Portuguese stars shining abroad

Daniela Melchior

At only 25 years old, Daniela Melchior is already representing Portugal in Hollywood productions. She started her career in soap operas, as it is the most common audiovisual product made in Portugal. Always having an important role in the Portuguese productions she participated in, in Hollywood things were no different. The actress participated as Cleo Cazo in The Suicide Squad, which premiered in 2021.

Diogo Morgado

Diogo Morgado is a 41 years-old who started his acting career at the end of the 90’s in soap operas and TV series. It was in 2000 that the actor started establishing his fame in the country but in 2008 he made his first appearance in a soap opera produced in Brazil, “Revelação” and in 2009 participated in a Spanish comedy film called “Mapa.” Diogo Morgado was the protagonist of one Portuguese soap opera that was awarded an Emmy in 2011, “Laços de Sangue.” In 2013, Diogo Morgado played Jesus Christ in a TV series called “The Bible.” His acting was complimented by critics and viewers. The role allowed him to be interviewed by Oprah Winfrey, it also got him the nickname “hot Jesus” due to his appearance.

The 64 year old actor is probably one of the most international Portuguese actors and his catalogue of work hardly includes any Portuguese productions. The actor moved from Austria to the United States with his wife, who started studying piano in the USA. In 1977, Joaquim de Almeida was accepted as a student in Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, a school where Robert De Niro and Al Pacino studied. The actor is acclaimed for his roles as a villain, such as in Desperado, a film released in 1995. His career in cinema started in 1982 while performing on The Soldier. Since then he has performed in Spanish, Italian, English, French, Brazilian, German, Argentinian and Portuguese productions. Being fluent in six languages, the actor is very versatile and participates films from almost every corner of the world.

Daniela Ruah is 38 years old and was born in Boston, USA. At five years old, the actress moved to Portugal with her family and studied in an English School in Cascais. Her television debut happened when Daniela was 16 years old, in a Portuguese soap opera called “Jardins Proibidos.” When she was 18 she travelled to London to study Arts and Performance at London Metropolitan University. Even though she returned to Portugal to begin a professional career, it was in the USA where the actress established her career in the TV series NCIS: Los Angeles. Due to being fluent in English, the actress was invited to be one of the hostesses of the Eurovision Song Contest 2018, which took place in Lisbon.

Lúcia Moniz was first known as a singer and it was singing that helped her to move beyond Portuguese borders. Lúcia Moniz was the representative of Portugal in Eurovision Song Contest 1996, and had the second best performance historically when she gained sixth position. The actress has also participated in musicals as well as giving her voice to animated characters in Portugal in films such as Prince of Egypt, The Lion King II, Anastasia, and more. Started her career in international cinema in 2003, with the lead role in the English film “Love Actually.” Lúcia Moniz has also participated in the TV series “Living in a Car”, released in 2009 and produced by David Steinberg, for a Canadian TV channel. Her most recent work has already premiered on Amazon Prime, “Operácion Marea Negra” is a Luso-Spanish production where Lúcia Moniz is part of the leading cast.

Deeply in love with music and with a guilty pleasure in criminal cases, Bruno G. Santos decided to study Journalism and Communication, hoping to combine both passions into writing. The journalist is also a passionate traveller who likes to write about other cultures and discover the various hidden gems from Portugal and the world. Press card: 8463. 

Bruno G. Santos