Leonardo Villar is one of the most respected Brazilian thespians of all time, with a distinguished career in theatre, cinema and television. His career initiated in the 1950's with several works in theatre and one special series for TV. But it was as the simple man Zé do Burro in O Pagador de Promessas (1962) that his career turned around. His film debut and a leading role in one of the most important classics of Brazilian cinema, the only film to ever receive the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and the very first film from Brazil to receive an Oscar nomination in the Best Foreign Film Language category. Then, he played the title roles in Lampião, O Rei do Cangaço (1964) and A Hora e Vez de Augusto Matraga (1965), winning a Best Actor award at the Brazilia Festival of Brazilian Cinema. Alternating between films and TV series, Villar's career highlights were "Barriga de Aluguel" (1990), "Desejo" (1990), "Os Ossos do Barão" (1996), Ação Contra Amigos (1998), the memorable Paschoal in "Laços de Família" (2000), and most recently Chega de Saudade (2007).