Meet Rafaela Goncalves | Actress Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rafaela Goncalves and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rafaela, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
Oii! My name is Rafaela Goncalves, I was born and raised in Brazil, and I grew up saying I was going to one day be an actress in the Los Angeles (my mom tells me I say this since I was like 5 years old, much before I had even traveled abroad ever, I guess it just was meant to be!)

My parents were always incredibly supportive with everything I set my mind to, and especially anything arts related – I took all kinds of classes growing up, music, writing, dancing, drawing, and acting! It was no surprise when, right after high school, I moved to Los Angeles to pursue my BFA in Acting.

After getting my BFA in Acting and spending my OPT back in 2022 working as an actress in Los Angeles (“mom, dad, I made it!!!”), I quickly realized that the parts I really wanted to play were not really out there (and the parts that WERE out there and I would mostly get cast for, were really one dimensional and stereotypical). That really bothered me and that is probably one of the biggest reasons why I decided to pursue Producing so soon after my BFA: to create parts I actually wanted to play. Yes, it was kind of a “selfish” reason at first, but as I got to know myself better and my personal goals for this industry, this reason turned out to be much bigger than just me.

As Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie said once, “The problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story.” Yes, I am Brazilian and fit the stereotype that people often see on screen, but I have so many friends that are Brazilian as well and don’t fit (I have Brazilian actor friends that were denied casting because they didn’t look “Brazilian/Latina enough”). I mean, what is “Brazilian/Latina enough?” And this doesn’t happen only in the world of casting, I have Brazilian friends that when they tell people they are Brazilian, they don’t believe them at first because they are “too light skinned” or blonde or blue eyed…

I don’t blame society entirely for thinking this way. Especially when it comes to people that are from different countries than ours, how could we know any better if the only time we see them is on screen and they are always portrayed the same way? “They must be all the same!”

No, we are not, and I am here to do my part in better representing the Brazilian community (as well as the Latinx community, of course) on screen, in the US but also around the world.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
When I first moved to the US to get my BFA in a school with mostly Americans, my first instinct was to do everything possible to “sound more American,” “look more American,” “be more American,” and I especially worked a LOT on losing my Brazilian accent because I was terrified I wouldn’t get cast otherwise. I spent years desperately working on all that, erasing and losing touch with my “Brazilianess,” to then find myself having basically an identity crisis because, back then, I couldn’t see that all that made me different and Brazilian was a good thing.

I am a Brazilian Actress and Producer who wants to work all over the world and spread my “Brazilianess” everywhere I go.

This is actually what my thesis for my MFA in Producing was about! The experience of a Brazilian American teenage girl and how divided she feels, desperately trying to fit in. It is loosely based on a book I published 10 years ago in Brazil, but just like I did, the story changed a lot too. I’m really proud of this project and I can’t wait to release it to the public after its film festival run is done.

I entered the Producing world for many reasons, but two of the biggest ones were: to deconstruct stereotypes (Brazilian and any other) and to open doors to people just like me, be the person I wish I had guiding me back then. Don’t get me wrong, I am so incredibly grateful for my journey, but it hasn’t been an easy one. It’s been mostly “learn as I go,” and if I can help others at all, that’s what I want to do. That’s why I’m here after all, to collaborate and make beautiful meaningful art!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
One of the reasons I love LA is that there is always SO MUCH to do! You can literally go on a hike in the morning, then enjoy the beach during the day, go out for a nice dinner at night and then have fun at a club!

Some of my “must see” LA places if you’re in town for like only a week are:

– Hollywood Walk Of Fame (especially around the Hollywood and Highland Mall/Ovation)
– The ⁠Chinese Theatre
– The Pantages
– ⁠Universal Studios (during the day) + City Walk (night)
– The ⁠Griffith Observatory
– ⁠Santa Monica Pier
– Beverly Hills – Rodeo Drive
– Any Studio Tour (my favorite are Warner Bros or Paramount)

If you have an extra time:

– Point Dume Beach
– ⁠The Grove or The Americana at Brand
– ⁠Olvera Street
– Runyon Canyon (hiking)

PS: if you’re looking for good, traditional and not overpriced Brazilian food, my personal favorite in LA is “Esquina Brasil” in Culver City!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Shoutout to my parents for being my biggest and most supportive fans since the tiny little one-girl shows that I would put up at home when I was a kid – I most definitely would not be here without you, your love and support. I know all the sacrifices you made in order for me to be here today (the biggest one probably being time with me, your only daughter, ever since I moved to the US alone almost 8 years ago). I see you, I love you, I miss you everyday, and I’m so immensely thankful.

Shoutout also to all my family and friends who somehow always find a way to be present in my life even with the distance; to the two institutions that accepted me and made me the actress and producer I am today; and to God, for making me the human being I am.

Website: https://halfnrafaproductio.wixsite.com/halfnrafaproduction

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsrafaelagoncalves/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rafaela-goncalves-162a402b8/

Other: Acting Website: https://itsrafaelagoncalve.wixsite.com/rafaelagoncalves

IMDB: https://pro.imdb.com/name/nm12747690?ref_=hm_prof_name