Writer, actor Jô Soares dies aged 84 in São Paulo

Known for his various talents, he was also a TV screenwriter and host

Published on 05/08/2022 - 11:20 By Vitor Abdala - Rio de Janeiro

Brazilian actor and writer Jô Soares died in the early hours today (Aug 5) at the age of 84 in São Paulo. He had been hospitalized at Hospital Sírio Libanês. The information was disclosed by his ex-wife Flávia Pedras Soares on her Instagram.

Known countrywide for his multiple talents, José Eugênio Soares—often referred to simply as Jô—was born in Rio de Janeiro on January 16, 1938. He debuted as an actor in Carlos Manga’s comedy film O Homem do Sputnik, “The Man from the Sputnik.”

Jô wrote scripts for television and also featured in several comedy shows in Brazil’s main TV broadcasters. As an interviewer, he hosted the programs Jô Soares Onze e Meia on SBT, and Programa do Jô on Globo. The latter was aired for 17 years, from 2000 to 2016.

Jô Soares also ventured into literature, with novels such as O Xangô de Baker Street (translated into English as A Samba for Sherlock), O Homem que Matou Getúlio Vargas (Twelve Fingers in the English translation), Assassinatos na Academia Brasileira de Letras (“Murders at the Brazilian Academy of Letters”), and As Esganadas (“Strangled Ladies”).

The funeral will be held for family members and close friends only, the Instagram post reads.

Translation: Fabrício Ferreira -  Edition: Kleber Sampaio

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