José Eugênio Soares (16 January 1938 – 5 August 2022),[1] known professionally as Jô Soares (Portuguese: /ˈʒo soˈaɾis, ˈswa-, -ɾiʃ/), or , was a Brazilian comedian, talk show host, author, musician, actor and writer.[1][2]

Jô Soares
Soares in 2009
Birth nameJosé Eugênio Soares
Born(1938-01-16)16 January 1938
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Died5 August 2022(2022-08-05) (aged 84)
São Paulo, Brazil
Years active1954–2018
Genres
Spouse
Therezinha Millet Austregésilo
(m. 1959; div. 1979)
Sílvia Bandeira
(m. 1980; div. 1983)
Flávia Junqueira Pedras
(m. 1987; div. 1998)
Children1
Relative(s)Kanela (uncle)
Notable works and roles
  • Viva o Gordo (1981–1987)
  • Jô Soares Onze e Meia (1988–1999)
  • Programa do Jô (2000–2016)

Early life

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Soares was born in Rio de Janeiro. Initially pursuing diplomatic service, influenced by his great-grandfather, Soares returned to Brazil for acting classes, and started his career in Rio de Janeiro in 1958.[1]

Career

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Soares' television career began at TV Rio in 1958, writing and performing in comedy shows for the station. In 1970, he began to work at Rede Globo. Soares moved to SBT, in 1988, as the host of, "Jô Soares Onze e Meia", (Jô Soares [at] Eleven-Thirty [in the evening]), which aired until 1999. In 2000, he took his show's format (very similar to David Letterman's) back to Rede Globo, where it was then named, "Programa do Jô", which ran until 2016.[1]

His first novel, O Xangô de Baker Street (translated as A Samba for Sherlock), was published in 1995 and has been translated into several languages. It was later adapted to a movie with the same name in 2001. Soares also put out various jazz CDs, as well as producing many plays, including a recent version of Richard III.

Personal life

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Jô Soares was a Roman Catholic. He expressed devotion to Rita of Cascia.[3]

Soares is depicted in the 2024 Globoplay documentary film Um Beijo do Gordo.[4]

Filmography

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Below is an incomplete filmography:

Year Title Role Notes
1970–1972 Faça Humor, Não Faça Guerra Various sketch comedy series
1972–1975 Satiricom Various sketch comedy series
1976–1982 Planeta dos Homens Dr. Sardinha / Dr. Rafael / Brother Carmelo sketch comedy series
1981–1987 Viva o Gordo Captain Gay / Other recurring roles sketch comedy series
1988–1999 Jô Soares Onze e Meia Host 2,309 episodes
1988–1990 Veja o Gordo Various sketch comedy series
2000–2016 Programa do Jô Host 8,000+ episodes

Bibliography

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Álvares, Débora (5 August 2022). "Brazilian humorist, talk show host Jô Soares dies at 84". AP NEWS. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  2. ^ Rohter, Larry (25 August 2002). "TELEVISION/RADIO; Brazil's Renaissance Showman Can't Be Contained by a Talk Show". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  3. ^ "Santa Rita: Monumento está quase pronto – 23/05/2019 – Notícia – Tribuna do Norte".
  4. ^ "'Um Beijo do Gordo': amigos próximos revelam os últimos momentos com Jô em documentário". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). 29 July 2024. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
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