Francisco Cuoco

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, 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 (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.

They took everything out of my pocket and asked for my bank codes. I thought I was going to die. — Cuoco, in an interview with RedeTV! A DNA test resulted negative for Cuoco's paternity.

Filmography

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 Homem, a Besta e a Virtude 1962 – Panorama Visto da Ponte 1964 – Boeing Boeing 1965 – Boeing-Airbus 1967 – A Infidelidade ao Alcance de Todos 1969 – O Assalto 1985 – Hedda Gabler 2005 – Os Três Homens Baixos 2006 – O Último Bolero 2007 – Paixão de Cristo de Nova Jerusalém 2008 – Circuncisão em Nova York 2009 – Deus É Química 2012 – Judy Garlandy e o Fim do Arco Íris 2013 – Uma Vida no Teatro 2015 – Electra 2017 – Paixão e Morte de Um Homem

Awards and nominations APCA Awards Year Category Nominee / work Result 1964 Best Featured Supporting Actor in a Play Boeing Boeing

Art Quality Brazil Awards Year Category Nominee / work Result 2005 Best Supporting Actor – Television América

Best of the Year – Globe Awards Year Category Nominee / work Result 2018 Mário Lago Trophy

Brasília Film Festival Year Category Nominee / work Result 1998 Candango for Best Supporting Actor Traição

Contigo! Awards Year Category Nominee / work Result 2011 Special Award

Guarani Film Awards Year Category Nominee / work Result 2015 Best Supporting Actor Real Beleza

Press Trophy Year Category Nominee / work Result 1967 Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Telenovela Redenção 1968 Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Telenovela 1969 Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Telenovela 1970 Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Telenovela Sangue do Meu Sangue 1971 Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Telenovela Assim na Terra como no Céu 1972 Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Telenovela O Cafona 1973 Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Telenovela Selva de Pedra 1974 Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Telenovela O Semideus 1988 Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Telenovela O Outro