# Maria Gladys

Maria Gladys Mello da Silva (Portuguese:; born 23 November 1939) is a Brazilian actress. Gladys made her acting debut in 1959 with Arthur Azevedo's play "O Mambembe" at the Municipal Theater of Rio de Janeiro. She earned recognition in the theater world by appearing topless in the publicity poster for the play "O Chão dos Penitentes". She's considered the mother of marginal cinema.

## Biography

Gladys was born in the Cachambi neighborhood, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. At three, she contracted polio, and at fifteen, became pregnant. She then moved with her family to the Grajaú neighbourhood, where she gave birth to her first son, Glayson; his father soon vanished. In Grajaú, Gladys met notable figures like Erasmo Carlos, Carlos Imperial, Tim Maia and Roberto Carlos, whom she started dating. During this period, she became one of the official dancers on the TV show "Clube do Rock", created by Carlos Imperial.
In the late 1950s, Gladys pursued acting and moved with her family to Copacabana, in Rio's south zone. She made her theatrical debut in 1959 with Arthur Azevedo's play "O Mambembe" at the Municipal Theater of Rio de Janeiro, performing alongside Fernanda Montenegro, Fernando Torres, Sérgio Britto and Ítalo Rossi. Concurrently, while training as an actress, Gladys joined the Teatro Jovem company. She made waves in the theater world by appearing topless in the publicity poster for the play "O Chão dos Penitentes", becoming the first serious actress in Brazil to display her body publicly. In 1962, she starred in the play "Sétimo Céu", directed by her friend Domingos de Oliveira.
Being part of the resistance during the Brazilian dictatorship led Gladys to exile in London between 1965 and 1979. In 1973, Gladys met american artist Lee Jaffe in London, and forty years later, it was revealed that he was the father of Rachel. Rachel is the mother of the movie star Mia Goth, making Jaffe her grandfather.
Later, Gladys lived with Betty Faria and shared a house in Vidigal with Leila Diniz. Following her mother's death and her father's return to the suburbs to care for his grandson, Gladys starred in Ruy Guerra's 1964 film "Os Fuzis", which won the Silver Bear at the Berlin Festival and was nominated for the Golden Bear.
On television, she appeared in significant productions like "Brilhante", "Bandidos da Falange", "As Noivas de Copacabana", "Hilda Furacão", "Um Anjo Caiu do Céu", "A Lua Me Disse" and "Aquele Beijo". Her most iconic role, however, was Lucimar da Silva in "Vale Tudo".
In 2016, she portrayed Dr. Elizabeth Tacanha in the TV Globo series "Pé na Cova".

## Filmography
### Film

Long and short films :
| Year | Title | Role |
| 1961 | Por um Céu de Liberdade | Nurse |
| 1963 | Bonitinha, mas Ordinária | Sister of Rita |
| 1964 | Os Fuzis | Luísa |
| 1965 | Canalha em Crise | — |
| 1966 | Um Diamante e Cinco Balas | Flôr |
| 1966 | Todas as Mulheres do Mundo | Glorinha |
| 1968 | Copacabana Me Engana | — |
| 1968 | Edu, Coração de Ouro | Neusinha |
| 1968 | Como Vai, Vai Bem? | Teresa |
| 1969 | O Anjo Nasceu | — |
| 1970 | Cuidado Madame | |
| 1970 | Sem Essa, Aranha | — |
| 1970 | É Simonal! | — |
| 1970 | Meu Pé de Laranja Lima | Professor Cecília |
| 1970 | A Família do Barulho | — |
| 1971 | Sangue Quente em Tarde Fria | — |
| 1971 | O Donzelo | — |
| 1971 | O Capitão Bandeira contra o Dr. Moura Brasil | Gladys |
| 1971 | Piranhas do Asfalto | — |
| 1971 | Lúcia McCartney, uma Garota de Programa | — |
| 1971 | Mangue Bangue | — |
| 1976 | Bandalheira Infernal | — |
| 1977 | Anchieta, José do Brasil | Timbaúba |
| 1978 | O Gigante da América | — |
| 1978 | Agonia | — |
| 1982 | Rio Babilônia | |
| 1983 | Bar Esperança | Martha |
| 1985 | Brás Cubas | — |
| 1985 | Os Bons Tempos Voltaram: Vamos Gozar Outra Vez | Alzira |
| 1985 | Um Filme 100% Brasileiro | — |
| 1987 | O Bebê | — |
| 1988 | Natal da Portela | — |
| 1990 | Guns | Uncredited |
| 1991 | A Grande Arte | Woman Under Billboards |
| 1991 | Matou a Família e Foi ao Cinema | Mother of Bebeto |
| 1992 | As Noivas de Copacabana - O Filme | Rita |
| 1994 | Geraldo Voador | — |
| 1995 | O Monge e a Filha do Carrasco | — |
| 2001 | A Breve Estória de Cândido Sampaio | — |
| 2003 | Apolônio Brasil, Campeão da Alegria | — |
| 2006 | Se Eu Fosse Você | Cida |
| 2007 | Polaroides Urbanas | — |
| 2007 | Meu Nome é Dindi | Dona Carmen |
| 2008 | Pequenas Histórias | Dona Hanna |
| 2008 | Casa da Mãe Joana | Party Drunk |
| 2009 | Se Eu Fosse Você 2 | Cida |
| 2010 | The Joy | Luiza's Aunt |
| 2011 | Rat Fever | Stella Maris |
| 2013 | Cute, But Ordinary | Ritinha's Sisters (uncredited) |
| 2015 | All of God's Creations | DaGuia - Miguel's Mother |
| 2017 | Duas de Mim | Sonja |

### Television

Novels, Series and Minisseries :
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1979 | Plantão de Polícia | — | (episode:O Estrangulador da Praça Tiradentes) |
| 1981 | Brilhante | Dinalva | |
| 1983 | Bandidos da Falange | Soninha | |
| 1984 | Padre Cícero | Ifigênia | |
| 1985 | Grande Sertão: Veredas | Maria do Padre | |
| 1988 | Vale Tudo | Lucimar da Silva | |
| 1988 | Chapadão do Bugre | — | |
| 1989 | Top Model | Veridiana (Big Loira) | |
| 1989 | Delegacia de Mulheres | Detetive Alvarenga | 4 episodes |
| 1990 | Meu Bem, Meu Mal | Eusébia | |
| 1992 | As Noivas de Copacabana | Rita de Cássia | |
| 1992 | Tereza Batista | Felipa | |
| 1993 | Fera Ferida | Lucineide | |
| 1995 - 1999 | Você Decide | Aurora, Maria, Cândida, Eleutéria | 5 episodes |
| 1996 | Salsa e Merengue | Neném | |
| 1998 | Corpo Dourado | Mazinha | |
| 1998 | Hilda Furacão | Cecília Bonfim | |
| 1998 | Mulher | Rita | (episode: Desejos Incontroláveis) |
| 2001 | Um Anjo Caiu do Céu | Zezé | |
| 2002 | O Beijo do Vampiro | Gracinda | |
| 2004 | Senhora do Destino | Dona Mimi | |
| 2005 | A Lua Me Disse | Naíde | |
| 2006 | A Diarista, Números Primos | Aunt Palmira | |
| 2006 | Sítio do Picapau Amarelo | Fátima | 2 episodes |
| 2006 | Prova de Amor | Mother of de Elza | Special participation |
| 2007 | Guerra e Paz | Zoraide | |
| 2008 | Negócio da China | Lucivone | |
| 2008 | Beleza Pura | Romena | |
| 2009 | Toma Lá, Dá Cá | Sundaí | 1 episode |
| 2009 | Caminho das Índias | Glorinha | Special participation |
| 2010 | A Vida Alheia | Nadir | 1 episode |
| 2011 | Aquele Beijo | Eveva | |
| 2014 | As Canalhas | Luciene | |
| 2014 | Sexo e as Negas | Fumaça | |
| 2016 | Pé na Cova | Dra. Elizabeth Tacanha | |