‘Best period of life’; After 19 years, soap opera yields memes even outside the country

A northeastern woman abandoned by her husband who moves to Rio, has her youngest daughter kidnapped and wins in life by becoming a successful businesswoman; a verbose, comical and debauched villain who is still a meme on the internet; a very funny misdemeanor who speaks Portuguese wrong and drops several gems. These are just some of the unforgettable characters in “Senhora do Destino”, a 2004 soap opera that returns to the air from this Monday (13) on Canal Viva, from Monday to Saturday, at 11 pm, with a marathon on Sundays, starting at 7pm. The plot, which is a landmark in teledramaturgy — and even today has repercussions, including memes outside the country —, occupies a prominent space in the life of Susana Vieira, who shone in the role of the protagonist Maria do Carmo.

— I divide my television life into before and after “Lady of Destiny”. I had already done great characters, but Maria do Carmo was the first big challenge I had. She was from the Northeast, I had to learn the accent, manners. And it was still a dramatic role — recalls Susana.

The actress lists the positive points of the role, and cites the pains and delights of playing the long-suffering character, who at the same time was in high spirits.

— I ate a lot, because the food at her house was wonderful! I played with the best cast on Brazilian TV. This period, perhaps, was the best in my life. I made a new audience with this role. I don’t know why, but I rose in the concept of the younger public – she highlights, who reveals her tactic for the dramatic scenes: – I was so happy acting with my children in the story that, suddenly, when I had to be sad, I had to concentrate a lot. I remembered my son and my grandchildren who live far away and other sad things, or I couldn’t. But I did really well in that role. I think, right? Nobody complained… (laughs).

Carolina Dieckmann was Maria do Carmo in the first phase of the story and later took on the role of Isabel/Lindalva, her daughter kidnapped by Nazaré (Renata Sorrah). Dieckmann says that when watching the rerun, she teleports back in time.

— At the time of “Senhora do Destino” I was starting my relationship with Tiago (Worcman, her husband). It was suffering! We recorded a long time outside of Rio, so I missed it. I used to send text messages and, in the old days, it was that phone where you had to press each key five times to write a text, you know? Caroline recalls.

And if several scenes from the soap opera are marked in the public’s imagination, which ones should be the actresses’ favorites? Susana Vieira chooses a few, such as those in which part of the cast recorded at the Rio carnival. At the time, she was drum queen of Grande Rio.

— José Wilker played the president of a samba school and wrote a plot for Maria do Carmo. Reality and fiction mixed — says Susana, quoting another favorite sequence: — In jail, when I was in one cell and Renata Sorrah in another. It was one of the best! She called me a tapir on the one hand, I spoke too. It was a duel between two great characters.

Dieckmann, on the other hand, chooses the discovery of who his biological mother was and the return to the Northeast, to record the end of the soap opera:

— At the end of this work, people were screaming at the hotel door, calling us by the names of the characters. It was really good.

international meme

Nazaré Tedesco won over even those who have never seen the telenovela. The excerpt that shows the pensive villain, when she ends up behind bars, became a meme, won several versions and went viral even in other countries with the name “Math Lady”.

reunion on TV

Renata Sorrah is in the cast of “Vai na fé” with Dieckmann. On Friday, they met on stage for the first time. In the seven plot, Lumiar (Carolina) is the daughter of Wilma’s ex (Renata). “When we shot the scene together, people kept saying: ‘Look at the return of Nazaré and Isabel…’. It’s inevitable. We feel affection for the telenovela to this day”, she says.

favorite wicked

Nazaré was a villain that the people loved. The public joked about her pushing people down the stairs and loved it when she extolled her self-esteem in front of the mirror.

unforgettable phrases

José Wilker made viewers laugh with Giovanni Improtta’s different way of speaking Portuguese. “This is phenomenal”, “I’m going to lollipop”, “Time roars, and Sapucaí is great” are some of the gems.

Two loves

Susana made a romantic pair with Wilker and José Mayer, who retired from TV. She remembers them. “I miss them both. Zé Wilker was my most consistent, most repetitive companion, he was my husband, boyfriend, lover in several jobs. The telenovela itself asked the public to choose who Maria do Carmo should end up with, and the public chose Wilker’s character”.