Daniella Perez

Daniella Ferrante Perez Gazolla (11 August 1970 – 28 December 1992) was a Brazilian actress and dancer.

She worked in telenovelas such as Barriga de Aluguel (1990) and De Corpo e Alma (1992), both written by her mother. She also appeared in O Dono do Mundo (1991). She was murdered by De Corpo e Alma co-star Guilherme de Pádua and his then wife Paula Thomaz, at the age of 22.

Life and career

Perez was born in Rio de Janeiro to telenovela writer Glória Perez and her husband, an engineer, Luiz Carlos Saupiquet Perez (1940–1994). She had two younger brothers: Rodrigo (born 1972) and Rafael (1977–2002). Her parents were divorced in 1984.

Her interest in the arts began at an early age. At five, she began dancing and as a teenager she was invited to dance professionally for Vacilou, Dançou, a dance company in Rio de Janeiro. Her first role in television was a tango dancer in the Rede Manchete novela Kananga do Japão, and her dance group was invited by Rede Globo to act in the novela Barriga de Aluguel, written by her mother. Perez got the part of Clô, a dancer in the fictional club Copacabana Café.

Her acting got the attention of director Dennis Carvalho, who invited her to star in O Dono do Mundo, where she portrayed Yara, sister of the main character played by Glória Pires. In 1992, Perez was cast in her mother's novela, De Corpo e Alma, as Yasmin, a young woman who was the object of affection of Eri Johnson's character. Yasmin was the sister of the main character of the novela, who was played by Cristiana Oliveira. De Corpo e Alma was her last work. Following her death, the departure of Perez's character was explained as her going to study abroad. Her murderer's character was removed from the story.