Vera Valdez, Brazil’s First Top Model and Actress, Dies at 89

Overview

• Teatro Oficina announced her death on January 14 via Instagram, confirming the passing of the model and actress known as Vera Barreto Leite and Vera Valdez.
• She was 89, born Vera Maria Tereza Barreto Valdez on May 27, 1936, according to the Museu Brasileira de Rádio e Televisão.
• Recognized as Brazil’s first top model, she worked with Elsa Schiaparelli, Gabrielle Chanel and Christian Dior, including selection at age 17 for Chanel’s 1954 comeback show.
• She sustained a long acting career with Teatro Oficina under José Celso Martinez Corrêa and appeared in films such as As Cariocas (1966) and O Homem Nu (1968), maintaining close ties to Cacilda Becker.
• In later years she starred in the 2024 stage piece Vozes Humanas and appeared in the film Tia Virgínia, following notable turns such as a 2008 Trip magazine shoot and the 2009 TV miniseries Som & Fúria, with tributes posted by artists including Matheus Nachtergaele.