Amácio Mazzaropi: The Story of the Icon of Brazilian Country Cinema
Discover the biography of Amácio Mazzaropi, the master of country cinema who left a unique legacy in Brazilian popular culture.
Amácio Mazzaropi was born in 1912. He began his career as an artist when he was 15. He was a fan of Genésio and Sebastião de Arruda, both successful theater actors at the time. At first, Mazzaropi imitated Sebastião. But he decided it was time to have his own style and set out to create an innocent country boy, with whom he would become known. He preferred not to give the character a specific name. Some said that Mazzaropi, an Italian surname, did not resemble a country bumpkin at all. He paid no attention. Mazzaropi became successful in theater, and some time later he moved on to the movies. It was Abílio Pereira de Almeida and Franco Zampari who invited him. And the actor went to Vera Cruz, where he made his first two films. Thinking of something bigger, the actor sold his house to raise money and founded PAM Filmes (Produções Amácio Mazzaropi), which began to sign his films. His most famous films were released, such as Jeca Tatu (an adaptation of the famous book by Monteiro Lobato), among others.
He bought a farm and built his recording studio there. In addition to being an actor, producer and screenwriter, Mazzaropi was also a great businessman. His film O Corintiano (1972) was a box office record for Brazilian cinema. As a star, he was even received by the then president of Brazil, Emílio Médici.
He asked for support for Brazilian cinema. He built a larger studio in Taubaté, with a set design workshop and a hotel, used by actors and technicians (today the hotel is open to the public who wish to learn more about the actor’s story).
Mazzaropi was still filming when he was hospitalized. The project was to be called “Maria Tomba Homem”. He never finished it. He died at the age of 69, on June 13, 1981, from bone marrow cancer. The actor never married, but left behind an adopted son.
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