Lauro Corona

Handsome, talented and a man who defined a generation with his presence and acting in movies and TV series, Lauro Corona was one of a kind. And one who's gone too soon at an early age leaving a mark to his fans with his brief career. Corona was born on 6 July, 1957, in Rio de Janeiro. At 16, he began as a salesman working at his mother boutique. By the late 1970's he was doing plays and was discovered by actor Paulo José and a famous theater director who loved his talent and knew he could do more. Next thing he knew a TV show came his way, the massive hit Dancin' Days (1978) where he played Beto. That was his first soap opera and very first TV appearance and soon after he was the talk of the town and the crush of many girls. From then on, he was a constant presence on TV with several shows, which includes Dance with Me (1981) and Marina (1980). His film debut was as one of the leads in Sergio Rezende's O Sonho Não Acabou (1982) , a testament about Brasília's youth in the early 1980's with a generation of sex, drugs and rock n'roll in the final years of the military regime - in fact, in one of the most memorable moments of the film Corona appears next to president João Figueiredo's guards, a moment that was captured with the real politicians and soldiers who didn't know they were being filmed, a very bold move by the director, crew and the actor. Then, he made only one movie Swingin' Betty (1984), a huge hit - possibly the film people remember him the most. The miniseries Memórias de um Gigolô (1986), the TV series Direito de Amar (1987) were also great moments in his career and he also presented the Globo de Ouro, a musical program that brought artists performing their classics or latest hits. That program showcased his talents as a great host. But the last memory people have of him was as the Portuguese Manuel Victor in Vida Nova (1988), which ended up being his last TV show and one that he didn't manage to end. By the middle of the show, he discovered he had AIDS. He never told the network about that - since then revealing about such condition was a career killer - only said that he was really sick and needed to stay away from the show. Concerned about his health, the creators decided to give an alternate ending for his character, even though the show was in its middle and he was one of the main characters- a memorable scene where he kisses goodbye to his girl, enters the car and reads an off-screen poem by Fernando Pessoa, and then he goes back to his native land. A few days after his 32nd birthday he passed away from complications of AIDS - news that wasn't revealed immediately due to his family concerns. He was one of the first famous victims of this deadly disease in Brazil. Fans and nostalgic TV buffs always remember him with care, love and fondness.