Arlette Pinheiro Esteves Torres (born October 16, 1929) better known by her stage name Fernanda Montenegro, is a Brazilian stage, television and film actress, mostly recognized for her leading role in Central Station, for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress, becoming the first and only Brazilian actress to ever be nominated in the category. Also for this work, she was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama and won the Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival.

In 1999, she was honored with the medal Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit, "for the recognition of the outstanding work in the Brazilian performing arts", delivered by then President Fernando Henrique Cardoso. It is the highest award that a civilian can receive from the Presidency of the Republic.

In 2013, she won the International Emmy Award for Best Actress, in the special television film Sweet Mother. She is commonly revered as one of Brazil's finest actresses and referred to as "The First Lady of Brazilian Theater" and "The First Lady of Brazilian Television".

Biography

Personal life
Montenegro was born Arlette Pinheiro Esteves Silva in Rio de Janeiro, of Portuguese and Italian descent, from the island of Sardinia. Regarding the adoption of a stage name, the actress has stated that she chose Fernanda simply because of its sonority, whilst Montenegro was the surname of her family's doctor. Montenegro was married to Fernando Torres from 1954 until his death in 2008. They had two children: Fernanda Torres who won the Best Actress prize in Cannes Film Festival and film director Cláudio Torres.