Great Othello: 110 years since the birth of the icon of cinema and television

October 18, 2025 marks the 110th anniversary of the birth of Great Othello, an important Brazilian actor of the 20th century. Below, Flipar shares important facts about his career!

Sebastião Bernardes de Souza Prata was born on 18 October 1915 in Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, and would become famous at a young age as Great Othello.

His childhood was marked by serious difficulties and tragedies. Grande Otelo’s father was stabbed to death when he was just two years old, and his mother faced alcoholism problems, circumstances that left him vulnerable from an early age.

In the early 1920s, Grande Otelo began performing in the circus rings of Uberlândia. While still a child, he was handed over by his mother to Abigail Parecis’ mambembe company and taken to São Paulo.

The origin of the nickname Big Othello is disputed, but it is known that the reference is to the character from Shakespeare’s play and to a joke about the actor’s short stature – just 1.5 m.

In the 1930s his career in revue theater gained momentum and he began to gain notoriety with the public. The genre was very popular in Brazil at the beginning of the 20th century, and Othello joined troupes such as Jardel Jércolis, participating in variety, music and comedy shows.

In the cinematographic field, Grande Otelo began his appearances in 1935, in the film “Noites Cariocas”. But it was during the period of the chanchadas, in the 1940s and 1950s, that he consolidated his place in national cinema, especially through his collaboration with the comedian Oscarito. Together, they starred in hits that marked Brazilian popular culture such as “Carnaval Atlântida”.

In 1942 he had an important international experience by participating in the filming of the project “It’s All True”, created by the famous American director Orson Welles. Although the film remained unfinished, the episode remained a symbolic milestone in his career.

Welles was impressed by the naturalness of the Great Othello in front of the camera and even classified him as the greatest Brazilian actor.

With the decline of the chanchadas, Grande Otelo demonstrated versatility by migrating towards dramatic roles.

One of his most memorable roles was in the 1969 film “Macunaíma,” based on the play by Mário de Andrade and directed by Joaquim Pedro de Andrade.

For his performance in the film in which he starred alongside icons such as Paulo José and Jardel Filho, he was awarded in the Best Actor category at the 1969 Brasilia Film Festival.

Other notable films in the Minas Gerais actor’s career include “Rio, Zona Norte”, by Nelson Pereira do Santos, “Assalto ao Trem Pagador”, by Roberto Farias, and “Lúcio Flávio, o Passegeiro da Agonia”, by Héctor Babenco.

On television his presence was constant. Grande Otelo has acted in soap operas, comedy programs and long-form productions.

As for soap operas, he worked in productions such as “Uma Rosa com Amor”, from 1972, in the role of Pimpinoni, and “Sinhá Moça”, from 1986, where he played the character of Justo.

Between 1990 and 1993, he was part of the cast of the humorous comedy Escolinha do Professor Raimundo, directed by Chico Anysio, playing the character Seu Eustáquio and his catchphrase “”Aqui! What do you want?”

His last soap opera appearance was in “Renascer”, in 1993, when he had a special appearance playing the character Chico das Mortes.

The Great Othello also devoted himself to music. He performed samba and marchenha, as well as composing popular songs with big names in Brazilian music, such as Herivelto Martins and Wilson Batista. Among the best known are “Praça Onze”, “Mundo de Zinco” and “Cadê Mimi?”.

In his personal life, the Great Othello had to face tragic episodes. In 1941 he married Lúcia Maria Pinheiro, who ended up killing her six-year-old son, the actor’s stepson, and then committing suicide. He subsequently married Olga Vasconcellos, with whom he had four children. He later married the dancer Joséphine Hélène.

On November 26, 1993, at the age of 78, the Great Othello died after suffering a heart attack while landing at Charles de Gaulle Airport, France, where he was to take part in tributes to black cinema. His body was transferred to Brazil and buried in Uberlândia, his homeland, where admirers paid their last tributes.

In recent years, Great Othello has been the subject of tributes. One of the most relevant was the documentary “Othelo, The Great”, by Lucas H. Rossi, which tells the artist’s journey, won the Best Documentary category at the Rio Film Festival in 2023.