In the early hours of last Monday (17), Brazil lost one of its great actresses. Jacqueline Laurence, a veteran of the screen and stage, died in Rio de Janeiro at the age of 91. She was admitted to the Miguel Couto Municipal Hospital in Leblon and suffered a cardiac arrest at around 2.20am.

Career and Legacy

Jacqueline Juliette Laurence was born in Marseille, France, in 1932 and came to Brazil as a child with her father, a journalist. Her family also includes her younger brother, Michel, and her nephew, Bruno, who followed the same profession. Michel passed away in 2014.

Despite having spent most of her life in Brazil, Jacqueline never became a naturalized Brazilian citizen. In an interview with Heloisa Tolipan's website in January, she explained that the difficulties she faced during the military dictatorship and other eventualities prevented her from becoming a naturalized citizen. However, she has always considered herself Brazilian at heart, saying: "I don't have this thing about saying I'm French. On the contrary, I'm Brazilian."

Jacqueline never married and had no children. In her words, the relationships she had "ended up being, circumstantially, boyfriend and girlfriend".

Brilliant Career

On television, Jacqueline Laurence was often cast in the roles of sophisticated and elegant women. She fought hard to lose her French accent and build a solid career on Brazilian TV. Among her most notable works on Rede Globo are soap operas such as "Dancin' Days", "Cambalacho", "Top Model", "O Dono do Mundo", "Salsa e Merengue", "Senhora do Destino" and "Babilônia". Her last soap opera role was in "Salve-se Quem Puder".

In theater, Jacqueline was a central figure in the Besteirol movement of the 1980s in Rio de Janeiro, helping to launch the careers of names like Miguel Falabella, Guilherme Karam and Mauro Rasi.

Reflection on Career and Distancing

Before she passed away, Jacqueline Laurence expressed her frustration at her retirement from television and theater. In an interview with Heloisa Tolipan, she lamented the reality faced by older actors in Brazil, where it has become commonplace not to invite them to new productions. "The procedure of not calling older actors has become normalized in Brazil. Time passes. It's always been like that, both in theater and on TV. Of course, there is less work for those over 60," she said.

Jacqueline stressed that, despite her age, she was in good health and ready to take on new challenges. "I'm at an age when we're no longer in demand. I'm on the market for anyone who's interested, but it's difficult," she confessed.

Conclusion

Jacqueline Laurence has left an indelible legacy on Brazilian television and theater. Her decades-long career, marked by iconic characters and memorable performances, will continue to inspire future generations of artists. Her death is a great loss for Brazilian culture, but her work and her spirit will live on in the memory of all those who had the privilege of following her work.