Ney Latorraca, a distinguished Brazilian actor celebrated for his versatility and charisma, passed away today at the age of 80 in Rio de Janeiro. His death was attributed to pulmonary sepsis, a complication arising from prostate cancer diagnosed in 2019. With a prolific and illustrious career spanning theater, television, and film, Latorraca left an indelible mark on Brazilian culture. In cinema, he is best remembered for his title role in Paulo Cesar Saraceni’s Anchieta, José do Brasil (1977) and as Arandir in Bruno Barreto’s The Kiss / O Beijo no Asfalto (1980).
Born Antonio Ney Latorraca on July 25, 1944, in Santos, São Paulo, he seemed destined for the arts, being the son of performers. He began his career at the tender age of six, appearing on radio, and later transitioned to television and theater, becoming a household name.
Two of his most acclaimed film roles came in the late 1970s. In Anchieta, José do Brasil (1977), he portrayed Jesuit missionary José Anchieta, a Spanish cleric who embraced Brazil as his new homeland. Three years later, in Barreto’s The Kiss, based on Nelson Rodrigues’ play, he starred as Arandir, a man whose life unravels after a photograph captures him compassionately kissing a dying man struck by a bus. The image ignites accusations of homosexuality, threatening his marriage, career, and reputation, while societal scrutiny escalates into a murder accusation.
Latorraca’s other notable film credits include Sedução (1974) by Fauzi Mansur, Deixa, Amorzinho... Deixa (1975) by Saul Lachtermacher, Uma Estranha História de Amor (1979) by John Doo, Heart and Guts / Das Tripas Coração (1982) by Ana Carolina, Malandro / Ópera do Malandro (1985) by Ruy Guerra, The Dolphin / Ele, o Boto (1987) by Walter Lima Jr., Fábula de la Bella Palomera (1988) by Ruy Guerra, O Diabo a Quatro (2004) by Alice de Andrade, Topografia de Um Desnudo (2009) by Teresa Aguiar, and O Gerente (2011) by Paulo César Saraceni. His final film appearance was in the 2015 drama Introdução à Música do Sangue by Luiz Carlos Lacerda.
In theater, Latorraca achieved legendary status with the hit play The Mystery of Irma Vap with Marco Nanini, which premiered in 1986 and ran for a Guinness record-breaking 11 years. Written by American playwright Charles Ludlam, the play is a satirical spoof of Gothic melodramas. Its success inspired the 2006 comedy film Irma Vap: O Retorno by Carla Camurati, which follows a producer’s comedic struggles to restage the iconic play.
Latorraca is survived by his husband, actor Edi Botelho.
