Pioneering Brazilian Actress Ruth de Souza Dies in Rio at Age 98

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Ruth de Souza, 98, died this Sunday morning, July 28th.

She had been hospitalized with pneumonia since the beginning of the week, in the Intensive Care Center of the Copa D’Or Hospital, in Copacabana, in the South Zone of Rio de Janeiro.

The hospital has not reported the cause of death.

With more than 70 years of work in drama, Ruth de Souza is an icon to several generations of actors.

She was a pioneer throughout her career: she was the first black actress to perform at the Theatro Municipal do Rio and to build a career in dramaturgy. She was also the first Brazilian to be nominated for an international film award — at the 1954 Venice Film Festival.

She was one of the pioneers in television. Her last work was in the mini-series “Se eu fechar os olhos agora” (If I close my eyes now), which was aired this year by Globo.

The actress has performed in more than 20 Globo soap operas.

In cinema, Ruth de Souza starred in over 30 films, including the screen version of Tom Payne’s “Sinhá Moça” (Little Lady).

The feature film led Ruth to be nominated for the Best Actress award at the 1954 Venice Film Festival.

In an interview with Memória Globo, she recalled that she narrowly missed out on the award and even topped acclaimed actresses such as Katherine Hepburn and Michele Morgan — Lili Palmer was the winner.

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