Papel Principal

Papel Principal (English title: Leading Role) is a Portuguese telenovela produced by SP Televisão and broadcast by SIC. It premiered on 25 September 2023. The telenovela is written by Ana Casaca from an original idea of SIC with the collaboration of Manuel Mora Marques, Pedro Cavaleiro, Pedro Barbosa da Silva, Catarina Dias, Filipa Poppe, Mariana Vicente and João Maria. It stars Carolina Carvalho, Margarida Vila-Nova, Ângelo Rodrigues, José Mata, Mafalda Vilhena, António Fonseca e Victoria Guerra. Plot Aurora is a young actress who became famous early on and is still widely recognized as one of the most prolific comedy actress working today. Besides the popular teenage series that kick-started her career, she also does musical theatre. But behind the appearance of a headstrong and good natured young woman hides someone who was manipulated by her mother her whole life. Despite having done everything for her daughter to succeed, Irene secretly feels a level of resentment. After all, Aurora has managed to accomplish everything that her mother never could. Along with her husband Júlio, Irene enrolled Aurora in a casting call for the teenage series “Os Eleitos” (The Chosen in English) but, upon realizing that the final decision was split between her daughter and Lúcia, Irene had no qualms about pulling some strings and swaying the choice for her daughter to get the lead. Lúcia, who grew up in a rough neighbourhood, saw this casting call and the chance to get the lead as her ticked out of her life of hardship. However, Lúcia ended up being run over in a hit and run that nearly took her life. While recovering in hospital, Lúcia watches as the series becomes a hit, the very series in which she should have been. Instead of her, she sees Aurora in the lead, paired with Fred, the young man who plays the Aurora's best friend and her first love, both in the series and in real life...