Vera Regina

Origin

Rio de Janeiro, RJ

Years active

1957–1980s

Genres

chanchada, comedy, musical

Biography

Vera Regina was a Brazilian actress and singer who began her career as a dancer in the musicals of Silveira Sampaio and later joined Carlos Machado's company. It was in Machado's revues that she formed a successful partnership with Grande Otelo, which was later recreated on screen in various "chanchadas" (musical comedies). Ankito was another successful partner. She made her stage debut in 1957 with the musical play "Ir ou Não Ir a Porto Rico?" (To Go or Not to Go to Puerto Rico?).

Vera Regina's film debut was in 1958, in the renowned "chanchadas" genre, in which she appeared in about 11 titles, out of a total of nearly two dozen films in her filmography. She was a constant presence in films by Victor Lima, such as "Pé na Tábua," "Espírito de Porco," and "Massagista de Madame," and by J.B. Tanko, including "E o Bicho não Deu," "Garota Enxuta," and "O Dona da Bola." Vera Regina also worked under the direction of Carlos Manga in "Quanto Mais Samba Melhor" and "Pintando o Sete."

Her most significant role in cinema was in "Um Candango na Belacap" (1961), directed by Roberto Farias, where she stole the scene with her talent as a comedian, dancer, and singer, alongside Grande Otelo and Ankito. Vera Regina continued her career into the 1970s, acting in comedies of manners that preceded the "pornochanchadas" (erotic comedies), such as "Memórias de um Gigolô," "Tô na Tua, o Bicho," and the classic "Ladrões de Cinema." She retired from her career in the 1980s and passed away in Rio de Janeiro in December 1998.