Marina Ruy Barbosa

Marina Ruy Barbosa is a Brazilian actress whose career began on television while she was still a child. Born in Rio de Janeiro on June 30, 1995, she made her telenovela debut in *Começar de Novo* in 2004. The following year, she played Sabina in *Belíssima*, an early role in the Globo productions that would become central to her career.

As a teenager, Barbosa appeared in *Sete Pecados*, *Três Irmãs*, and *Escrito nas Estrelas*. In the 2011 telenovela *Morde & Assopra*, she played Alice, a character whose troubled relationship with her family gave Barbosa a substantial part beyond her earlier child roles. She went on to play Juliana in *Amor Eterno Amor* in 2012.

Her role as Nicole in *Amor à Vida* in 2013 drew particular attention. Nicole is a young woman diagnosed with cancer whose romance and inheritance become entangled in the story’s conflicts. Discussion of the character extended beyond the screen when reports that Barbosa might shave her hair for the role became a subject of Brazilian entertainment coverage; the production ultimately did not require her to do so.

In *Império* in 2014, Barbosa played Maria Ísis, a young woman involved with José Alfredo, the powerful businessman portrayed by Alexandre Nero. Their relationship was one of the novela’s prominent storylines. She then took a leading role in *Totalmente Demais*, which premiered in 2015. Her character, Eliza, leaves a difficult home life and arrives in Rio de Janeiro, where a modeling competition changes her prospects. The story also follows her relationships with Jonatas, played by Felipe Simas, and Arthur, played by Fábio Assunção.

Barbosa’s later roles moved across different kinds of telenovela storytelling. In the fantasy period drama *Deus Salve o Rei* in 2018, she portrayed Amália, whose relationship with Prince Afonso crosses the divide between royalty and commoners. Later that year, she appeared as Luz in *O Sétimo Guardião*, a mystery set in the fictional town of Serro Azul.

In 2023, Barbosa played Preciosa Montebello in *Fuzuê*. Unlike several of her earlier leading characters, Preciosa is an antagonist: her pursuit of a hidden fortune brings her into conflict with Luna, played by Giovana Cordeiro. From the child actress in *Belíssima* to the ambitious Preciosa, Barbosa’s television work traces a career built largely through distinctly different roles in Brazilian telenovelas.