With an impeccable acting career spanning over four decades, Fernanda Torres captured the world's attention in 2025, when she won the Golden Globe for Best Actress – Drama for her work in "I'm Still Here" (Ainda Estou Aqui). Although she had long been acclaimed in her native Brazil, this award placed her in the spotlight of Hollywood and the world. It also served as a symbolic and meaningful tribute to her family's legacy, as Torres is the daughter of one of the great Brazilian actresses.
Born in Rio de Janeiro on September 15, 1965, Fernanda is the daughter of renowned actress Fernanda Montenegro and actor-producer Fernando Torres. Given her parents' profession, Fernanda grew up immersed in the world of entertainment, spending a lot of her time backstage and inevitably following in their footsteps.
Fernanda began acting as a teenager in the year 1979, first appearing in Brazilian television productions. Her film debut came a few years later, in 1983, with "Inocência," directed by Walter Lima Jr. Just three years later, when she was 20 years old, she starred in "Eu Sei que Vou te Amar" by Arnaldo Jabor (Love Me Forever or Never in English). This performance earned her the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival.
"It's wonderful that we don't have to be eternally young to have interesting characters. The industry is changing, and it's exciting to be a part of that."
Fernanda's filmography expanded with acclaimed Brazilian films alongside international stars, such as "A Guerra de um Homem" (1991) by Sergio Toledo, and starring Anthony Hopkins and Norma Aleandro. In 1998, she starred in "Gêmeas" and in 2005 in "Casa de Areia." Both films held special meaning for Torres, as she worked alongside her mother in them and was directed by her husband and the father of her two kids, Andrucha Waddington.
Fernanda's talents go beyond her screen presence and performances. In 2007, she began writing columns for newspapers and magazines. In 2014, she published her first novel, "Fim," which sold over 200,000 copies. It was translated into seven languages and later adapted into a TV series.
In "I'm Still Here," directed by Walter Salles, Fernanda is reunited with her mother. Both portrayed the same character, the Brazilian lawyer and activist Eunice Paiva, at different points in her life. The film received critical acclaim and earned major awards and nominations. Although Fernanda did not win the Oscar for Best Actress, the film won the Oscar for Best International Feature. She also received recognition at the Platino Awards and the Satellite Awards.
"This was recognition not only for me, but for Brazil. First, my mother with Central Station, and now me? It's a patriotic award. It shows the world the talent of our country."
Her most extraordinary moment came at the Golden Globes ceremony earlier this year, when she took the stage to accept her award, dedicating it to her mother. 25 years before, Fernanda Montenegro became the first Brazilian to be nominated for Best Actress at the Golden Globes in 1999 for her work in the film "Central Station."
"I want to dedicate this to my mother. You have no idea. She was here 25 years ago. And this is proof that art can endure throughout life, even in difficult times like these," said Fernanda as she took the stage.