himself1990JerônimoEpisode: "Nossa Senhora dos Oprimidos"Fabiano de Assis Motta1991Mayor João CunhaEpisode: "Os Homens Querem Paz"FelicidadeJoão Pereira Alves (João do Piano)Os TrapalhõesCoronelEpisode: "O Duelo"1993Mulheres de AreiaFloriano Araújo1994João Rufino (João Rufo)InocêncioEpisode: "O Compadre de Ogum"1995Zacarias Araújo Menezes (Beato Zacarias)História de AmorUrbano Paiva1996Anjo de MimRutílio Freitas Bastos1997KarnakEpisode: "Especial de Férias"Por AmorPriest at Marcelo and Maria Eduarda's wedding1998Corpo DouradoSérvulo de Oliveira Brandão1999Chiquinha GonzagaCônego TrindadeAndando nas NuvensHélio Arantes2000PadreBelmiro Cunha dos Santos2001Porto dos MilagresBispo FerrazO CloneAbdul Rachid (Tio Abdul)2003A Casa das Sete MulheresUncle Antônio2004CaboclaFelício Pinto2007Caminhos do CoraçãoMauro FontesRede Record

Cinema YearTitleRole1959Um Caso de PolíciaGodofredo1962RafaelThe Fifth PowerMilton1969A Um Pulo da MorteMr. VasasOs RaptoresCommissioner Frank Severo1977Mestre Carpina1982Inspector1983Martinho Pereira

Theater +YarPlayRoleAuthorDirectorTheaterRef.1949Nossa CidadeThornton WilderSanta Isabel Theater, Recife, PernambucoAlém do HorizonteEugene O'NeillSanta Isabel Theater, Recife, PernambucoFim de JornadaRobert SheriffDérbi Theater, Recife, Pernambuco1953Está Lá Fora um InspetorJ. B. PriestleySanta Isabel Theater, Recife, Pernambuco1955Vestido de NoivaNelson RodriguesSanta Isabel Theater, Recife, Pernambuco1956OthelloMichael CassioWilliam ShakespeareAdolfo CeliDulcina Theater, Rio de Janeiro, Federal DistrictA Viúva AstuciosaDon Álvaro de CastelaCarlo GoldoniAdolfo CeliRio de Janeiro, Federal District1957A Bela Madame VargasJoão do RioRio de Janeiro, Federal District1960Não Consultes MédicoMachado de AssisRio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro1961Lisbela e o PrisioneiroOsman LinsAloísio MagalhãesMesbla Theater, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro1962O Pagador de PromessasDias GomesRio de Janeiro, Rio de JaneiroBonitinha, mas OrdináriaNelson RodriguesMaison de France Theater, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro1968Os InconfidentesCecília MeirelesTheatro Municipal, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro1977Os EmigradosSławomir MrożekIpojuca Pontes1981—1983A Volta por CimaDomingos de Oliveira, Lenita PlonczynskiDomingos de OliveiraMaison de France Theater, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro1986FedraTheseusJean RacineAugusto BoalOpinião Theater, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro1997A InvasãoDias GomesRio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro2006Leitor por HorasJosé Sanchis Sinisterra, São Paulo

Prizes +YearPrizeCategoryWorkResultRef.1977Best ActorOs Emigrados1983Festival de BrasíliaBest Supporting Actor

References