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Actor

1933-11-29 · São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil · Male

49 series in the catalog

Francisco Cuoco (29 November 1933 – 19 June 2025) was a Brazilian actor. He became known for his roles as a heartthrob in telenovelas from Rede Globo, such as Selva de Pedra (1972), Pecado Capital (1975) and O Astro (1977), among others.

Life and career

Cuoco was born in São Paulo, the son of the Italian fair trader Leopoldo Cuoco. He grew up in Brás neighborhood, with his sister Grácia and his mother Antonieta.

He worked during the day with his father at the fair and at night he studied, seeking a stable profession. He wanted to study Law, but when he got in touch with the School of Dramatic Art of Alfredo Mesquita, he decided to be a dramaturgy professional. He dropped out of law school and gave himself up to the artistic vocation.

After graduation, Cuoco worked in several pieces of the companies Teatro Brasileiro de Comédia, Teatro dos Sete and Companhia Nídia Lícia. His first protagonist in the theater was with Werneck, in Nelson Rodrigues' play O Beijo no Asfalto. The first grand prize at the theater for the play Boeing Boeing.

In 1962, Cuoco made his feature film debut, a supporting character in Pedro e Paulo. In 1968, he starred in Anuska, Manequim e Mulher (by Francisco Ramalho Jr.).

With intense theater production in the 1950s and 1960s, Francisco Cuoco joined television, where he performed teletheatres on defunct TV Tupi, and telenovelas on TV Excelsior. He was later hired by TV Globo, where he participated in more than 100 productions.

Personal life and death

Cuoco was married to actress Carminha Brandão, twelve years older than him, between 1960 and 1964. He later married Gina Rodrigues, with whom he had three children: Tatiana, Rodrigo and Diogo. The couple divorced in 1984.

In 2013, he got engaged to fashion designer Thaís Almeida, who was 27 at the time. In December 2017, he announced the end of the relationship and said that his ex-wife, Gina, had moved into his apartment, but only as friends. In March 2021, the actor launched his YouTube channel.

Francisco Cuoco died on June 19, 2025, at the age of 91, as a result of multiple organ failure. He had been hospitalized for 20 days at the Albert Einstein Hospital in São Paulo due to the health problems he had been facing in recent years. Towards the end of his life, Cuoco was dealing with walking problems and lived with his sister, Grácia Cuoco.

Controversies

In 1998, Cuoco had a series of disagreements with actress Carolina Ferraz, who at the time played his romantic partner in the remake of Pecado Capital and allegedly refused to kiss him or record many romantic scenes alongside him. In view of the conflicts between the two, writer Glória Perez had to create a new character, played by Vera Fischer, to be Cuoco's partner. In interviews, Cuoco even said that Ferraz was unmanageable. Years later, the actress revealed that the hurt between the two had been overcome.

In November 2006, while in Rio de Janeiro and driving to the Teatro Miguel Falabella, where he was performing in the play O Último Bolero, Francisco Cuoco was the victim of a kidnapping. The actor, his driver and the play's producer, Tatiana Amaral, were stopped by a vehicle with seven assailants. The bandits took the three of them and drove around in the actor's car for about 20 minutes, until they decided to leave them in the São Cristóvão neighborhood.

In 2022, model Anthony Junior went to court claiming to be Cuoco's son, the result of an affair with his mother, although the actor denied it. A DNA test resulted negative for Cuoco's paternity.

Television

2025 – Tributo.... Himself

2023 – No Corre.... Himself (special participation)

2020 – Salve-se Quem Puder.... Himself (special participation)

2019 – Juntos a Magia Acontece.... Padre Francisco

2019 – Tá no Ar: a TV na TV.... Himself

2018 – Segundo Sol.... Nestor Maranhão

2018 – Pega Pega.... Mr. Chico (special participation)

2016 – Sol Nascente.... Gaetano De Angeli

2015 – I Love Paraisópolis.... Evaristo Mateus Salsete, Sr. (special participation)

2014 – Doce de Mãe.... Fortunato de Souza (Toninho)

2014 – Boogie Oogie.... Vicente Santos

2014 – A Grande Família.... Oduvaldo Carrara (1 episode)

2014 – Amor à Vida....Rubão Carvalho (special participation)

2012 – A Vida da Gente.... Mariano Vilaça (special participation)

2011 – O Astro.... Ferragus

2010 – Passione.... Olavo da Silva

2010 – A Princesa e o Vagabundo.... Germain

2008 – Casos e Acasos.... Dr. Anísio / Dr. Edgar

2008 – Negócio da China.... Evandro Fontanera

2008 – Dicas de Um Sedutor....Geraldo

2008 – Dança dos Famosos (reality show - Domingão do Faustão)

2008 – Duas Caras.... Ele mesmo (special participation)

2007 – Casos e Acasos.... Feldman / Edgar

2007 – Toma Lá, Dá Cá.... Dr. Pauleta (episóde "Galinha que come pedra")

2007 – Amazônia, de Galvez a Chico Mendes.... Augusto (terceira fase)

2006 – Cobras e Lagartos.... Omar Pasquim (Vicentino Pereira)

2005 – América.... Zé Higino (José da Silva Higino)

2004 – Da Cor do Pecado.... Pai Gaudêncio

2003 – Como Educar Seus Pais (especial)

2003 – Agora É que São Elas.... pai de Juca Tigre (participação)

2002 – A Grande Família.... Oduvaldo Carrara (pai de Agostinho)

2001 – O Clone.... padre Matiolli

2001 – As Filhas da Mãe.... Fausto Cavalcante

2001 – Sai de Baixo.... Lindovando Batista (participação)

2000 – Você Decide.... Padre

2000 – Brava Gente.... Almeida Guimarães

1998 – Dona Flor e Seus Dois Maridos.... Garcia

1998 – Pecado Capital.... Salviano Lisboa

1998 – Sai de Baixo.... Ney / Neila

1997 – A Justiceira (seriado).... pai de Diana

1997 – Malhação.... Orestes

1997 – Você Decide.... Jair Pinheiro

1996 – Quem É Você?.... Nelson Maldonado

1996 – Visita de Natal.... Homeless father

1995 – A Próxima Vítima - Hélio Ribeiro

1995 – Memórias de Um Sargento de Milícias.... Vidigal

1994 – Tropicaliente.... Gaspar Velasquez

1993 - Menino de Engenho.... Coronel José Paulino (telefilm)

1992 – Deus Nos Acuda.... Otto Bismark

1990 – Lua Cheia de Amor.... Diego Miranda / Esteban Garcia

1989 – O Salvador da Pátria.... Severo Toledo Blanco

1987 – O Outro.... Paulo Della Santa / Denizard de Matos

1983 – Caso Especial.... Rodolfo Cavalcanti Méier

1983 – Eu Prometo.... Lucas Cantomaia

1982 – Sétimo Sentido.... Tião Bento

1981 – Obrigado Doutor (seriado).... Rodrigo Junqueira

1979 – Os Gigantes.... Chico (Francisco Rubião)

1979 – Feijão Maravilha.... delegado (special participation)

1977 – O Astro.... Herculano Quintanilha

1976 – Duas Vidas.... Victor Amadeu

1976 – Saramandaia.... Tiradentes (special participation)

1975 – Pecado Capital.... Carlão (José Carlos Moreno)

1975 – Cuca Legal.... Mário Barroso

1973 – O Semideus.... Alex Garcia

1972 – Selva de Pedra.... Cristiano Vilhena

1971 – O Cafona.... Gilberto Athayde

1970 – Assim na Terra como no Céu.... Vítor Mariano

1969 – Sangue do Meu Sangue.... Carlos e Lúcio

1968 – Legião dos Esquecidos.... Felipe

1966 – Redenção.... dr. Fernando Silveira

1966 – Almas de Pedra.... Felipe

1965 – Renúncia.... Miguel

1965 – O Pecado de Cada Um.... Daniel

1965 – Os Quatro Filhos.... Luís

1964 – Banzo.... Mário

1964 – Marcados pelo Amor.... Victor

1963 – A Morta Sem Espelho.... Dr. Odorico

1963 – Pouco Amor Não É Amor

1957-59 – Grande Teatro Tupi.... Various characters

Cinema

1960 – Grande Sertão

1961 – Pedro e Paulo

1968 – Anuska, Manequim e Mulher

1998 – Traição

1999 – Gêmeas

2000 – Um Anjo Trapalhão

2001 – Os Xeretas

2005 – Cafundó

2006 – Didi - O Caçador de Tesouros

2015 – Real Beleza

Internet

2020 – A Vida dos Santos.... Narrator

Theater

1955 – O Anúncio Feito à Maria

1956 – As Três Irmãs

1957 – A Bilha Quebrada

1957 – Os Apaixonados Pueris

1957 – A Madona de Éfeso

1958 – A Pedreira das Almas

1959 – A Senhoria

1959 – Quando se Morre de Amor

1959 – Romanoff e Julieta

1960 – Cristo Proclamado

1960 – Com a Pulga atrás da Orelha

1960 – Mambembe

1961 – O Beijo no Asfalto

1961 – O Médico Volante

1961 – O Velho Ciumento

1962 – O…