Living in the Morro da Providência (Rio’s first favela) and currently apprentice maintenance mechanic at the Bonsucesso General Hospital, Anjo Lopes is simply Anjo in Lúcia Murat’s new film, a soldier in the drug traffic in the favela, who is seduced by dance, and has a great dramatic role in this feature film. A hip-hop militant in the group ‘Black Rio’, winning awards at the recent Nova Iguaçu Sesc festival, and an ex-member of Sonia Destri’s ‘Companhia Urbana de Dança’, Anjo, who before ‘Another Love Story’ had only acted in a school play, also recently landed a part in ‘174 - Uma infância perdida’, a new Bruno Barreto production.

INTERVIEW

It seems you got famous on set for your skill in improvisation.

Improvise was my name in the film. People said I was creative. In the scene where I tell Fernanda (Marisa Orth) to paint the wall red, there wasn’t much of a script and I started improvising. At one point I shout at her ‘Man, you ask too many f.... questions...., just paint this f.... wall red’. After they asked me if I was ever intimidated by Marisa Orth. Not I. For me she was Fernanda and I a no-good bandit who had to give her hell.

For someone who had only acted in a school play, how was it to act opposite someone like Marisa Orth?

Marisa is very kind, a nice person. But she wouldn’t let me talk during rehearsals. Like me, she also likes to talk a lot (laugh). I thought she was nuts you know. I thought the way she makes an entrance funny. She would stand up, take a breath, straighten up and start acting. To hell with the rest if they weren’t ready. I thought that was cool. It was her way.

How was the work on set?

Lúcia was demanding. But Júlia (assistant director) and Rafael Raposo (assistant to cast preparer) were very helpful. The scene where I join the school was very real for me, and was my favorite. And I thought the choreography for ‘Pneu queimado’ was the best, as it has more style, more freedom.

What is the best thing that has happened because of the film?

Being called for a scene in Bruno Barreto’s ‘174’. Also when I appeared on the cover of the O Globo magazine‘Revista’. That was terrific. My friends, my aunt, they saw it first. I don’t want to spend my life in the basement of the Bonsucesso General Hospital. I work there to earn money, but I’m looking for opportunities that could appear after the release of the film. I hope there’ll be plenty.