Brazilian actress Laura Cardoso dies at 98 after eight-decade career

Brazilian actress Laura Cardoso died of natural causes at her home in the Sumaré neighbourhood of São Paulo on the night of 17 August 2026 at the age of 98. Her daughter, Fátima Cardoso, noted that the actress began feeling unwell at home shortly before passing away. The news was confirmed publicly by her great-grandson, Fernando Faria, through her official social media channels. A public wake took place on 18 August between 08:00 and 14:00 at Funeral Home in the Bela Vista district of São Paulo. Cardoso is survived by two daughters, Fernanda and Fátima, three grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Her family announced her passing with a short statement:

Our great star has said goodbye to us. Laura Cardoso will be in our hearts forever. Thank you for everything, our beloved and eternal Laura Cardoso.

Eight decades across stage and screen

Born Laurinda de Jesus Cardoso Balleroni on 13 September 1927 in the Bixiga district of São Paulo to Portuguese immigrants, she began her artistic career at age 15 in radio dramas on Rádio Cosmos. There she met actor and director Fernando Baleroni, whom she married. In 1952, she made her television debut in Tribunal do Coração on TV Tupi. For roughly 15 years, she performed in live teleteatro productions such as TV de Vanguarda and Grande Teatro Tupi.

Cardoso later joined Record during the late 1960s and early 1970s before making her debut on TV Globo in 1981 in the telenovela Brilhante, written by Gilberto Braga. Over an 82-year career, Cardoso portrayed approximately 150 characters, appearing in more than 60 telenovelas and over 20 films. She held a lifetime contract with TV Globo, placing her in a small group of veteran actors retained permanently by the broadcaster.

Method, memorable roles, and refusal to retire

Cardoso earned wide recognition for characters across multiple generations of Brazilian television. Her prominent roles included Isaura in Mulheres de Areia (1993), Guiomar in A Viagem (1994), Soraya in Explode Coração (1995), Carmen in Chocolate com Pimenta (2003), Laksmi Ananda in Caminho das Índias (2009), Vó Piedade in A Vida da Gente (2011), and Dona Caetana in O Outro Lado do Paraíso (2018). Her final telenovela appearance came in 2019 in A Dona do Pedaço as Matilde Azevedo, followed by her final screen appearance in the 2025 short film Dona Rosinha.

Throughout her career, Cardoso consistently dismissed the concept of retirement. During a 2023 tribute at the Gramado Film Festival where she received the Oscarito Trophy, she addressed the prospect of stepping away from the craft:

Retirement is a horrible thing. If you stay still, you die. I want to continue in the battle, I want to stay standing, fighting.

Colleagues noted her preparation method during a 2017 exhibition at Itaú Cultural on Avenida Paulista, where she explained that studying scripts required intense physical focus and round-the-clock dedication to build each character from the ground up.

Tributes across the Lusophone world

News of Cardoso's death brought tributes from actors and cultural figures across Brazil and Portugal. Portuguese television presenter Manuel Luís Goucha recalled interviewing Cardoso when she performed as Gringa in the play Veneza at Lisbon's Teatro Tivoli, praising the warmth she brought to her characters. Fellow actors, including Susana Vieira, Andreia Dinis, and Thiago Rodrigues, shared tributes honouring her dedication to the acting profession and her status as a foundational figure in Brazilian television drama.