A South American heartthrob who was touted as "the Brazilian Tom Cruise" when he popped up on
Lost during the series' third season, Santoro did time on soaps until 2001, when two films put him on the map (in his homeland, anyway). He won the Cinema Brazil Grand Prize (the equivalent of an Oscar) for his powerful performance as an institutionalized teen in
Bicho de Sete Cabeças and earned kudos as a young man forced to avenge his brother's murder in
Behind the Sun. With his smoldering sex appeal and solid acting chops, Hollywood came calling, and he began appearing in small parts on the big screen (his rock-hard abs were on great display as an extreme-sports-loving villain in
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, and he was Laura Linney's crush in
Love Actually). But he remained best known to U.S. audiences as the mystery man who romanced Nicole Kidman in that arty Chanel ad. Although his
Lost character didn't even survive one season, Rodrigo bounced back as a baddie in the blockbuster
300.
Rodrigo Santoro Fast Facts:
- Provided the dubbed voice of the lead character in the Brazilian releases of Stuart Little and Stuart Little 2.
- College:
- Attended Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro
