Giovanna Antonelli Prado (; born 18 March 1976) is a Brazilian actress, television host, and producer.
Biography
1991–1999: Beginning of career and first works
In 1991, at age 15, Antonelli appeared in the children's show Clube da Criança TV program, which was screened on the Rede Manchete TV network hosted by Angélica. Antonelli was one of the angeliquetes, stage assistants on the program. In 1994, Antonelli debuted as an actress in the soap opera Tropicaliente, screened by Rede Globo broadcast between May and December 1994. At 18, Giovanna played Benvinda character in the novel. Soon after, she returned to Manchete to act in Tocaia Grande (1995), by Duca Rachid, Mário Teixeira and Marcos Lazarini, as the protagonist Ressú, and in Xica da Silva (1996) by Walcyr Carrasco as the villain Elvira part of a love triangle that had great impact. In 1996, Antonelli returned to Rede Machete for two telenovelas, after being recognized for Xica da Silva. After this success, she returned to Globo as Judy in Corpo Dourado (1998), by Antônio Calmon in a love triangle with the characters of Felipe Camargo and Fábio Jr.
After appearing as Violet prostitute in the telenovela Força de um Desejo, of Gilberto Braga, joined the cast of the first Múltipla Escolha season Choose the series Malhação, interpreting the character Isa, Character daughter of Nuno Leal Maia.
2000–2006: Laços de Família, O Clone and Da Cor do Pecado
In 2000, Antonelli appeared interpreting another prostitute, Capitu, in Laços de Família, the telenovela by Manoel Carlos. The chemistry with her love interest, actor Luigi Baricelli, captivated audiences and critics. She received numerous accolades and won awards for Breakthrough Actress and two for Best Actress. Also in 2000, she debuted in the cinema with a cameo in the film Bossa Nova, directed by Bruno Barreto. Soon after she played her first role as a protagonist in O Clone (2001), by Gloria Perez.
In 2001, following the success of Laços de Família, Antonelli played the protagonist Jade, a Muslim divided between love and religious obligations, in the telenovela O Clone by Gloria Perez. Her character dictated fashion in the streets with veils, jewelry and exotic makeup that characterized a Muslim. Besides being successful in Brazil the character has attracted fans in several other countries where the telenovela was broadcast. She earned six awards, one of which was the Contigo Prize for Best Romantic Couple with Murilo Benício. In 2002, in the movie Avassaladoras, she played Laura, a successful woman who seeks a boyfriend through a wedding agency. In the film, she stars with Reynaldo Gianecchini, with whom she would appear in other works on TV. Participation in the film earned Antonelli the Crystal Lens Award for Best Actress at the Brazilian Film Festival in Miami.
After multiple successes, Antonelli's career was divided between soap operas, miniseries and films. Avassaladoras (2002) was her first film playing a protagonist. In 2003, Giovanna starred in the miniseries A Casa das Sete Mulheres, by Maria Adelaide Amaral and Walter Negrão, playing Anita Garibaldi. At that time, she received several accolades for her resourcefulness, originality and the way in which she disengaged herself from the brand of her previous character Jade who had launched her to stardom in Brazil. She played the Virgin Mary in the film Maria, Mãe do Filho de Deus,(2003) directed by Moacyr Góes and in the theater appeared in A Paixão de Cristo. Her performance in the film was praised by some critics but criticized by others who thought that her performance lacked brilliance.
In 2004, she portrayed her first villain, Barbara, in the telenovela Da Cor do Pecado (2004), by João Emanuel Carneiro. She received critical acclaim for acting in a way that erased viewers' memories of the characters with a reputation for being a good girl who had played previously. In the theater she appeared with actor Murilo Benício in Dois na Gangorra, directed by Walter Lima Júnior, and in film in the movie A Cartomante, directed by Wagner de Assis and Pablo Uranga. The film itself was widely criticized and is considered one of the worst films of 2004.