Cléo Pires Ayrosa Galvão, professionally known as Cléo Pires or simply Cleo, is a prominent Brazilian actress and singer born on October 2, 1982, in Rio de Janeiro.
She comes from one of Brazil’s most famous entertainment families as the daughter of acclaimed actress Glória Pires and singer-actor Fábio Júnior.
Her maternal grandfather was the beloved comedian Antônio Carlos Pires, adding to her deep roots in the arts.
Despite early exposure to the industry, Cléo initially resisted an acting career, observing the intense media scrutiny of her family, but she eventually embraced it.
Siblings
From her father’s side, her most publicly known half-brother is Fiuk (born Filipe Kartalian Ayrosa Galvão in 1990), a successful singer, actor, and racing driver who has built his own career in entertainment.
Fábio Júnior has additional children from other relationships, including Krizia, Tainá, and Záion, who are also Cléo’s half-siblings but maintain lower public profiles.
On her mother’s side, Glória Pires has been married to musician Orlando Morais since 1988, and together they have three children: Antônia Morais (born in 1992), an actress and singer who has followed a similar path in the arts; Ana Morais (born in 2000); and Bento Morais (born in 2004).
Career
Pires made her screen debut as a child in the 1994 miniseries Memorial de Maria Moura, playing a young version of the protagonist later portrayed by her mother.
She stepped away from acting initially but returned with her breakthrough role in the 2003 film Benjamim, adapted from a Chico Buarque novel, which marked her professional commitment to the craft.
Her performance as Lurdinha in the 2005 telenovela América catapulted her to nationwide fame, establishing her as a sex symbol and leading to iconic roles in series like Cobras & Lagartos (2006), Caminho das Índias (2009), and as the lead Estela in Araguaia (2010–2011).
She continued with prominent parts in Salve Jorge (2012–2013), Haja Coração (2016), Supermax (2016), and O Tempo Não Para (2018–2019), among others.
In cinema, Cléo has appeared in diverse films such as Meu Nome Não É Johnny (2008), Lula, o Filho do Brasil (2009), Operações Especiais (2015), Mais Forte que o Mundo (2016), and more recent productions including Me Tira da Mira (2022), where she also served as producer, and Eu Sou Maria (2023).
She expanded into music in 2018 with the EP Jungle Kid, followed by releases like Melhor Que Eu and Dark Pop (2023), featuring singles with collaborations such as Pocah and Karol Conká.
Accolades
Pires’ debut in Benjamim won her the Best Actress award at the prestigious Festival do Rio in 2003.
In 2005, she took home multiple honors for her breakout role in América, including Best Revelation Actress at Melhores do Ano and Prêmio Extra de Televisão.
The following year, she won Best Revelation Actress at Prêmio Contigo! de TV and Best Supporting Actress at Melhores do Ano for Cobras & Lagartos.
In 2015, she received the Best Actress trophy at Troféu AIB de Imprensa for Operações Especiais.
Throughout her career, Cléo has accumulated numerous nominations from institutions like Grande Prêmio do Cinema Brasileiro, Prêmio Contigo!, and Prêmio Extra.
By Kahawatungu