Filled with big names, the cast of City of God has been forever marked in the history of Brazilian cinema. The film tells the story of the rise of organized crime in a favela that was considered the most dangerous in Rio de Janeiro in 1980 and won four Oscar nominations, making it the only national film to have achieved this feat.
The actors play their roles well and deliver the emotion they need to convey the story based on real events that was released in 2002. Zé Pequeno, the sadistic drug dealer played by Leandro Firmino, is to this day one of the most acclaimed characters among the public and remembered for his trajectory and moments full of difficulty and violence. Below you can find out all about the cast of City of God, so if you're just getting to know the movie or just looking for some trivia about the characters, you've come to the right place!
Mané Galinha
In the cast of Cidade de Deus, the character Mané Galinha is played by actor and singer Seu Jorge. In real life, Mané Galinha was a criminal who began his career as an outlaw after leaving the army. He ended up having his girlfriend abused by Zé Pequeno and then teamed up with a rival drug dealer in search of revenge.
Seu Jorge manages to convey all the density of Mané Galinha when he appears on stage and was definitely an excellent choice for the role. After his success in the film City of God, Seu Jorge also appeared in other titles such as Casa de Areia, Tropa de Elite 2, Reis e Ratos and Paraíso Perdido.
Angelica
Angelica in the movie is portrayed as a love interest of the character Buscapé (Alexandre Rodrigues), and is also a long-time friend of the boy. In the end, she ends up with Bené, played by Michel Gomes. The girl has a very strong presence and steals the spotlight in the scenes in which she appears because of her beauty and acting talent.
The actress who brings her to life is none other than Alice Braga who, after her success in the cast of City of God, has built a very solid international career. She has appeared in films such as I Am Legend, alongside American actor Will Smith, and also in Suicide Squad, where she played the character Sol Soria.
Lampião
Lampião is a boy who is part of the Caixa Baixa group. These boys are surrounded by hunger and poverty and end up being led into a life of crime at some point. The cast of City of God includes Thiago Martins, an actor who was 14 at the time.
After all the success of the movie portraying the favela Cidade de Deus, Thiago Martins was also invited to take part in other works. You can see the actor's talent in soap operas such as Da Cor do Pecado, Belíssima, Caminho das Índias, Avenida Brasil and other productions. Thiago is currently 35 years old.
Steak and French fries
Filé com Fritas was the errand boy in the cast of City of God and was played by actor Darlan Cunha. The character became well known for the scene in which he has to choose which of two children close to his age to kill. Encouraged by older and more experienced drug dealers, the boy shoots his first victim and his performance generated praise in the film industry all over the world.
The actor is played by Darlan Cunha, who is currently 35 years old. Even after finishing filming City of God, Darlan didn't give up acting, having taken part in the soap operas Sete Pecados, Caminhos das Índias and Tempos Modernos. You can also see Darlan in movie productions such as My Uncle Killed a Guy.
Dadinho/Zé Pequeno
The cruel and merciless drug dealer Zé Pequeno is one of the central figures in the cast of City of God. His sadistic adult version is played by Leandro Firmino, but he wasn't always known like this. In his childhood he was just "Dadinho", a boy who got into crime after being asked to be a lookout at a hotel robbery, at which stage he was played by Douglas Silva.
In the series City of Men, Douglas continued to play Dadinho and was even nominated for an International Emmy in the Best Actor category. It's worth noting that he never gave up his film career, having taken part in projects such as the Netflix series Samantha and Rede Globo's soap opera Amor de Mãe.
Neguinho
Neguinho was the drug dealer who ran the boca de fumo before Zé Pequeno took power in one of the most iconic scenes in the entire movie. Played by actor Rubens Sabino, of all the people in the cast of City of God, he is the one who has the saddest trajectory after the end of the project.
Rubens didn't pursue an acting career and ended up on the streets to support his drug addiction. He became involved in crime and even commented in an interview that there was no point in having taken part in one of the most famous films in the world if he still had no money. Director Fernando Meirelles even tried to offer Sabino another chance in life, but claimed that he couldn't overcome his drug addiction.
Sabino was seen a few years later selling paçocas on the streets of Rio de Janeiro. According to him, his fight against drugs has paid off and he is clean of toxic substances, with the aim of continuing to sell sweets and living a dignified life.
Buscapé
Buscapé is the protagonist of the movie. He has a quiet personality and struggles to lead an honest life as he makes his way through the crime-ridden slums of Cidade de Deus. His dream is to become a professional photographer and he is played by actor Alexandre Rodrigues.
Like many other actors in the cast of City of God, Alexandre's career didn't end with this movie. You can check out his work in productions such as City of Men, Antônia, Cabocla, Paraíso and the soap opera The Other Side of Paradise in 2017.
Berenice
The character Berenice, played by Roberta Rodrigues in the cast of City of God, is the girlfriend of Cabeleira (Jonathan Haagensen) who, in turn, is the brother of the character Bené. She appears more in the first phase of the movie, but she makes her presence felt with her excellent performance.
The actress appeared in other works after the movie, including Mulheres Apaixonadas, Cabocla, JK, Sob Nova Direção, Paraíso Tropical, Três Irmãs, A Grande Família, A Regra do Jogo and Segundo Sol. She also has a musical career, participating in hip hop groups.
Carrot
Matheus Nachtergaele is one of the biggest names in the cast of City of God and even in Brazilian cinema as a whole. Even before starring in this film, the actor had already been successful in other features such as O Auto da Compadecida and Central do Brasil. Here he plays Cenoura, another drug dealer from the favela where Zé Pequeno operates.
Cenoura is Zé Pequeno's main rival and is just as ruthless as he is. In real life, Cenoura never existed, but he was inspired by the drug dealer Ailton Batata. It is with him that Mané Galinha teams up to carry out a vendetta against Zé Pequeno later in the movie.
Bené
Bené appears in the plot as Zé Pequeno's partner in drug trafficking, but unlike him, he is very charismatic and liked by the people, while Zé Pequeno is feared. It's with Bené's death that things get out of hand with Zé, who becomes visibly more violent and dangerous.
The character is played by actor Michel Gomes in the cast of City of God and has had other TV roles such as Cities of Men, Cases and Chances and Task Force. After a while, Michel Gomes acted in soap operas for Record such as Vidas Opostas and Vidas em Jogo.
Hair
Cabeleira was part of the Trio Ternura, a group of three criminals who robbed businesses and shared part of the profits with the favela's population in an allusion to Robin Wood's tale. The Trio Ternura breaks up after the robbery of the hotel where Dadinho had been keeping watch, as everything gets out of hand. Cabeleira even dies running from the police.
The actor who plays Cabeleira in the cast of City of God is Jonathan Haagensen. Haagensen was born and raised in the Vidigal community in Rio de Janeiro. He was part of the theater company Nós do Morro and, in addition to City of God, has also appeared in productions such as Da Cor do Pecado and Vai na Fé.
Conclusion
It is undeniable that each of the names in the cast of City of God was crucial to the movie's success. The way the actors dedicated themselves to their respective roles is the difference in this story that recreates a real situation of crime in the communities in the 1980s.
But what about you? Did you know the names behind the characters in the movie? Let us know in the comments! We also want to know your opinion on the subject! Enjoy and also check out our article on the 11 most-watched Netflix series ever!
Questions that might interest you:
Who played Dadinho in the movie City of God?
Douglas Silva plays Dadinho, the younger version of the drug dealer Zé Pequeno.
Who directed the movie City of God?
City of God is directed by Fernando Meirelles.
What was the outcome of Rubens Sabino, the actor in City of God?
Rubens Sabino, who plays Neguinho in the movie, gave up acting because of his drug addiction. Nowadays he sells sweets on the streets of Rio de Janeiro.
