Nuno Leal Maia returns to theater at age 78 Disclosure/TV Globo and Jofí Herrera Actor Nuno Leal Maia, aged 78, is back on stage after more than ten years away. In an interview with g1, the artist recalled his time as a heartthrob in soap operas that marked generations, his experience as a football coach and his relationship with aging. Before becoming known for characters beloved by the public, such as Fábio, from 'A Gata Comeu' (1985), and Gaspar, from 'Top Model' (1989), the actor was born and lived in Santos, on the coast of São Paulo. He said he has a loving relationship with the city, where he often visits friends, resolves bureaucracy and enjoys one of his passions: swimming in the sea. Currently, the actor is performing in the play 'Meno Male', with text by Juca de Oliveira. Read the full interview below: ?Click here to follow the g1 Santos channel on WhatsApp. Remember Nuno Leal Maia's notable characters in soap operas What motivated you to return to the stage after more than ten years away from the theater? The whole project. Juca's play, "Meno Male", the character, the direction. So, the whole project, the project itself made me want to come back, especially the character. The feedback has been very good, very fruitful, it's been really cool, the show is going very well. We are working well, being successful. It is good. Is there a possibility of a return to soap operas? Do you have plans for that? No. There is no plan, but maybe if they present me with a plan, I can study. For me, I like cinema more, but since cinema is practically closed, it's difficult. Everyone does it just for their friends now. So, it's difficult, but I like cinema more. Nuno Leal Maia and Christiane Torloni in 'A gata ate' Acervo Globo What is it about cinema that enchants you? I don't know. It's been something I've been going to the cinema since I was little. I was three, four years old and my mother was already taking me to the cinema. I've been going to the cinema since I was little and I've always enjoyed it. It's a trip, right? It's magic. Perhaps, the magic of taking you on a journey through time, space, stories, life. This magic that I think cinema has. Do you think there is a silent prejudice against more experienced actors? Was there a point in your career when age influenced the roles you received? I don't think it's prejudice. It's something that they think works, but it's work for young people, but it's up to them, they think that. I think they think it's wrong. There's no prejudice, it's more of a stupid way of observing things like this. When I was young, I think my age had an influence because they were always like that, they always gave roles to younger people, so I also took advantage of that. Nuno Leal Maia and Rita Lee in the soap opera 'Top Model, in 1989 Grupo Globo Collection The public followed his trajectory as a heartthrob in soap operas. Time changes everyone's appearance. How do you live with vanity today and what precautions do you make a point of maintaining? I try to eat well to have a good quality of life. Eat well, sleep well. You have to take care of your body so it can function properly and you don't have problems. So, it's more on that side. Vanity is part of being human. Everyone has it. So, you have to manage it, right? Knowing that this is nonsense, that it doesn't exist. Vanity you have to compensate for with what you have. So, you can't be a slave to vanity. What does an actor of your generation have that you miss in younger people? I think humility, charisma, you have to have charisma. If you have charisma, go ahead. If you don't have it, there's no point. But, I think humility and willingness to learn from older people. I don't think they have. Pelé participates in the penultimate chapter of the soap opera 'História de Amor', alongside Nuno Leal Maia Reproduction/Memória Globo If you could give some advice to young actors. What would be the first thing you would say? First thing? Take care of yourself, take care of your body, take care of your mind. Work on knowing yourself, self-knowledge. Among the great names in Brazilian dramaturgy, you also ventured onto the football field, as a youth player at Santos Futebol Clube and coach of several teams. How was this experience? It was just an experience that I tried to put theater in football. Everything I had learned in theater, I tried to put into football to improve football, but football is very bad at opening, they are very stupid, you can say, right? It's very closed. So, he doesn't really accept new proposals. That's why it's the way it is. Football is sad. Nuno Leal Maia, who previously played for Santos' youth team, and was a coach on other teams during Peixe training. In the photo, he talks to Serginho Chulapa Irandy Ribas/Arquivo A Tribuna Inclusive, what did you think of the Brazilian team's performance in the World Cup? Very bad, right? An outside coach cannot. To win a World Cup, you have to have a coach from here. No one has ever managed to win a World Cup with a foreign coach. He has to be a Brazilian coach. This coach doesn't know anything about Brazil and doesn't have any interest. He has no interest in fighting for Brazil, in fighting. It's very weak. All disappointing. Today, the final will be played between Spain and Argentina. Who do you think will take the cup? I think Argentina won't lose anymore. Argentina has already reached where it is, they let it get there. They will hardly lose to Spain. In any case, it could be an upset, but I think Argentina will win. Nuno Leal Maia, in 2015, on the shore of Santos beach (SP), where Nirley Sena was born/A Tribuna Jornal VIDEOS: g1 in 1 minute Santos