Marisa Domingos Orth (born 21 October 1963) is a Brazilian actress, singer, and television host. She is widely recognized for her work in Brazilian television, theater, and cinema, particularly for her comedic roles.
Early Life and Education
Marisa Orth was born in São Paulo, Brazil, to Antônio Teófilo de Andrade Orth (an engineer) and Marlene Domingos Orth (a pedagogue). The surname "Orth" is of German origin, while "Domingos" reflects Italian (Calabrian) ancestry. She earned a degree in Psychology from the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC-SP) and studied performing arts at the Escola de Arte Dramática of the University of São Paulo (EAD-USP). As a child, she practiced classical ballet and was a competitive swimmer at Clube Pinheiros in São Paulo, winning the São Paulo State Championship twice.
Career
Orth began her professional theater career in 1983 with the play Una Serata Al Sugo by Miroel Silveira. In the 1980s, she was a member of the musical-performance group Luni (1986) and later formed the band Vexame (1989–2007), in which she performed as the character Maralu Menezes.
Her television debut came in 1990 with the telenovela Rainha da Sucata, playing Nicinha, a role that earned her the APCA Award for Best Female Revelation. She subsequently appeared in TV Pirata (1992) and the telenovela Deus nos Acuda (1992).
Orth achieved national fame from 1996 to 2002 playing Magda Antibes in the sitcom Sai de Baixo, a role that became one of the most iconic comedic characters in Brazilian television. The character's catchphrase "Cala boca, Magda!" ("Shut up, Magda!"), delivered by co-star Miguel Falabella, became widely popular. In 1997, she posed for the Brazilian edition of Playboy magazine, in one of its best-selling issues.
Her television work also includes the sitcom Toma Lá, Dá Cá (2007–2009), S.O.S. Emergência (2010), Macho Man (2011), and the telenovelas Sangue Bom (2013), Haja Coração (2016), Tempo de Amar (2017), Bom Sucesso (2019), and Além da Ilusão (2022). She has also hosted programs such as Saia Justa (2002–2004) on GNT and Loucos por Novela on Globoplay.
In film, Orth's credits include Não Quero Falar Sobre Isso Agora (1991), for which she won the Kikito Award for Best Actress at the Gramado Film Festival; Doces Poderes (1997), for which she won the Guarani Award for Best Actress; Por Trás do Pano (1999); Durval Discos (2002); Maré, Nossa História de Amor (2008); and Sai de Baixo - O Filme (2019). She has also done voice dubbing for the Brazilian Portuguese versions of The Book of Life (2014), Elemental (2023), and Tarsilinha (2022).
In theater, Orth has performed in numerous productions, including Fica Comigo Esta Noite (1988, 2007, 2025), A Família Addams (2012–2013, 2022) as Morticia Addams, O Que o Mordomo Viu? (2014), Mulheres à Beira de um Ataque de Nervos (2015–2016), Sunset Boulevard (2019) as Norma Desmond, and the monologue Bárbara (2021–2025), for which she won the Bibi Ferreira Award for Best Actress in a Play.
As a singer (mezzo-soprano), she released the solo album Romance Vol. II in 2009 and has performed in musical tours including Romance Volume III – "Agora Vai!" (2014–2015).
Personal Life
Orth was married to Evandro Pereira from 1991 to 2003, with whom she has one son, João Antonio Pereira (born 1998). She is one of the founders of Spectaculu, a school of art and technology in Rio de Janeiro.
Awards and Recognition
Orth has received numerous awards, including the APCA Award (1990), the Kikito Award at the Gramado Film Festival (1991), the Guarani Award for Best Actress (1997), the Prêmio Qualidade Brasil (2009), and the Bibi Ferreira Award (2022). She was honored at the 20th edition of the CineOP (Mostra de Cinema de Ouro Preto) in 2025.
