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Rodrigo Santoro speaking at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con International in San Diego, California. photo by Gage Skidmore

Top 10 Intriguing Facts about Rodrigo Santoro

Rodrigo Junqueira Reis Santoro is a Brazilian actor who was born in 1975 Petr贸polis, Rio de Janeiro state. He is most known for his portrayal of Persian King Xerxes in the movie 300 (2006) and its sequel 300: Rise of an Empire (2014). Other famous movies include Brainstorm (2001), Carandiru (2003)

Also in  Love Actually (2003), Che (2008), I Love You Phillip Morris (2009), and Rio (2011). Santoro also appeared on the television series Lost, portraying the character Paulo, and on HBO’s Westworld (2016鈥�2020) as Hector Escaton.

His parents are Francesco Santoro who is an Italian engineer with roots in Paola, Province of Cosenza, Calabria. And Maria Jos茅 Junqueira Reis, who’s a Brazilian artist of Portuguese ancestry. Santoro has been in a relationship with Brazilian actress Mel Fronckowiak since 2013. In 2017, they welcomed their first child, a daughter named Nina.

Here are the Top 10 Intriguing Facts about Rodrigo Santoro

1. Bicho de Sete Cabe莽as (Brainstorm) was his first major role in a cinema production

His first major role in a cinema production came in 2001, with Bicho de Sete Cabe莽as (Brainstorm) by Brazilian director La铆s Bodansky. By the end of the film, he received a standing ovation from the audience. He also went on to win the festival’s best actor trophy.

After Bicho, his reputation as an actor had been solidified and he was cast as the male lead in Abril Despeda莽ado (Behind the Sun), one of the nominees for best foreign film in the 2002 Golden Globe Awards. In the 2003 Hector Babenco film Carandiru he played Lady Di, a transsexual prisoner.

2. Santoro was the first Brazilian actor nominated to the MTV Movie Awards

Rodrigo Santoro receiving an award photo by Fabio Rodrigues

 Santoro became the first Brazilian actor nominated to the MTV Movie Awards in the category of Best Villain. This was the role on 300 He did not win however, and the award went to Jack Nicholson for The Departed.

3. He has ever played Jesus in historical action film Ben-Hur 

Rodrigo Santoro has been  in negotiations to portray the Biblical figure and Messiah in Ben-Hur, the studios鈥� retelling of the classic period sword-and-sandals epic. The story, despite the expected bloodshed, will have a message of forgiveness and Jesus Christ appears several times in the piece. Ben-Hur sees the man preach while in Jerusalem and later sees his crucifixion. Santoro played Jesus in the 2016 historical action film Ben-Hur and received personal blessings from Pope Francis for the role.

4. The film Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle was his kick- start in Hollywood

Rodrigo Santoro at the 2012 premiere of What to Expect When You’re Expecting in New York photo by David Shankbone

He had received an offer from Columbia Pictures for a part in the blockbuster Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle. His performance in Charlie’s Angels kick-started his career in Hollywood.

After Charlie’s Angels, he played the character of Karl, the enigmatic chief designer and love interest of Laura Linney’s character, in the romantic comedy Love Actually, which also features Colin Firth, Lucia Moniz, Grant, Emma Thompson, Keira Knightley, and Rowan Atkinson.

5.He Learned Improv From Chris Rock

In 2012, Rodrigo Santoro worked alongside Chris Rock on the film What to Expect When You鈥檙e Expecting. Rodrigo鈥檚 role required a lot of improve which is something he wasn鈥檛 used to doing. Luckily, Chris Rock was able to give him some pointers. Rodrigo described his experiences with improv by saying, 鈥渋t was tricky because they are hysterical, and I couldn鈥檛 laugh because I am supposed to be really freaking out with the whole situation.鈥�

6. Rodrigo Santoro has received several Awards and nominations

Rodrigo Santoro receiving an award photo by Fabio Rodrigues

His awards he has received include of Festival de Bras铆lia Best Actor for Bicho de Sete Cabe莽as ,Recife Film Festival, Brazil Quality Award and Santo Domingo Film Festival. Also the SESC Best Film Festival, Cinema Brazilian Grand Prix and APCA Trophy 

He was nominated On People Magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful list 2004,12th position on People Magazine’s 2006 Sexiest Man Alive and 16th position on E!’s 2008 Sexiest man of the world.

7. He joined the cast of Lost as survivor of Oceanic 

In 2006, Santoro joined the cast of Lost as survivor of Oceanic Flight 815, Paulo. His first appearance was in episode titled, “Further Instructions”. The  character was killed off in the episode “Expos茅”. He also voices his character Paulo in the Portuguese dub for Brazil.

8. Rodrigo was cast as Persian emperor Xerxes in the film 300

Rodrigo Santoro speaking at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con International in San Diego, California.photo by Gage Skidmore

Santoro was cast as Persian emperor Xerxes in the film 300. It has been based on the Frank Miller comic of the same name, in 2006. The role had many special requirements, such as intensive workout for the physicality of the role. 

Santoro had to lost 24 pounds to work in a Brazilian miniseries), extensive CG work to portray the 6’2″ Santoro as the 7-foot God-King, a four-and-a-half-hour makeup application process and the complete removal of Santoro’s body hair first by waxing and then by shaving when that proved too painful. His eyebrows were kept intact, however, covered over with prosthetics and drawn in rather than being shaved.

9. He was in an advertising business which was a commercial campaign

Santoro also started getting work in the advertising business as he appeared in a commercial campaign with Gisele B眉ndchen in 2002. He played the male lead in No. 5 The Film, the 3-minute-long commercial for Chanel, directed by Baz Luhrmann alongside Nicole Kidman in 2004.

10. Santoro entered the Actor’s Workshop of Rede Globo while he was studying Journalism at PUC-Rio

Thandie Newton, Rodrigo Santoro and Ingrid Bols酶 Berdal speaking at the 2017 San Diego Comic Con International, for “Westworld”, at the San Diego Photo by Gage Skidmore

In 1993, while studying Journalism at PUC-Rio, Santoro entered the Actor’s Workshop of Rede Globo. He went on to play parts in many of Globo’s telenovelas, such as Olho no Olho (1993), P谩tria Minha (1994), Explode Cora莽茫o (1995), O Amor Est谩 no Ar (1997), Suave Veneno (1999) and Mulheres Apaixonadas (2003). As well as the miniseries Hilda Furac茫o (1998), in the role of a priest. Santoro was also the voice actor of the titular character in Stuart Little and its sequel in the Brazilian dubbed copies.