Your Saturday Beefcake Matinee Idol

Date of Birth:
22 October 1979, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
Birth Name:
Julio Cesar Rocha da Costa Porto

Julio Cesar Rocha is one of the most recognized and respected young actors in Brazil today.




Julio's acting career began early when the principal of his elementary school, noticing Julio's performance in the school production of Our Life in Family, recommended to his parents to enroll Julio to a high school for the performing arts. Julio was accepted into the prestigious Celia Helena High School in Sao Paulo where his talent blossomed. Julio's career was polished by Raul Cortez, the acclaimed Brazilian actor, who visited Celia Helena and started counseling Julio as he embarked his career.




Upon graduating from school, Julio accepted roles in various stage productions in Sao Paulo. He worked on his comedic timing by doing stand-up comedy in bars and clubs in front of some of Brazil's toughest audiences. Raul Cortez re-entered Julio's life in the year of 2000, when he asked the young actor to audition for the role of the king of France in the production of Shakespeare's King Lear. The audition was a success and led to further roles and important productions. Having conquered the stage, Julio now set his sights on Brazil's enormous television industry. In 2003, he received recognition as Best Stand Up Comedian of the Year by Terca Insana (Crazy Tuesday Project). In 2006 Julio was cast to play small roles in the popular Brazilian mini-series, Bang Bangand A Diarista(Housekeeper). Almost immediately afterward he was cast as the arrogant chef Wagner Alencar in the popular television series, Paraiso Tropical(Tropical Paradise ).




A year later Julio landed a major part as the wealthy entrepreneur Leo in the production Pe na Jaca, followed by one of the lead roles in the hit series Duas Caras (Two Faces) when he was also nominated as the most Promising Actor for the year of 2007. In just one year, Julio had emerged as one the top television actors in Brazil, with a fan-base numbering in the millions. The final episode of Duas Caras was watched by more than 100 million people, one of the largest television audiences in Brazilian history.



From that time on, Julio has maintained a demanding schedule, taking major roles in the television series', Casos e Acasos (Cases and Coincidences), Guerra e Paz (War and Peace), Faca sua Historia(Make your History) as a funny taxi driver named Jackson and Caras & Bocas (Faces and Mouths) in which he played the conniving art-dealer and ladies' man, Edgar. He also managed to find the time to write and produce two-plays, A prima de Susan Boyle (Susan Boyle's Cousin) and Jezebel.



Julio divides his time between his home in Sao Paulo and New York City where he is engaged in theater work and independent film projects. (edited version of his imdb.com biography)