Rodrigo Santoro facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rodrigo Santoro
Santoro at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con
Born	Rodrigo Junqueira Reis Santoro (1975-08-22) 22 August 1975 (age 49) Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Alma mater	Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (dropped out)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1993–present
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Spouse(s)	Mel Fronckowiak ​ (m. 2016)​
Children	2

Rodrigo Junqueira Reis Santoro was born on August 22, 1975. He is a famous Brazilian actor, voice actor, and model. He has won many awards for his acting. These include the Grande Otelo and the Trophée Chopard at the Cannes Festival.

Rodrigo is well-known in Brazil for his roles in TV shows called telenovelas. Around the world, he is famous for playing King Xerxes in the movie 300 (2006) and its follow-up 300: Rise of an Empire (2014). He also appeared in popular films like Love Actually (2003) and voiced characters in Rio (2011). On TV, he played Paulo in Lost and Hector Escaton in HBO's Westworld.

About Rodrigo Santoro

Rodrigo Santoro was born in Petrópolis, a city in Brazil. His father, Francesco Santoro, was an engineer from Italy. His mother, Maria José Junqueira dos Reis, was a Brazilian artist with family from Portugal.

Rodrigo's Acting Journey

Starting Out in Brazil

Rodrigo Santoro began his acting career in 1993. He was studying journalism at PUC-Rio when he joined an acting workshop at Rede Globo, a big TV network in Brazil. He soon started acting in many Brazilian telenovelas. These are like long TV soap operas. Some of his early shows include Olho no Olho (1993) and Explode Coração (1995). He also played a priest in the miniseries Hilda Furacão (1998).

Rodrigo also lent his voice to popular characters. He was the voice of the main character in the Brazilian versions of Stuart Little and Stuart Little 2.

First Big Movie Roles

His first important movie role came in 2001. He starred in the Brazilian film Brainstorm. His performance was so good that he received a standing ovation from the audience. He also won the best actor award at a film festival for this role.

After Brainstorm, Rodrigo's acting skills were clear to everyone. He was then cast as the main male actor in Abril Despedaçado (Behind the Sun). This movie was nominated for Best Foreign Film at the 2002 Golden Globe Awards. In 2003, he also acted in the film Carandiru.

Moving to Hollywood

A Canadian director, Robert Allan Ackerman, was very impressed by Rodrigo's acting in Brainstorm. He chose Rodrigo for his TV movie The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone. Rodrigo filmed in Rome for two months, working with famous actors like Helen Mirren.

Soon after, he got an offer from Columbia Pictures for a part in the big movie Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle. This role really helped start his career in Hollywood. After Charlie's Angels, he played Karl in the romantic comedy Love Actually. Karl was a chief designer and a love interest for Laura Linney's character.

Famous Roles: Xerxes and TV Shows

In 2006, Rodrigo joined the cast of the ABC TV series Lost. He played Paulo, one of the survivors of the Oceanic Flight 815 crash. He also voiced his character in the Brazilian version of the show.

Rodrigo was chosen to play the Persian emperor Xerxes in Zack Snyder's film 300 (2006). This movie was based on a comic book. To play Xerxes, Rodrigo had to work out a lot and prepare his body. He also had to wear special makeup for four and a half hours each day to look like the tall, powerful God-King. He even read books by an ancient Greek historian, Herodotus, to understand his character better.

Later, Rodrigo played the famous footballer Heleno de Freitas in the 2012 film Heleno. He also acted alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 2013 movie The Last Stand. In 2015, he was in the film Focus with Will Smith.

In 2016, Rodrigo played Jesus in the historical action film Ben-Hur. He even received a special blessing from Pope Francis for taking on this role. That same year, he returned to Brazilian telenovelas after twelve years. He played the main character, Afrânio, in Velho Chico.

From 2016 to 2022, Rodrigo was a main actor in the HBO series Westworld. He played the character Hector Escaton.

Rodrigo's Life Outside of Acting

Rodrigo Santoro was married to actress and TV host Mel Fronckowiak in 2016. They were introduced by a director from a TV show. The couple started dating in 2012 and kept their relationship private for a year.

In January 2017, Rodrigo and Mel announced they were going to be parents. Their daughter, Nina, was born on May 22, 2017.

Movies and TV Shows

Film

Television

Music videos

Awards and Nominations

Rodrigo Santoro has won many awards for his acting. Here are some of them:

Images for kids

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  Santoro at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con, promoting 300: Rise of an Empire

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  Santoro at the premiere of What to Expect When You're Expecting, 9 May 2012, New York

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  Santoro holding the statue he won at the 44th Festival de Brasília for the movie Meu País, in 2011.

See also

In Spanish: Rodrigo Santoro para niños