Sônia Braga was born June 8, 1950, in Maringá, Paraná State, Brazil, to a seamstress mother and a realtor father. She starred in the film adaptation of Jorge Amado's Dona Flor und ihre zwei Ehemänner (1976), in the central role of Dona Flor. She earned American recognition and a Golden Globe nomination for performance in Kuß der Spinnenfrau (1985), and was nominated for a second Golden Globe for her performance in Mond über Parador (1988), where she played the part of Madonna Mendez.
