Friends and family of Milton Gonçalves pay their last respects to the actor

On Tuesday morning (31), the body of actor Milton Gonçalves was laid out at the Municipal Theater of Rio de Janeiro, in Cinelândia. The ceremony began at 9:30 am and was attended by friends and family of the artist. Antonio Pitanga, Mateus Solano and Valentina Herszage were some of the names who paid their respects to Milton.

Maurício Gonçalves, the actor's son, was at the ceremony and told Revista Quem a little about his father's career: “In the 1960s, he married my mother — a white woman, the daughter of lawyers, and it wasn't easy for him. My father was very influential. [pela carreira] and as a father.”

Born on January 9, 1934, in the city of Monte Santo, in Minas Gerais, Milton was a shoemaker, and only in 1957 began his acting career. In 1961, he debuted on TV with the series “The Highway Patrolman”, and during his 60 years of acting, the artist participated in 40 soap operas on TV Globo and more than 50 film productions.

The global actor passed away this Monday at 12:30 pm, aged 88, at his home in Rio, due to the consequences of a stroke (cerebrovascular accident) that he had suffered in 2020.

The artist's son also thanked everyone for the support he is receiving and reported that his father died “in peace”: “He died at half past noon, in his apartment, from complications from the stroke, but he died peacefully, in peace, breathing calmly. Thank you for all the affection and messages received.”

Alda Gonçalves, Milton's daughter, also spoke about her relationship with her father: “We had an incredible dad. My friends and my brother's friends would say, 'Can I adopt your dad?' He was the kind of dad who would take everyone to and from parties. He was present, active and an educator. He filled the house with books. When we were kids, we had every encyclopedia on the market and my mother would sometimes complain because the house was cluttered with records, books… I read The Purple Lampshade when I was 8. My father would say, 'Leave the book lying around because one day the child will bend down, pull a book off the shelf and magic will happen, just like that.'” [título do] His last work, a Christmas special, was 'Together the magic happens'. The pain is deep at this moment. Let's feel the joyful look in his eyes, his pure soul and the constant joking he had with everyone. He left here refreshed, with his duty absolutely fulfilled.”

_{David Junior and Alda Gonçalves (Reproduction/AgNews/ Victor Chapetta)}

Actor Antonio Pitanga recalled moments of the artist's struggle: “We had been friends since we were young. We both wanted to see black people assert themselves. Milton Gonçalves was a fighter. I met him in 1959, when he was doing a play with Teatro de Arena. In 1965, he was among the founders of TV Globo. He made a call to all black people, so that we could have a prominent position and that we would not just be slaves. [nas novelas]”.

_{Antonio Pitanga (Reproduction/ Brazil News/ Roberto Filho)}

Valentina Herszage reported that her first meeting with the artist was special: “It was great working with Milton in Pega Pega. I was just starting out and he had already had a long journey. He was very kind to me, just like the character was. He was very generous and humble. He was very kind and caring. I remember being terrified, scared and he calmed me down. The scenes were played out with great confidence. I was 19 years old and my meeting with him was special. Many of his works are special. He permeates the imagination of all of us. Yesterday, I wanted to rewatch the scenes with Bebeth and Cristovão, our characters.”

_{Mateus Solano at the artist's wake (Reproduction/ Brazil News/Roberto Filho)}

Mateus Solano starred alongside Milton in the soap opera Pega Pega in 2017 and says that he liked to listen to the stories that the actor told in the dressing room and that he sees the artist as an example: “I have the fondest memories of a vibrant man, an actor who continued to work for over 80 years. I also have the fondest memories as a spectator. I had the pleasure of acting with him and listening to his life stories in the dressing room. I am here to celebrate him as an actor, artist, activist in the black movement and as a union leader in defense of our class. He leaves a legacy of hope and reflection. Miltão was never idle, he was always active. Milton, in addition to being a professional, was an example as a citizen.”

Milton Gonçalves' last work at Globo took place in 2018, in the soap opera Time Doesn't Stop. Despite having a stroke in 2020, Milton Gonçalves still participated in two works in 2021, a film called Pixinguinha, A Caring Man and the series The Daughters of Eve.

Featured Photo: Antonio Pitanga during the wake of Milton Gonçalves. Reproduction/ AgNews/Victor Chapetta