The story of Maria Padilha, who moved away from TV at the height of her career to dedicate herself to her family

The complexity of life can go far beyond work. Situations over which there is no control, sometimes require time and dedication that the professional may not have at that moment. Therefore, it may be increasingly common for men and women to take a break from their professional lives and take the so-called sabbatical years. They are dedicated people who, precisely because they work with commitment and mastery, prefer quality time to resolve their issues and, later, in a moment of calm, resume their careers.

we, from awesome.club, We are passionate about stories that involve the heart, so we want to share an inspiring trajectory about the beloved Brazilian actress Maria Padilha, who is away from television, but we hope she can return soon.

Recognized by the public for numerous characters on TV, especially in soap operas, Maria Padilha was part of famous productions, including O Cravo e a Rosa, with the character Dinorá, who was married to Cornélio, played by Ney Latorraca. Another success of the actress was the interpretation of Hilda Moraes, role in the soap opera Mulheres Apaixonadas. She also voiced the character Diva Celeste in the soap opera Lado a Lado, and played several other prominent roles.

An industrial design student at UERJ, Maria was a student of the writer and journalist Zuenir Ventura. He advised her to study theater, as he realized that that area was not her true vocation. Maria followed the teacher’s words and dedicated herself to theater studies at Teatro dos Quatro. Before that, she had already taken acting classes at the O Tablado course and was a classmate of Louise Cardoso. On television, her first work was in the 80s in the soap opera Água Viva. Maria Padilha acted in more than 24 productions on Rede Globo alone, including soap operas, series and programs.

The artist started in the theater in 1975, years before her television debut. It was in the theater, in 1980, that she won the award for Best New Actress, with the first of the three Mambembe Awards she received throughout her career. She is also the winner of a Shell Award, in addition to several other nominations.

Maria was at the height of her success, but her personal life needed attention. ”As soon as I finished Women in Love, my sister got really sick. It shook me, and then I started the process of having a child, who I was going to adopt.”

She was afraid that—if the adoption went well and the process of getting custody was quick—she would be involved in a soap opera and the routine would not allow for the attention she wanted to give her family.

Maria considers the meeting with Manoel a daily miracle. The final adoption process of the son took place when he was a little more than 2 years old. She waited for years for Manoel and had no idea that an adoption process could be so long.

In an interview, the artist declared that the delay in the adoption processes is absurd because it takes so long. The actress characterized the wait for her child as a harrowing time. “I often wondered if that was the best way, or if it wouldn’t have been better to have artificial insemination, because I thought I would never have my child.”

Time passed and Maria believed that the dream of being a mother was getting further and further away. After a five-year break, she decided to accept the invitation to play the role of Diva, in the soap opera Lado a Lado. And it looks like a soap opera script, but it’s real life.

When the actress was going to the screening of the first chapter of the plot at a steakhouse, her phone rang. For many years, she waited for this call, so at the same time she left the recordings of the soap opera and went to the shelter to get her son. Maria waited so many years for this moment and when she stopped looking for him, her son definitely came into her life.

She assists with the work she has already done with her son. Being a mother for her is a mix of feelings, which involves worries and, at the same time, hope for tomorrow. It is for her son that she wants to take care of herself more and be free to assume her own personality.

The actress believes that the choice for late motherhood occurred because she was an orphan of both mother and father and always alone in the world, but the arrival of a child fixes everything, according to the talented actress. With her son coming into her life, she felt her heart was bigger than the world. Since she saw Manoel for the first time, the meeting between them was magical. According to the actress, he was quiet, lying down and had a twinkle in his eye. It was a look of gratitude that enchanted Maria.

Do you remember actress Maria Padilha and miss her performance? Like the artist, have you ever thought about taking a break from your profession to dedicate yourself to your family or have you had a similar experience? Leave your comment!