Taís Araújo

Taís Bianca Gama de Araújo Ramos, born November 25, 1978, is a prominent Brazilian actress, television host, and model. Celebrated for her versatility in both comedic and dramatic roles, she has established herself as one of the most recognizable figures in Brazilian entertainment.

Born seven months prematurely in Rio de Janeiro, Araújo grew up in the Méier and Barra da Tijuca neighborhoods. She is the daughter of Ademir de Araújo, an economist, and Mercedes de Araújo, an educator. She attended private schools during her childhood and went on to study journalism at Estácio S.A. She is the younger sister of a physician and a cousin of actor and singer Marcello Melo Jr.

Araújo made her screen acting debut in the 1995 telenovela Tocaia Grande. The following year, she achieved widespread recognition when she was cast as the lead character in Rede Manchete's Xica da Silva, a production that was later broadcast in numerous countries. In 1997, she joined Rede Globo to star in Anjo Mau, where she began working with director Denise Saraceni.

Her career continued with notable roles in several popular telenovelas, including playing Preta in Da Cor do Pecado in 2004, the comedic antagonist Ellen in Cobras & Lagartos in 2006, and Alícia in A Favorita in 2008. In 2009, Araújo made television history when she was cast as Helena in Viver a Vida, becoming the first Black woman to portray a prime-time telenovela protagonist on Brazilian television.

In 2012, she portrayed Maria da Penha in Cheias de Charme. Her subsequent television projects included the series O Dentista Mascarado, Geração Brasil, and the musical comedy Mister Brau, in which she starred alongside her husband, actor Lázaro Ramos. In theater, she debuted in the play O Topo da Montanha in 2015 and toured nationally. Her film appearances include The Daughters of the Wind in 2004 and The Cup Steal in 2016. In television hosting, she served as the first Black presenter of GNT's Superbonita from 2006 to 2009 and later joined the program Saia Justa.

Araújo has earned significant industry recognition throughout her career. She won the Kikito award for Best Supporting Actress at the Festival de Gramado in 2004 for her performance in The Daughters of the Wind and received a Shell Award nomination for her stage work in O Topo da Montanha. Outside of acting, she is prominent for her advocacy for racial equality and gender rights, receiving the Trip Transformadores Prize in 2016 and the Award Claudia in 2017. In 2017, she spoke at a TEDx event in São Paulo, was named one of MIPAD's 100 most influential Afro-descendant personalities under 40, and was appointed Defender of Rights of Black Women by UN Women Brazil.

Araújo married actor Lázaro Ramos in January 2007. Following a brief separation, the couple reconciled in 2009 and have two children, a son born in 2011 and a daughter born in 2015.