Fernanda Torres Career Summary
Aug 9, 2025
Occupational Inheritance: Yes
Mother actress, Oscar nominee Fernanda Montenegro
Nationality: Brazil
Birth: Sep 15, 1965
Family:
Social Class: Upper-Middle
Education:
Training
Stage Debut: age 13
TV debut:
Broadway Debut
Screen Debut:
Age at First Nom: I’m Still Here, 59
Age at Oscar Win:
Span between First Film and First Nom:
Span between First Nom and First Oscar:
Number of Oscars/Noms:
Career Length:
Career Output:
Age at Last Film: NA
Retirement: NA
Marriage: Actor
Politics
Death: NA
Fernanda Pinheiro Monteiro Torres (Brazilian Portuguese (born Sep 15, 1965) is a Brazilian actress and writer renowned for versatility in comedic and dramatic roles.
She has earned numerous accolades, including the Cannes Film Fest Award, and Best Actress Oscar nomination.
Torres received international acclaim for her performance as Eunice Paiva in the drama I’m Still Here (2024). She became the second Brazilian actress to be nominated in that category, the first being her mother, Fernanda Montenegro.
Her debut novel, The End, sold over 200,000 copies in Brazil, and was translated into 7 other languages and adapted into a miniseries.
Debuting as an actress at 13, Torres established a career that spans more than four decades in theater, television, literature and cinema.
Her film debut was at the age of 17, in 1983, with the film Innocência, based on the work of Viscount of Taunay and directed by Walter Lima Jr. Her next movie A Marvada Carne (1985), by André Klotzel, won her the award for Best Actress at the Gramado Festival. For Love Me Forever or Never (1986) by Arnaldo Jabor, Torres won the Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival and at the Cuba Film Festival.
Among her 24 film credits, the most notable are: Excuse Me, I’m Going to Fight (1986), Best Actress at the Nantes Film Festival and a special nomination at the Locarno Festival;[8] One Man’s War (1991) by Sergio Toledo, alongside Anthony Hopkins and Norma Aleandro;[9] Foreign Land (1996) by Walter Salles and Daniela Thomas; Four Days in September (1997) by Bruno Barreto, nominated as Best Foreign Language Film at the 70th Academy Awards; Gêmeas (1999); Redentor (2004), a film directed by her brother, Cláudio Torres; The House of Sand (2005), directed by husband Andrucha Waddington.
In 2024, she played Eunice Paiva in the biographical film I’m Still Here, based on the book of the same name by Marcelo Rubens Paiva and working again with director Walter Salles. For her performance, Torres became the second Brazilian to be nominate for Oscar; the first was her mother Fernanda Montenegro 26 years before her.
They also became the first mother-daughter duo to be nominated for the Best Actress Oscar since Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli. (Quiz)
In June 2025, Torres invited to join Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences
At thirteen, Torres attended Teatro O Tablado.[8]
Her first performance on stage was in 1978, in the play Um Tango Argentino, by Maria Clara Machado.
Torres acted in more than a dozen plays, having received praise for works such as Orlando (1989), by Bia Lessa; Da Gaivota (1998), by Daniela Thomas;[15] Two Women and a Corpse (2000), by Aderbal Freire Filho.
She was the first actress of the Companhia de Ópera Seca, founded by Gerald Thomas, having starred in three plays, including The Flash and Crash Days (1991)—sharing the stage with her mother—which was presented on tour in the United States and European.[16] The monologue A Casa dos Budas Ditosos, based on the novel of the same name by João Ubaldo Ribeiro, debuted in 2003 reaching more than one million spectators.
On television, she acted in numerous popular comedy series and soap operas in Brazil.[18] From 2001 to 2003, Torres starred with Luiz Fernando Guimarães in the series Os Normais, which showed with humor and innovative language the everyday situations experienced by the couple Rui and Vani.[19] Os Normais became a cult favorite and led many fans to not leave the house on Friday nights before the program ended.[20] Not only the characters’ scenes and dialogues, but also the panties and bras worn by Torres won over the public.[21][22] The success of the series also led to two feature films, Os Normais – O Filme (2003), a prequel telling how Rui and Vani met, and Os Normais 2: A Noite Mais Maluca de Todas (2009), a sequel to the show where Rui and Vani try to reignite their relationship.
From 2011 to 2015, Torres starred, alongside Andréa Beltrão, in the comedy series Tapas & Beijos, for which she received awards nominations and wins, such as the Best of the Year Award for Best Actress.
In 2016, she wrote the script for the feature O Juízo, with her mother in the cast.
In 2018, Torres was confirmed in the second season of the series Sob Pressão, as Renata, the new hospital administrator.
As a presenter, she developed the project Minha Estupidez and Bicho Homem for TV and the podcast The Playlist of My Life, as interviewer on Deezer.
In 2007, she began writing for newspapers as a columnist, publishing a weekly column in the newspaper Folha de S.Paulo since 2010.
In 2014, Torres released her first novel, The End (Fim), which sold more than 200,000 copies in Brazil and was translated into 7 languages. In 2023, Torres created, wrote and adapted the novel into a 10-episode miniseries for the Brazilian streaming service Globoplay.
In 2017, Torres published her second novel, Glory and Its Litany of Horrors (A Glória e Seu Cortejo de Horrores).
Torres is of Portuguese and Italian descent. She is married to movie producer and director Andrucha Waddington. The couple has two sons, Joaquim (b. 2000) and Antônio (b. 2008). She is also stepmother of João (b. 1993) and Pedro (b. 1995), from Andrucha’s first marriage.
Filmography
1983 Inocência [pt] Inocência [33]
1984 Amenic – Entre o Discurso e a Prática Extra [33]
1985 A Marvada Carne Carula [33]
Madame Cartô Voice [33]
Sonho sem Fim [pt] Cigana [33]
1986 Love Me Forever or Never The Woman [33][34]
Com Licença, Eu Vou à Luta [pt] Eliane Maciel [33]
1988 A Mulher do Próximo [pt] Isabel [33]
Fogo e Paixão [pt] Woman eating an apple Cameo [33]
1989 Kuarup Francisca [33]
1990 Beijo 2348/72 Claudete [33]
1993 Capitalismo Selvagem [pt] Elisa Medeiros [33]
1996 The Jew Brites Cardoso [33]
Foreign Land Alex [33]
1997 Miramar The Producer [33]
Four Days in September Maria Augusta Carneiro / Andréia [33]
1998 Midnight Maria [33]
Traição Irene [33]
1999 Gêmeas [pt] Iara / Marilena [33]
2003 So Normal Vanilce “Vani” Alencar [33]
2004 Redeemer Young Isaura Also screenwriter [33]
2005 The House of Sand Áurea / Maria [33]
2007 Saneamento Básico Marina [33]
Playing Herself Documentary [33]
2009 A Mulher Invisível Lúcia [33]
Os Normais 2: A Noite Mais Maluca de Todas [pt] Vanilce “Vani” Alencar [33]
2017 Os 8 Magníficos Herself Documentary [33]
2018 O Juízo — Screenwriter only [35]
2019 Babenco: Tell Me When I Die Herself Documentary [33]
Lina Bo Bardi: A Marvelous Entanglement Young Lina Bo Bardi [36]
2024 I’m Still Here Eunice Paiva [33]
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1979 Aplauso Soraia
1981 Baila Comigo Fauna Rosa França Telenovela
Brilhante Marília Newman Carvalho
1983 Parabéns pra Você Irene
Caso Especial Clara Episode: “O Fantasma de Canterville”
Maria Alice Episode: “Todas as Mulheres do Mundo”
Eu Prometo Dayse Ribeiro Cantomaia Telenovela
1986 Selva de Pedra Simone Marques / Rosana Reis
1991 One Man’s War Dolly Television film[33]
1994 Terça Nobre Diana Episode: “Comédia da Vida Privada”
Dorinha Episode: “O homem que sabia javanês”
Lúcia McCartney Episode: “Lúcia McCartney”
1995–97 A Comédia da Vida Privada
1999 Luna Caliente Dora
2001 As Filhas da Mãe Lulu de Luxemburgo (young) Telenovela
2001–03 Os Normais Vanilce “Vani” Alencar
2002 Brava Gente Jaci Episode: “Lira Paulistana”
2004 Um Só Coração Fernanda Montenegro Episode: “8 de abril”
Sitcom.br Nana Episode: “Dia das Mães”
2006 Os Amadores Alice Episode: “22 de dezembro”
2008 Sexo Oposto
2009 Bicho Homem
2010 Programa Piloto Renata
As Cariocas Cris[37] Episode: “A Invejosa de Ipanema”
Amoral da História [38]
2011–15 Tapas & Beijos Fátima de Souza
2016 Mister Brau Bárbara[39] Episode: “19 de julho”
2016–17 Minha Estupidez
2017–19 Filhos da Pátria Maria Teresa Bulhosa
2018 Sob Pressão Dr. Renata Gomes Season 2
2019 Mulheres Fantásticas Narrator[40] Voice
Episode: “Hedy Lamarr”
2020 Todas as Mulheres do Mundo Estela[41]
Diário de Um Confinado Leonor[42]
Amor e Sorte Lúcia Bóis[43]
Gilda, Lúcia e o Bode Television special
2023 Fim Celeste Also creator and writer[44]
Books
2013 – Fim (The End)[45]
2017 – A Glória e seu Cortejo de Horrores (Glory and Its Litany of Horrors)[46]
Awards and nominations
1985 Festival de Gramado Best Actress A Marvada Carne Won [47]
1986 Three Continents Festival Com Licença, Eu Vou à Luta Won [48]
Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Love Me Forever or Never Won [49]
1987 International Film Festival of India IFFI Best Actor Award (Female) Won
1999 Festival de Brasília Best Actress Gêmeas Won [51]
2000 Grande Prêmio do Cinema Brasileiro Best Actress Traição Nominated
São Paulo Art Critics Association O Primeiro Dia Won
2001 Grande Prêmio do Cinema Brasileiro Gêmeas Nominated [53]
2004 Prêmio ACIE de Cinema So Normal Nominated [54]
2006 Guadalajara International Film Festival The House of Sand Won
2024 Celebration of Cinema and Television Best Actress – International Film
I’m Still Here Won
Academy Awards Best Actress Nominated
Los Angeles Film Critics Association, Best Actress Runner-up
São Paulo Art Critics Association Best Actress Won
Satellite Awards Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama Won [59]
International Cinephile Society Best Actress Nominated [60]
Santa Barbara Film Festival Virtuoso Award Honored [61]
Latino Entertainment Journalists’ Film Awards Best Actress Won [62][63]
]
Platino Awards Best Actress Won [66]
