Dorinha Duval

Dorinha Duval (real name Dorah Teixeira) is a Brazilian former actress and singer, who after retirement from television and film, became an artist. She became famous for her roles in some of Brazil's most famous television soap operas and, later, for the murder of her abusive third husband. Early life Dorah Teixeira was born in São Paulo, Brazil on 21 January 1929. As a teenager, she joined director Carlos Lisboa's group of dancers, performing at casinos in the interior of São Paulo state. She also sang and played the maracas, earning her the nickname of Dorah Maraca. In this role she appeared in the opening show on Brazilian TV. She also became known as Chininha, apparently from the Chinese appearance of her eyes. Discovered by actors Maria Irma and Juan Daniel, parents of director Daniel Filho, she joined the variety theatre, where she became a successful starlet. Her time in variety was remembered in a 2006 soap opera by Silvio de Abreu, called Belíssima, in which she made a special appearance. Acting career Duval acted in several radio soap operas, before debuting on television. She started at the former TV network Rede Tupi, as part of the cast of the TV de Comédia programme, between 1957 and 1959. She also worked for TV Rio and TV Excelsior. On TV Rio, she was directed by her future husband, Daniel Filho. She started working at TV Globo in 1969, in the cast of the soap opera Verão Vermelho, written by Dias Gomes. In the early 1970s, she was in the cast of three of the most successful soap operas in Brazilian television drama, all directed by Daniel Filho: Irmãos Coragem (1970), by Janete Clair, Minha Doce Namorada (1970), by Vicente Sesso, and Selva de Pedra (1972), also by Janete Clair. She also participated with Filho in a musical programme that would become famous, known as Times Square. In 1973, she played in the soap opera, O Bem-Amado, the first soap opera broadcast in colour on Brazilian TV. She also played the role of Cuca in Sítio do Picapau Amarelo in 1977, a children's television series first broadcast in 1977. Parallel to her television career, Duval acted in several films. Her first was Veneno (1952), starring Leonora Amar, while the best-known was As Aventuras de Pedro Malasartes in 1960, in which she starred with Amácio Mazzaropi. Marriages and murder Duval married TV director Mário Pomponet Júnior. They had a daughter in 1965, who is also an actress. Her second husband was Daniel Filho, with the marriage taking place in Las Vegas.