T-shirts with a print on the actress Tânia Maria from Rio Grande do Norte hit the networks and are sold out

In anticipation of the premiere of the film “The Secret Agent”, which features the actress Tânia Maria from Rio Grande do Norte, the family decided to make a t-shirt to be a kind of uniform for the fans. However, the idea was so successful that the shirts sold out quickly and a second shipment is being manufactured. “The family wanted to dress up in one of her character’s outfits, but as it was going to be difficult, we decided to make the t-shirt. It was just for the family, but those who saw it were asking for one and, before we knew it, the first batch had sold out.””, details Tânia Maria’s granddaughter, Jácylla Kenya.

The t-shirt features the print of the character Dona Sebastiana, owner of a building where an “apparatus” operated that housed dissidents from the Brazilian military dictatorship in the 1970s, including Marcelo, Wagner Moura’s character in “The Secret Agent”.

Scheduled to premiere in Natal on October 25th, the new film by Pernambuco filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho features Tânia Maria prominently in the launch teaser. The relationship between the actress from Serido and the director began during the filming of “Bacurau” (2019), another feature film by Kleber Mendonça Filho that was shot in Parelhas and Acari.

“We didn’t expect all this repercussion. My grandmother acts very naturally, the same way she is in the film, she is in real life. She is very respected because she is organized, but she is also very welcoming, she likes to make friends, to talk, it was like that with the Bacurau team and continues to this day”, says the granddaughter.

The family will watch the film with Tânia Maria on November 6th at a cinema in Caicó.

“We are all excited, the family will get together to watch with her in Caicó”, says the granddaughter, who is getting her passport together with her grandmother.

“We didn’t have it because there was no need. This was a very distant reality for us. Now we don’t know what could happen”, jokes Jácylla.

In addition to participating in “The Secret Agent”, Tânia Maria has also been considered to compete for an Oscar. While the list of nominees is not out and the film is not released, the family is preparing a second batch of t-shirts with Dona Sebastiana on the print. Those interested can contact Jácylla by calling 84 9 8841-0163.

O teaser

Vitrine Filmes, producer of “O Agente Secreto”, a new feature film by Pernambuco filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho, released a teaser highlighting the participation of actress from Rio Grande do Sul, Tânia Maria, 78 years old, resident of the village of Cobra, in the municipality of Parelhas, in the Seridó region of Rio Grande do Norte. In the short preview, she appears in some scenes opposite the protagonist Wagner Moura.

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The compliments

At the premiere of the film at “Festival do Rio”, last week, Wagner Moura was full of praise for Tânia Maria.

“Wonderful. She’s crazy, I’m crazy about her”, said the protagonist of “The Secret Agent”. The film was chosen by the Brazilian Cinema Academy to represent the country at the 2026 Oscars, in the “Best International Film” category.

“The first scenes I did with her were the first scenes I filmed. You’ll see, I’m in the scene, like me, looking at her, admiring her, mad at her, reacting to what she said to me. She’s crazy, I’m crazy about her. It’s a shame she’s not here”, said the actor upon arriving for the special screening at the Rio Festival.

The Oscars

Her performance in “The Secret Agent” earned Tânia Maria two mentions in North American publications as a possible nominee for the 2026 Oscar in the “Best Supporting Actress” category.

The first to nominate the actress from Serido for the biggest award in world cinema was “Variety” magazine. Afterwards, she appeared on “The Hollywood Reporter” list.

The two North American publications place Tânia Maria with a “low possibility” of competing for the 2026 Oscar. Variety cites the actress from Serido as 25th in the ranking of possible nominees. In The Hollywood Reporter, she is in 17th position.

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